Its not history or the legend, just damn good film making

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2004)

Your "Loath to Love" quota for this film will depend on two important factors, first what do you think of Brad Pitt? If you hate him stay away. Second you have to throw out the idea that this is anything other than suggested by the historical/legendary event, if you can do that you're golden.
Since I like Brad Pitt and am not bothered by historical accuracy, especially involving one we really know little about I fell in love with this movie. I think this is a grand spectacle of the sort they don't make any more- or didn't until computers made it easier to do so. This is dark brooding heroes and wondrous action. This is why I love movies, you go somewhere else for three hours and just let it wash over you.
The only major flaw seems to be the fact that once the horse shows up it races to the end much much too fast.
I can not argue the purists who want the story as told over the centuries, but allowing that they condense a ten year, very complicated story into just under three hours, its amazing. I will whole heartedly say that the removal, or at least the questioning of the Gods role in things makes it even more tragic since we are the ones who made the mistake and as such we have no one to blame but ourselves.
The cast is across the board good to excellent, with Peter O'Toole a certainty for an Oscar nom, if not award next year. I also want to take back some of the terrible things I said about Eric Bana in the Hulk. At last he has a role that explains why he was given the role in that film (even if it doesn't explain why he was so flat there.) Here Bana is a wonderful Hector, a man who's love for his brother brings everything down around him. We feel for his pain.
This is an excellent film, 9 out of 10, for a last twenty minutes in need of lengthening.