Emily Wilson, Joyce Carol Oates would like a word.
The former, who is responsible for what is probably the most popular translation of The Odyssey, was deeply critical of Christopher Nolan‘s film in a recent piece she wrote for the London Review of Books. Wilson summed up her feelings with, “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”
Oates, who is no literary slouch herself, took to social media to respond. She did not hold back.
“Her tone of dismissal & haughty superiority strike a sour note,” wrote Oates, who eschewed initial caps in each subsequent sentence. “rather than disagreeing with interpretations of Homer in a collegial manner, this person, who has benefited enormously from Nolan’s film, speaks in the crude language of MAGA folks attacking someone with ideas that differ from hers. within the world of translators this seems all the more surprising since all translations are, presumably, subjective & not equivalent to the original text. one would expect a translator, of all people, beholden to a text, in service to a text, to be just a wee bit more thoughtful & respectful of others who are acting in good faith just as (she would claim) she is.”
Oates is likely best known in pop-culture circles as the author of Blonde and We Were Mulvaneys, both of which were made into films. In literary circles she’s considered one of America’s finest writers. She has won the National Book Award, the O. Henry Award (twice) and been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize four times. Maybe that’s why she seemed so keen to defend Nolan’s right to author his version of Homer’s epic poem.
Oates said she sees “no reason why Nolan, or anyone else, should not re-imagine/re-envision a classical hero (sic) through the prism of his own invention. Homer’s “noble” Odysseus does not really seem so noble to contemporary readers who are likely to think of, for instance, [My Lai massacre officer] Lt. William Calley in such lines: “From Ilion I was borne by a wind toward the Kikones–/ To Ismaros. There I laid waste the city and killed the men./ After dragging their wives from the city–with a great deal of booty as well–/ We divided it up…” (Book 9, Mendelsohn translation) No remorse here, just swaggering male braggadocio typical of “noble Odysseus”–“Odysseus, that cunning man”; but still, in Nolan’s vision, even such a man is capable of conscience & remorse eventually. in the 1997 [film] adaptation it is pride that Odysseus must overcome; in Nolan’s version, it is conscience — (to a degree).”
The famed author then turned her attention to Wilson’s sphere of expertise, recommending another translation of The Odyssey. She also used the occasion to respond to critics who say the film’s dialogue is too modern.
“The most elegant translation of The Odyssey is by Daniel Mendelsohn; it is ‘poetic,’ each word chosen with care, precision; it is beautiful, melodic but if that translation had been used in Nolan’s film the charges would not be that the language is banal or boring but rather that the language is too elevated, ‘poetic.’ I do not think that Nolan’s film will be considered a great classic but really, it seems that whatever Nolan did, it would disappoint hordes of people. most moviemakers/creators just try the best they can–it seems odd that this director has drawn such angry criticism.”
Oates noted that such criticism “is chilling, dampening for any creative artist. to attack a creative artist as if he were a criminal, had done something to harm, hurt, kill–this is alarming. if you hate a movie, fine–no need to recommend it. no one expects every work of art to be a classic, perfect…rage seems just weirdly inappropriate.”
She went on to say that, while she didn’t think this year’s adaptation would be considered a classic, she would “highly recommend both Nolan’s film & the 1997 miniseries co-produced by Francis Coppola. the adaptations are notably different: one American, with the brooding middle-aged-boy-hero Matt Damon; the other very Mediterranean, with charismatic Armand Assante who more naturally inhabits the role. (NB: the 1997 adaptation includes Irene Papas as Odysseus’s mother & Isabella Rossellini as a radiant Athena.)”
