Troy

Troy (2004), directed by Wolfgang Petersen, is a grand cinematic portrayal of the legendary Trojan War, inspired by Homer's Iliad. The film delves into profound themes such as the pursuit of power versus envy, the clash between greed and pride, and the tension between intelligence and blind faith. It also thoughtfully examines the role of divine belief, encapsulated in the poignant line: "The gods envy us because we're mortal. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed." The movie boasts a stellar ensemble cast, with Brad Pitt delivering a compelling performance as Achilles, Eric Bana as the noble Hector, Orlando Bloom as the naive Paris, and Brian Cox as the ambitious Agamemnon. Each actor brought depth to their roles, making their characters memorable, even if some lacked extensive development due to the sheer scale of the story. Yes, there are deviations from the source material, but these are inevitable in a cinematic adaptation. A director's artistic vision often necessitates changes to fit the medium of film, and Troy is no exception. While the absence of Greek gods and the condensed timeline might disappoint purists, the movie compensates with its human-focused narrative and emotional gravitas. Critics have pointed out that Achilles' character development feels somewhat lacking, but given the packed storyline, there simply wasn't enough time to explore every nuance. Similarly, the pacing and action sequences, though well-executed, missed a certain "kick" that could have amplified the film's appeal to action enthusiasts. However, the script shines in its quieter, more reflective moments. The scene between Hector and Paris, where Hector dismantles romanticized notions of war and love, stands out as one of the most powerful and enduring dialogues in cinematic history. Troy is not just a film about war but a study of human ambition, mortality, and the pursuit of legacy. Despite its flaws, the movie continues to resonate with audiences, offering unforgettable quotes and themes that remain relevant and praised to this day. Its combination of strong performances, thematic depth, and stunning production values makes Troy a cinematic experience worth revisiting.

Now then, where do we start? On the plus side, this is one of the more intelligent applications of CGI in an historical drama setting. The film delivers lots of epic grandeur; the at sea-scenes/battles are classily produced and the attention to detail across the costume and prop departments is outstanding. Sadly, though, the acting isn't at all joined up. At bit like the Dutch football team of the 1980s, we have lots of individual stars but relatively little cohesion between them. Peter O'Toole brings some gravitas as Priam, bit otherwise it's a loose collection of A-lister performances that try their best with a staccato script and some fairly clunky direction. As an end-to-end adventure film, it isn't as bad as it has been accused of being, but it definitely could have done with a deal more emphasis on the characterisation - Brian Cox is dreadful as Agamemnon; Brad Pitt (Achilles), and particularly Eric Bana (Hector) are shockingly wooden; Orlando Bloom (Paris) & Garrett Hedlund (Patroclus) appear there merely as eye-candy and Diane Kruger as the one who launched the thousand ships sounded more like Celine Dion every time she spoke. This is undoubtedly a story that could have made Cecil B De Mille proud, instead I suspect he's have nodded off...

It took a while, but Brad Pitt finally did some great films. This and Fury stick out on Pitt's resume as his masterpieces thus far. Here, we have the most "credible" and "least Hollywood" look at the Iliad and the Trojan War. The characters are very likely as they were, if they really existed, with motivations explained quite well, save for one motivation. It is hard to see Achilles as someone who tells a kid that living dangerously will make you famous a thousand years into the future. Even if Achilles is that introspective, it's hard to see that point of view being something someone would believe in, especially in an ancient world where few names are remembered after death, and certainly not for thousands of years. Aside from that, we get very credible explanations for all the recorded events, without the brown nosing of Homer, although the brown nosing of Odysseus still exists even in this story. This is quite easily, and I say undeniably, the most exciting, the most credible, and the best depiction of the Trojan War and the Iliad ever out of a major studio.