What Translator Emily Wilson Thinks of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey'
Summary
Derek Thompson interviews classicist Emily Wilson about translating Homer’s Odyssey and Christopher Nolan’s new film adaptation. They discuss the challenges of rendering ancient Greek poetry into modern English, analyzing how different translators handle the text’s alien values and complex meter. Wilson critiques Nolan’s movie for simplifying Odysseus into a traumatized action hero, stripping away the character’s original cunning and ambiguity.
Topics discussed
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Introduction: The Odyssey, familiarity, and surprise
Emily Wilson on the challenges of translating Homer
The alien nature of Bronze Age values and language
Comparing translations: Pope, Lattimore, Fitzgerald, and Fagles
Wilson's translation choices: 'Complicated man'
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Reviewing Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey film
Is the Homeric Odysseus unfilmable for modern audiences?
Nolan's aesthetic choices and historical authenticity
Conclusion and Patreon promotion
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