"Troy" - The Honest Soul of the Iliad on Film

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2005)

Given some cynical reviews based, I think on a lack of knowledge on the subject matter, I had avoided the current 2004 epic movie "Troy". But I bought it the other day for only ten dollars in a bargain bin - 2 disc deluxe DVD widescreen edition even. And after viewing the film I can only say it retains the soul of Homer's "The Iliad", that fantastic bard of Greek poetry that describes the tragedy of the senseless war between Trojans and Greeks, with the tale of Achilles, King Priam, Hector, Helen, and Paris in tow. It is a great sad story and to see it put to film in such a proper way is a real joy of film making from a fan's point of view.
But why the professional critic's cynicism? Perhaps because of jealousy that Brad Pitt, as the legendary Greek warrior Achilles, can play a successful portrait with his athleticism, male sensitivity, and ultimate male brutishness that is so effective? Or is it that Peter O'Toole's character as Troy's King Priam is a tour-de-force and that critics have always loathed Peter for some reason - is he too good? Perhaps Hector played by Eric Bana is just a bit too human? That Paris' Orlando Bloom is ultimately a coward turned hero but in being so, in irony, kills in tragedy? That love is what sometimes causes wars? And maybe it is because the heroic women in this film, especially Helen, seen as a tragic painting by Diane Kruger, crushes the fragile male soul with her sad and hopeless ultimate beauty? Perhaps this movie is too close to human tragedy to be criticized by jaded movie critics?
In capturing the soul of "The Iliad's" theme, this is indeed a film of epic tragedy. Everybody dies. Revenge is the cycle unbound and unending. The warrior kills until he is killed and then his champion's kill the killers. This is the cycle of the ancient world, the cycle that the civilized world seeks to unbind. In watching this film it is quick to analyze that the warrior's soul is not the way of mankind's successful future, and so this film in a way is good history lesson from the past tale of "The Iliad" and how not to be as a civilized world. Greek tragedy is an awesome ancient lesson that the modern world must learn from, and movie making as such does justice to popularize, but not glorify this image of tragedy. "Troy" directed by Wolfgang Peterson teaches this lesson.
"Troy" is a long film best viewed across either a lazy afternoon or two nights. The spectacle of ancient Mycenaean Greek battle is as authentic as the unknown of those times are to research from scant historical records. The weapons and tactics of the era in this movie are an attempt at authenticity, albeit a bit too much black leather going on. I think Achilles' armor would have been of the most polished brass of the time, not the dark fair that adorned the ultra fit Brad Pitt's form. But the shields, spears, swords, ships, chariots, and basic form of armor are historically correct as much as can be gleaned from rare records. The one on one battles depicted are violent and brutal, perhaps accurate, and if so, show a hacking time when man pitted upon man in ancient battle, makes the NFL look like a sewing circle.
The sweep of ancient epic battles and walled cities is captured in this movie with a combination of effective digital effects and real life action. The widescreen transference from film to digital DVD is very well done without any noticed pixillation. And the women in this film's tears are heartbreakingly real. The soundtrack conveys a haunting sadness to the ear as if tragedy is always present.
I was surprisingly pleased with "Troy" both from a technical, historical, story telling, and acting point of view. Highly recommended for it's type of film fair. Epic cinema at it's highest form. "Troy" is not quite "Spartacus" or "Ben Hur" but it wants to be, and is close to this type of film making.
B. A. Draper
Not for kids, it is rated R for extreme battle violence, tasteful sexual scenes, and disturbing adult themes of tragedy.