A modern adaptation

Rating: 8/10 (21 October 2005)

When I first went out of the cinema after watching Troy, I was disappointed by yet another mainstream Hollywood action movie. The girl with whom I went to see the movie was also disappointed because her favourite epic was violated in such a way (and she also doesn't like Brad Pitt too much, who was portraying her favourite Greek hero ;). But whenever I was talking about the film afterwards, I started to like it more and more. The movie is solidly crafted, but does not add a whole lot to the techniques of film-making, admittedly. But what is so interesting about it, is the point which many movie-goers criticised so hard: the (almost) complete absence of the Greek gods. The only personification we get to see in the film is Achilles mother, and we don't even get a clear statement on whether she is a goddess or not. Whenever the gods appear in the movie, they appear in flowery phrases like when Menelaos spills some of his wine to the ground "for the gods". Also, the gods are portrayed as uncontrollable entities (like Hector tells Paris on the ship) who cannot be completely soothed by gifts or sacrifices. In my opinion, this is a very modern (atheistic) notion, which also puts the blame for the war (and the ensuing casualties) on men, and not supernatural beings. In a time of "Holy War" and "God's Own Country" going to war, this should remind us that it is no higher destiny which makes us do war, but rather leaders of men who do so. Maybe watch it under this aspect the next time.