A very good epic, though godless

Rating: 9/10 (9 June 2004)

Possible spoiler Most people blamed this movie for the shallowness of the characters, but they are not shallow, they are God driven... It's true that as the gods are omitted in the film Helen appears as a brainless woman determined to trigger a war for love: she is not Aphrodite promised Paris he would have her. Some say that Paris is a spoiled brat who should have been killed: he has grown far from his family and was only found back recently, that's why they are all so glad to have him (moreover Paris is not supposed to be a nice man just because Orlando bloom is famous...).
The absence of Gods had numerous effects, it is not obvious for people who do not know the iliad that Achille has reasons to be so scornful, that Paris and Helen had no choice. People think that Agamemnon is a tyrant ready to invade any part of the world for any reason: he is only Menelas' brother and leader of the kings who have all sworn to protect the couple Menelas/ Helen There are some details that really do not fit in the original story (the way Odysseus convinces Achille to come, the death of Achille...) but it's an adaptation of a book six time as long as LOTR, and including a cast of famous actors that do not like to die stupidly and cowardly... In my opinion it is a very good film, though there are some discrepancies with the Illiad. Those who say that they didn't like the characters miss the point cos the characters are mainly as they should be. Moreover I think that those who do not know, quite well, the Illiad can not appreciate the movie as they should, cos they do not know the ins and outs. And they have not dreamed of troy all their childhood. In an historical point of view, I think that the crew did good research works for the setting, costumes and weapons; especially for the Trojan cos there are not so much relics existing.