Story

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2005)

Two things wrong with this movie; some wonky dialogue, and how far the revision goes. I am just not sure why it has to go so far...
other than that, a highly underrated movie. Almost ranks with Blade Runner.
The Iliad, an epic poem written in ancient Greek, is a book now. I wonder what kinds of complaints followed it transcription? Anyway, the poem is...uh, perhaps the first foundation text for Western History. It occupies THE FIRST spot, outside of the Middle Eastern importation. Its a story about a really messed up situation. This is how things go bad and keep getting worse. This is a story about the foundation of Greek civilization; the greeks cherished it because it explained the problem with valuing the individual and valuing the family and valuing the tribe over what it right, over what should be better government. The movie does an excellent job, superb, (if not for a few wrong notes by Bana and the rest of the cast) in describing why we set up governments and justice systems OVER the rights of individuals. Unlike most other texts, I see The Story unique in that no one is likable, no one does the right thing, and everyone is drawn into a whirlwind of agony because they do not think of people as people, but people as what they represent. A point for democracy.
And by the way, Mr. Cox has been doing some fine work. My vote for him as the best actor in the epic.
And I didn't want to like Pitt...never do, but he's undeniably good as well.