Classics professor Emily Wilson, whose translation of "The Odyssey" served as inspiration for the recent film adaptation, has revised some of the harsh criticisms she leveled against the movie.

Wilson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, released her translation of the ancient Greek epic in 2017. The film's success has brought increased attention to her work, but it also prompted her to offer a critical assessment in the London Review of Books.

In her initial review, Wilson described the film as having the same "narrative and emotional depth" as "an elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display." She also characterized the writing as "abysmal," stating that characters lacked convincing motivations. A significant point of contention for Wilson was the film's "race-neutral casting." While acknowledging that this decision drew criticism, she argued that it was not inherently progressive.

Wilson noted that many non-white actors in the film, including Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, and Himesh Patel, primarily portrayed versions of the "Black best friend" character, whose role, she felt, was largely to assist the white protagonist.

Following the publication of her review, Wilson took to the social platform Bluesky to clarify her remarks, particularly concerning the casting. "In this piece, I regret the paragraph about the uses of the POC actors - who are all great, but IMO under-utilized (and why couldn‘t Himesh Patel be Odysseus instead?)," she wrote. "I still think the film largely wastes its strong cast, but I framed it badly."

Wilson emphasized that her critique was not a personal attack and that she admired Christopher Nolan's earlier, lower-budget films like "Memento." However, she suggested that the director's larger budgets now present a "trap," leading him to attempt "grand, jam-packed epics" when his strengths lie in more focused narratives.

She reiterated her belief that it was valid to write about her negative experience with the film, especially given the overwhelmingly positive coverage it had received. Wilson also conceded that the film could have a positive impact by drawing new audiences to cinemas and ancient literature, potentially aiding the humanities.

Wilson concluded her post by questioning the reception of her critique, asking her followers, "Was I too mean? Or not mean enough?" adding that she had revised her initial draft to remove some of the "snark."