Horrendously arrogant

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2004)

Homer's "Iliad" is an epic poem that has been read for thousands of years; the mythology surrounding the Trojan War has existed even longer. Unfortunately, David Benioff, who penned the excellent 25th Hour, took it upon himself to rework the myth into an almost unrecognizable abomination. Of course it's difficult to keep a myth as complex as that of the Trojan War intact in a film; nobody could realistically expect Benioff to accomplish such a herculean task. But even the smallest details of the film betray the rich characters and plot lines at its heart, for example, Paris asks Aeneas' name when Aeneas would be known to all Trojans! It's as if Benioff cared just enough to pay slight homage to the myth; not enough to make those scenes accurate. Towards the end, the film just gets laughable. Romances are created where they shouldn't be, characters live longer than they should, and Benioff turns the resolution of the Trojan War on its head. If you enjoy Greek myth at all, stay away from this.