Watchable, but unsatisfying epic

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2004)

This is a film that could have been better than it was. The sets and special effects are spectacular, as are the battle scenes and the burning of Troy. Against that magnificent canvass, the film fails to offer a convincing story mainly thanks to a weak script (are all good scriptwriters working for T.V. or what?), ill-advised changes to the Iliad story, weak characterisation and the most irritating music score ever. Apparently, today you can't make a Hollywood epic without some gritty ululating woman in the background.
Eric Bana was convincing as Hector, as was Brad Pitt as Aquilles (if one liked his rogue take on the character). Otherwise, the film ignores the importance of secondary characters in building such an epic story. Peter O'Toole plays a king Priam who seems permanently on drugs and gets away with it because he's Peter O'Toole. You could forget Diane Kruger's face a few hours after having watched a movie, hardly believable that her beauty and presence caused a whole war. Rose Byrne's depicting of Briseis shows none of her motives. Orlando Bloom is at his best when throwing arrows (now, that's something he knows how to do). Perhaps the worst is Garrett Hedlund as Patroclus, although he can hardly be blamed considering the complete lack of definition of his character.
Now, a film like this cannot and shouldn't be expected to be a literal rendition of Homer's Iliad. However, it should be careful with changes that have the potential of affecting the core of the story. The makers of the movie were obviously not brave enough to depict the love story of Aquilles and Patroclus. Instead, Patroclus becomes Aquilles little cousin, and the later has some unpersuasive romance with Hector's cousin. The change is effected without conviction or substance. As a result, the viewer never fully understands Aquilles' rage towards Hector.
Watchable, but unsatisfying epic.