Great entertainment

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2004)

As an ancient history student I was quite excited about finally seeing the greatest story in antiquity finally coming to life. But having read the Iliad I knew that there was no way that Hollywood would make this movie based on the book verbatim, given some of the difficulties and intricacies in plot and the sheer detail involved. Yet I feel that the filmmakers have done the best possible job that could be done in bringing this tale to life. The movie isn't called the Iliad, it's called Troy, and it is only inspired by the Iliad, not based strictly on it. So all those people out there poo-hooing the movie cause it isn't historically accurate grow up a little. By presenting a modern audience, many of whom have little prior knowledge of the actual storyline, with a movie based stringently on the Iliad they would have alienated the masses, and it is the masses who pay to see the movie and make it successful, not just all the scholars and students of history. I actually think they've done really well to make this story appeal to all audiences. They've gotten rid of a lot of the bulky story lines, like the long siege and the involvement of the gods. All they have done is kept to the very basic storyline, and it works.
Some spoilers here! (I guess)
The deaths of Agamemmnon, Menelaus and Ajax are all necessary to the telling of the story and the enjoyment the ordinary person gets out of it. Agamemmnon and Menelaus are the villains, and for them to survive the conflict and return to Greece would leave most audiences unsatisfied. Also, I thought having Hector killing Ajax was a good idea, as it allows the extent of Hector's prowess as a warrior to be evident before his battle with Achilles - it equates their abilities better before the fight.
As for the features of the film, they certainly make it spectacular. The sets, costumes and props are fantastic, and so is the acting for the most part. Everyone has been bagging Brad Pitt but I thought he did an adequate job, especially in the fight scenes (which is what Achilles is all about anyway). As an Australian it was great to finally see Eric Bana show the world what a truly great actor he is. He was incredible and played the part perfectly. Peter O'Toole was also great as Priam, and the guys who played Menelaus and Agamemmnon were also good. Very sinister at times. Orlando Bloom was alright, but I think Paris would be the hardest part to play of all, and he handles it quite well. But for me the standout was Sean Bean as Odysseus - he was perfect! Definitely the highlight of the film. I hope the make The Odyssey next!
So even though it's not historically accurate, it still is wonderfully entertaining. I can understand why the filmmakers made the adjustments that they did for a wider audience, as it certainly very appealing and the fight scenes, in particular, are outstanding. Great entertainment for a couple of bucks. 8.5/10