Troy Sans the Gods?

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2004)

Troy is a great fun date film filled with exterior panorama shots that harken to the old David Lean Lawrence of Arabia views, and of course, Brad Pitt, who is buff enough to give a girl the vapors. Lordy!
However, for anyone who has ever read Homer, and has an iota of recognition of the Oddessey, the absence of the Greek gods is a major disappointment. Hollywood of course went for the love story between lesser characters to play up the roles of Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt, and this was more an annoyance when actors with chops including Peter O'Toole were on screen. The thin Hollywood pretty males looked decidedly underfed compared to the beefy Greek brothers from Sparta, and at times this was comical contrast in fight scenes between Orlando Bloom's Paris and Agamemnon.
The important and tender scene between Hector (Eric Bana) and his wife (Saffron Burrows) and infant son were all but thrown out with the bath water in this production as was the friendship between Achillies and Petrocles. Can't Hollywood just leave Homer alone if it wants to make a movie where a boy loves girl, girl runs away with the boy, and Greece goes after her with 50,000 extras. I enjoyed the spectacle, but missed the substance, however, Brad Pitt's pecs were a mighty rush of lust for the wide screen. Once he dropped his leather skirt, who cared!