Nolan v. Homer

2026-07-26

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It could be argued that Christopher Nolan has been remaking the Odyssey for his whole career, and his latest film revisits many of the themes of his earlier movies, as once again a male protagonist embarks on a desperate quest to recover a female love object. But, as Emily Wilson argues, while Homer’s Odyssey might seem the perfect source material for Nolan, the ancient Greek poem also excels at many things the director isn't so good at, not least dialogue and characterisation. Wilson, who has translated b...

It could be argued that Christopher Nolan has been remaking the Odyssey for his whole career, and his latest film revisits many of the themes of his earlier movies, as once again a male protagonist embarks on a desperate quest to recover a female love object. But, as Emily Wilson argues, while Homer’s Odyssey might seem the perfect source material for Nolan, the ancient Greek poem also excels at many things the director isn't so good at, not least dialogue and characterisation.

Wilson, who has translated both the Odyssey and the Iliad, joins Thomas Jones to talk through the new adaptation, discussing its echoes of Nolan’s earlier films and his use of the Trojan Horse as a parable about wars built on lies. They also look at the compositional history of Homer’s poem and consider why this archetypal journey narrative is also a story about stasis and the desire to resist time.

Listen to Emily and Tom's Close Readings episode on the Odyssey here:

Apple: https://lrb.me/odysseyapple

Spotify: https://lrb.me/odysseyspotify

LRB website: https://lrb.me/odysseyweb

GET 50% OFF a 12-month Close Readings subscription with the code 'SUMMER50' when you sign up here:

https://lrb.me/atasummer50

Read Emily Wilson on Nolan's ‘Odyssey’ in the LRB:

https://lrb.me/wilsonodysseypod

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