Best Of: ‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson / Actor Jon Bernthal
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From WHYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Dave Davies. Christopher Nolan's new film, The Odyssey, is a box office hit. But classic scholar Emily Wilson, who translated Homer's poem from the original text, says the film script is abysmally written, lacking in emotional depth and character development. And she adds there are no sex scenes and all the food looks horrible.
We need to have a protagonist with detailed, believable motivation. So the fact that these desires seem to be stripped from Odysseus, he doesn't seem to want food, doesn't seem to want sex. What does he want?
Today, Wilson talks about the joy and challenge of bringing the rich ancient text to life in translation. Also, we hear from actor John Bernthal, who plays Menelaus, king of Sparta in Nolan's The Odyssey, and the Punisher in the new Spider-Man movie. That's all coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.
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What is Fresh Air Weekend's overview of Nolan’s film The Odyssey and its cultural impact?
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Why does Emily Wilson call Nolan’s script 'abysmally written' and what specific criticisms does she make?
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I'm Dave Davies. That's our guest today, Emily Wilson. In 2017, Wilson published her own translation of The Odyssey, a task that took six years to complete and had quite an impact. Wilson was the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English, though that's not the first thing she'd want you to know about her work. Her translation was widely hailed in reviews for its vibrant language and faithfulness to the original Greek text attributed to the poet Homer. Her translation sold thousands of copies and was added to high school and college curricula across the country. Wilson was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, and after she followed with the translation of the Iliad, a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Christopher Nolan has cited her translation in discussing his approach to the character of Odysseus in his new film. In a review, Wilson called Nolan's film abysmally written and lacking in psychological, emotional, political, and ethical depth. Though she said it's still an event to celebrate because it's getting more people into theaters and interested in the classics. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies and chair of the classics department at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of several books, including a new one coming out in September. It's a collection of essays introducing readers to the literature of ancient Greece and Rome and the challenges of translation. and exploring some modern themes, such as parallels between the hip-hop of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion and the comedies of Aristophanes in 5th century Athens.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–1:58
2
What is Fresh Air Weekend's overview of Nolan’s film The Odyssey and its cultural impact?
1:58–2:13
3
Why does Emily Wilson call Nolan’s script 'abysmally written' and what specific criticisms does she make?
2:13–15:04
4
How did Emily Wilson decide to translate the Odyssey and what motivated her approach?
15:04–46:08
5
What translation choices did Emily Wilson make about meter, sound, and 'poem-ness' in the Odyssey?
46:08–52:42
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from Fresh Air
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