The Odyssey Translator Emily Wilson Slams Christopher Nolan’s Understanding of Zeus’ Law

In a fresh analysis for The Atlantic, Emily Wilson, the acclaimed Homeric scholar, once again takes on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, focusing this time on her disagreement with the film's interpretation of "Zeus' Law." In her previous critique, Wilson declared that she would "be ashamed to have written any part of this script" and that the film "lacks psychological, emotional, political, and ethical depth."

This new article by Wilson delves into the film's portrayal of xenia, or what the movie refers to as "Zeus' Law," and how it misrepresents Odysseus's ruse with the Trojan Horse.

Wilson notes that the Homeric Zeus is a cunning schemer, while Nolan's Zeus takes a particularly hard line against deceit, particularly in relationships between hosts and guests. She argues that the film's depiction of the Trojan Horse as the ultimate violation of "Zeus' Law" is misguided, as it suggests a moral problem with deception that is not present in the original text.

The film presents the horse as breaking "civilization," but Wilson questions why this moment is singled out as the turning point of the story when the Greeks have already been besieging Troy for 10 years.

Wilson further points out that the film's narrative of hospitality is inconsistent with the fact that the Greeks are already at war with the Trojans, making it nonsensical to consider the horse's use as the most significant turning point in the story. She concludes by calling Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic a "Trojan horse" itself, critiquing not only the film's interpretation of Homer's text but also the filmmaking itself.

In a world plagued by hatred and misinformation, Wilson argues, we need art that is truthful about the costs and necessity of compassion, and not just the "apparent magic" of deceptive images.