Gladiator Redux

Rating: 5/10 (27 May 2004)

Well I was kinda looking forward to this film. I'm a big fan of Greek Mythology and although the story of the Trojan War isn't as full of fantastical elements as most of the myths, there are some worth mention in a film which intends to illustrate the story, most obviously, Achilles mystical origins. Although the work of Ray Harryhausen was far from definitive and is now very dated, it did introduce the wider film audience to the world of Greek Mythology and fired my imagination as a child, spurring me to read and learn more on the subject. I was hoping that "Troy" would bring an opportunity to introduce contemporary audiences to this vibrant world.
Sadly, what we have is a remake of "Gladiator", stripped of its mythological origins and told as a straight war/romantic epic. The Achilles/Agamemnon relationship is very reminiscent of that between Maximus and Commodus. The "Troy" battle scenes reminded me very much of the early battle in "Gladiator". Neither film manages to surpass the battle scenes put on film in "Braveheart", which started this whole historical epic cycle. Peter O'Toole's King Priam just kept reminding me of Richard Harris' Marcus Aurelias. Replace Romans with Greeks (same religion, different names) and the comparison is complete.
The fact that its mythological origins have been omitted proves detrimental to the story. Although the Gods are often mentioned, we have no real proof of the awe they inspire and details such as Achilles' weakness appear odd by having no proper explanation.
There is one scene that stands out however, and no doubt will be rightfully applauded. The grudge match which ensues when Achilles rolls up to Hector's House is tremendous. A stand-alone fight scene which casts all of the film's other battles in the shade.
Onto the acting. Pitt's Achilles looks and acts like a living statue. Usually a very fine actor, here he seems paralysed by the stodgy dialogue. He only really comes alive in the aforementioned fight scene outside Troy. In contrast Eric Bana's Hector is a very impressive performance. He ably conveys the Trojan hero's strong sense of duty, which is often at complete odds with his belief in what is the right thing to do. Diane Kruger is a very pretty Helen, "the face that launched a thousand ships", but she too falls victim of the sub-standard dialogue. Sean Bean makes an engaging Odysseus and Tyler Mane is an imposing Ajax. Orlando Bloom's Paris is portrayed as naive and immature, which makes it difficult to understand how Helen would risk so much for him, but it does make for compulsive viewing as Hector's sense of duty towards his brother, against his better instincts, leads him to risk so much. But when Bloom takes up the longbow, I found myself thinking of Legolas again, which perhaps shows lazy casting.
I was hoping this film would lean more towards "The Lord of the Rings" and less towards "Gladiator", so I was a little disappointed. However, it is visually engaging and moves along at a brisk enough pace for such an epic. But a wasted opportunity, I feel, nonetheless.