Flawed, but memorable, epic

Rating: 7/10 (23 September 2006)

Though an unfaithful adaptation of The Iliad, this is a great movie and a wondrous epic. The differences between the poem and this film didn't bother me, as the credits even admit that the film was inspired by Homer's epic, not based on it. That aside, this is a grand film in both scope and execution, as it recounts the battle of Troy from both sides and has a fair amount of action and drama. There are a few flaws, most noticeably the acting by Orlando Bloom, but they are overcome by the rest of the film, especially the performances by Eric Bana and Peter O'Toole. Both of them stand out with genuine, memorable turns. And the action scenes are both exhilarating and believable. A true epic.
I didn't mind the removal of the gods from the storyline (aside from Achilles' mother), as it made the film more historical than mythological, nor the deaths of characters who didn't die in Homer's version, as it made the drama better. I mean, it's not as if Homer's version is an accurate retelling either, as he wrote it several hundred years after the war. Nor did I mind the shortening of the overall war, as liberties must be taken since it's a film, not a documentary. The overall story was very well-told and compelling, and while Homer's poem is a classic, it is not necessarily well-suited for a film. So, I think the film did as good a job as it could have with the story.
Though it clocks in at two and a half hours, the tale never drags or feels boring, mostly due to the action scenes and the interesting characters. By showing both sides of the war, none of the characters are reduced to one-dimensional, stock villains (except maybe Agamemnon) but instead are believable, intriguing human beings. The fight between Achilles and Hector is probably the best part of the movie, as both characters have been developed nicely up until that point, and you don't want to see either one lose. The climax, with the Trojan Horse, is perfectly realized and ends the film well. And the bookending narration by Odysseus makes a nice lead-in to The Odyssey, if they ever decide to adapt that one. All in all, a flawed epic with some great performances and fantastic action - just classic movie-making.