The gods approve

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2013)

Wolfgang Peterson's "Troy" takes the essential elements from Homer's Iliad, fills in the gaps and creates a compelling story for audiences three thousand years later. The reason it works so well is simple, it takes to heart a lesson that Hollywood filmmakers have always known but often failed to heed ~ the characters and the story need to be larger than the spectacle.
One thing the filmmakers chose to ignore was that the siege of Troy supposedly went on for ten years. In this version, the whole thing seems to be over in about three weeks. The filmmakers must have thought a full decade would slow the story down, and as the ending was going to be the same anyway, a few weeks was about right for the Trojan War.
The story begins as Hector and Paris, sons of King Priam of Troy, are concluding a peace mission to King Mennelaus of Sparta. Paris falls in love with Mennelaus's wife Helen, played by Diane Kruger, whose beauty could drive men to do foolish things. Orlando Bloom as Paris proves he is just such a man, and takes Helen with him when he and Hector return to Troy. Eric Bana is terrific as Hector who takes honour and courage far more seriously than Paris. He is aware of the consequences of this action but as Helen loves Paris, decides to support his brother rather than return her to Sparta
Mennelaus enlists the aid of his brother Agamemnon to get Helen back. Agamemnon, played in an unashamedly over-the-top performance by British actor, Brian Cox, uses this incident as a pretext to go to war with Troy.
Agamemnon also enlists Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior. Brad Pitt as Achilles brings intensity and sex appeal to the role. It was either phallus or phalanx for Achilles, and he leaps from bedroom to battlefield with equal zeal. Achilles is a difficult and dangerous man and as is the way with such things women can't resist him. These days, he would no doubt be a Formula One driver or a rock star – it's reassuring to know some things never change.
On the other side of the Aegean, Paris presents Helen to the Trojans. His father King Priam played by Peter O'Toole knows that the Greeks will invade to retrieve Helen, but is also aware that they have only awaited an excuse to do so. Hector is placed in charge of the defences, but he has done his numbers; he knows the Trojans can't win although he commits himself to the task nevertheless.
The Greeks sail to Troy. Helen's face has launched those thousand ships and they are all up there on the screen. The Greeks arrive and make a bloody landing. The movie presents a number of battles. Each one introduces a new angle to avoid repetition – it's pretty much the formula that has worked so well for "World Championship Wrestling".
Paris accepts Mennelaus's challenge to fight him for possession of Helen. They duel in front of both armies with surprising results, proving that Paris is a better lover than a fighter. Eventually the contest we have been waiting for takes place ~ Achilles versus Hector. It's a promoter's dream and lives up to expectations.
The intensity of these sequences rob the final scenes of some of their impact, and the introduction of the wooden horse is decidedly anti-climatic.
Historical accuracy was not the number one priority of the filmmakers, but entertainment certainly was. At two and half hours, the audience leaves the cinema with extended bladders but also with a sense of satisfaction.