Best Of: ‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson / Actor Jon Bernthal

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Emily Wilson’s acclaimed translation of Homer’s Odyssey and her critique of Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation, arguing that the poem’s power comes from its meter, multivoiced texture, and psychologically rich characters. It then shifts to John Bernthal, who discusses bringing intensity, vulnerability, and lived experience to roles like Menelaus and the Punisher.

Main Topics: Emily Wilson’s critique of Nolan’s The Odyssey (Priority: 5/5): Wilson praises the film as a spectacle that may draw audiences to the classics, but argues its script lacks emotional, psychological, ethical, and political depth and strips Odysseus of clear motivations. How Wilson translates Homer (Priority: 5/5): She explains her goal of preserving the poem’s speed, sound, and performative quality by using meter, line length, and attention to oral-poetry effects rather than prose-like expansion. The opening of the Odyssey and translation choices (Priority: 4/5): Wilson compares her version of the poem’s proem with Robert Fagles’ translation, showing how different choices shape tone, character, and accessibility. Wilson’s relationship to the classics (Priority: 4/5): She reflects on how teaching Homer, childhood exposure to Greek myth, and scholarly training led her to translate the Odyssey and Iliad, and to write a new collection of essays. John Bernthal on acting, danger, and vulnerability (Priority: 4/5): Bernthal describes how fear, shame, discipline, and empathy shaped his life and acting style, especially in playing violent or conflicted men. The Punisher and grounded masculinity (Priority: 3/5): Bernthal explains his approach to Frank Castle as a deeply wounded veteran dealing with PTSD and trauma, emphasizing human fragility over superhero spectacle.

Key Arguments: Wilson argues that Nolan’s film is worth seeing as a major cultural event, but the script should have had a scriptwriter and gives Odysseus too-thin a motivation. She contends that Odysseus in Homer is compelling because he is layered, contradictory, and driven by desire, while the film removes key appetites and divine presence. Wilson says many modern translations flatten Homer by abandoning meter and expanding the text with idioms and metaphors that are not in the Greek. She believes translation must recreate the poem’s effect, not just convert words literally, which is why she uses iambic pentameter and keeps the original line count. Bernthal argues that his early attraction to danger came from fear and shame, but acting helped convert that energy into empathy and curiosity. Bernthal frames The Punisher as a trauma-driven character whose violence is inseparable from grief, family, and wartime damage.

Data Points: Years Wilson spent translating The Odyssey: 6 years - Wilson completed her 2017 translation after a long period of work. Publication year of Wilson’s Odyssey translation: 2017 - Her widely praised translation appeared in 2017. Length of Homeric poem lines in Wilson’s translation: Same number of lines as the original; over 12,000 lines - She deliberately preserved pacing and structure. Wilson’s new book release month: September - Her essay collection Crossing the Wine Dark Sea was described as coming out in September. Fellows and honors mentioned: MacArthur Fellowship; Guggenheim Fellowship - Wilson received major recognition after her Odyssey and Iliad translations. Christopher Nolan’s film budget: $250 million - The Odyssey adaptation was described as a major, expensive production. Wilson’s age in the childhood Greek-myth story: 8 - She said a school Odyssey adaptation at age eight was a turning point. Duration of Bernthal’s Punisher role: 10 years - He said he has played Frank Castle for a decade. Russsia school year: 1999 - Bernthal went to the Moscow Art Theater School in 1999.

Pivotal Quotes: "It’s a family-friendly audiovisual spectacle, like an elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display with about the same level of narrative and emotional depth." — Emily Wilson: Her blunt assessment of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey script. "Tell me about a complicated man, Muse, who was lost so long and fled so far..." — Emily Wilson: Her translation of the opening lines of the Odyssey. "I think pain is a real adhesive, and I think it’s the thing that really connects all of us." — John Bernthal: Bernthal explaining how he approaches wounded, violent characters.

Implications: The episode highlights how adaptation choices shape whether classic stories feel alive or flattened. It suggests audiences may be drawn to Homer through spectacle, but enduring engagement depends on preserving depth, voice, and complexity.