kitty
05-15-2004, 02:31 PM
'Troy' a Disappointing Epic
Never has a film been so chock full of manly men in miniskirts since Mel
Gibson's Braveheart.
An epic film based on Homer's Illiad which documents (and deifies) the Trojan
War, Troy stars Brad Pitt as Achilles, the undefeatable Grecian hero while
Eric Bana plays Troy's own warrior, Hector. Orlando Bloom is Paris, Hector's
younger brother who falls in love with the wife, Helen (played by German
actress Diane Kruger), of rival king Menelaus, played by Brendan Gleeson.
This love affair which triggers one of the world's greatest wars is set
against the backdrop of Agamemmnon's (Brian Cox) ruthless conquering and
unifying of Greece, and the film suggests that the Menelaus' quest for
vengeance against his traitorous wife is merely a ploy to convince
Agamemmnon's underlings to help him conquer one of the few remaining cities
he would need to control the Aegean sea.
As a piece of classic literature, the Illiad stands in a class of its own.
With a star-studded cast and a huge computer effects budget, it's hard to
imagine Troy going wrong. Yet, while director Wolfgang Peterson makes a
valiant attempt to adapt it not only for the big screen but also for a modern
American audience, it seems clear, after the fact, that the Illiad may indeed
be unadaptable to this particular medium. Set-up for the Trojan war and introduction to the film's major players is rushed and, thus oftentimes forced, particularly in the romance between Paris (Orlando Bloom) and Helen. While I applaud Peterson's attempt to present a 'real' Trojan war (as an event which may have inspired Homer's story, rather than one that is inspired by him), a great deal of the Illiad's heart was subsequently excised from
Troy. Gone are the wars of the gods and Achilles' superhuman heritage -- instead, the Trojan War is presented as a war between men, plagued by the follies of ambition and egocentrisms of mankind. Thus, while the Illiad talks of men as pawns of the gods, Troy is a character-driven film that proceeds because of the personalities that populate it.
Technically, this film is superb. At its core, Troy is eye candy, both because of the computer effects and the epic battle scenes, and the beefcake casting. Aerial shots of thousands of extras in full Grecian battle armour were breathtaking while CGI effects were well implemented in the film. Furthermore, the props, sets, and costume departments should all be commended for their eye to detail, and the Trojan horse, in particular, is extremely well crafted. Finally, the battle choreographer who developed Achilles' uniquely aqualine and free-flowing fighting style should truly be applauded, as it offered a thrilling and visually stunning treat to our already overloaded optic nerves. Strangely, however, the film, while quick to provide beautiful cinematography in battle, shied away from the graphic violence that would've seemed to be standard fare for a movie about Grecian war. Though men are armed with swords and spears, the film shows them doing little explicit damage, perhaps as a ploy to keep Troy rated PG-13.
Brad Pitt is, surprisingly, one of the great highlights of the movie. Not usually a big fan of his acting or his looks, I was pleasantly taken aback by both his skilled portrayal of Achilles and his aesthetic qualities from certain angles. Peterson is supremely aware of how he has been gifted by one of Hollywood's sexiest men, and takes full advantage by including several shots of Pitt's oiled up, semi-naked self. Though Achilles is egomaniacal and rather cruel, Pitt balances the character nicely with an introspective, philosophical softer side that gives Achilles depth, making him the unlikely hero we are rooting for.
Similarly, Eric Bana, who was vastly under-played in the Hulk, revised my opinion of him by truly shining in the role of Hector. His visual attractiveness notwithstanding, Bana gives Hector the intensity and wisdom that was so sorely wasted on his portrayal of Bruce Banner, and the likeability of both Hector and Achilles makes their physical and mental
conflicts all the more appealing.
Unfortunately, while Bana and Pitt are well cast in their roles, the same cannot be said about some of the other casting choices. Though Peter O'Toole as Trojan King, Priam, is both sensitive and wise, and Cox is delightfully ruthless as Agammemnon, Kruger is flat as the beautiful Helen, and unconvincing as the woman who inspired two armies to battle. Rose Byrne as Achilles' unlikely lover, Briseis, is similarly grating, while Bloom seems to
have played Paris to an exaggeration, acting more as comic relief than the man who led Troy to folly for the love of a woman.
Peterson, while he shows true skill in the directing the battle scenes, seems at a loss when it comes to showing his actors displaying feeling or dramatic effect. As is the problem with many of this year's movies, Peterson seems to think that drawn-out close-ups of his actors will communicate profound depth and feeling, when really it merely interrupts the fast-paced feel of the battle scenes without delivering much of a payload as far as emotional depth.
Whether it is a product of untalented secondary actors or a poor director, the film is flashy yet lacks the real substance that is at the gut of the Illiad. As an aesthetically stunning piece of entertainment, Troy easily commands its audience's attention for its two hour running time, and if you are looking for a good mindless action flick (or salivate at the idea of revealing meat-market shots of the film's big stars), this movie might be well worth the price of admission. However, scholars of Grecian mythology and those looking for some exposition in their cinematic fare might find Troy to be too brutish and mindless for their liking. Overall, Troy is great eye candy, but far from the epic it could've been.
Never has a film been so chock full of manly men in miniskirts since Mel
Gibson's Braveheart.
An epic film based on Homer's Illiad which documents (and deifies) the Trojan
War, Troy stars Brad Pitt as Achilles, the undefeatable Grecian hero while
Eric Bana plays Troy's own warrior, Hector. Orlando Bloom is Paris, Hector's
younger brother who falls in love with the wife, Helen (played by German
actress Diane Kruger), of rival king Menelaus, played by Brendan Gleeson.
This love affair which triggers one of the world's greatest wars is set
against the backdrop of Agamemmnon's (Brian Cox) ruthless conquering and
unifying of Greece, and the film suggests that the Menelaus' quest for
vengeance against his traitorous wife is merely a ploy to convince
Agamemmnon's underlings to help him conquer one of the few remaining cities
he would need to control the Aegean sea.
As a piece of classic literature, the Illiad stands in a class of its own.
With a star-studded cast and a huge computer effects budget, it's hard to
imagine Troy going wrong. Yet, while director Wolfgang Peterson makes a
valiant attempt to adapt it not only for the big screen but also for a modern
American audience, it seems clear, after the fact, that the Illiad may indeed
be unadaptable to this particular medium. Set-up for the Trojan war and introduction to the film's major players is rushed and, thus oftentimes forced, particularly in the romance between Paris (Orlando Bloom) and Helen. While I applaud Peterson's attempt to present a 'real' Trojan war (as an event which may have inspired Homer's story, rather than one that is inspired by him), a great deal of the Illiad's heart was subsequently excised from
Troy. Gone are the wars of the gods and Achilles' superhuman heritage -- instead, the Trojan War is presented as a war between men, plagued by the follies of ambition and egocentrisms of mankind. Thus, while the Illiad talks of men as pawns of the gods, Troy is a character-driven film that proceeds because of the personalities that populate it.
Technically, this film is superb. At its core, Troy is eye candy, both because of the computer effects and the epic battle scenes, and the beefcake casting. Aerial shots of thousands of extras in full Grecian battle armour were breathtaking while CGI effects were well implemented in the film. Furthermore, the props, sets, and costume departments should all be commended for their eye to detail, and the Trojan horse, in particular, is extremely well crafted. Finally, the battle choreographer who developed Achilles' uniquely aqualine and free-flowing fighting style should truly be applauded, as it offered a thrilling and visually stunning treat to our already overloaded optic nerves. Strangely, however, the film, while quick to provide beautiful cinematography in battle, shied away from the graphic violence that would've seemed to be standard fare for a movie about Grecian war. Though men are armed with swords and spears, the film shows them doing little explicit damage, perhaps as a ploy to keep Troy rated PG-13.
Brad Pitt is, surprisingly, one of the great highlights of the movie. Not usually a big fan of his acting or his looks, I was pleasantly taken aback by both his skilled portrayal of Achilles and his aesthetic qualities from certain angles. Peterson is supremely aware of how he has been gifted by one of Hollywood's sexiest men, and takes full advantage by including several shots of Pitt's oiled up, semi-naked self. Though Achilles is egomaniacal and rather cruel, Pitt balances the character nicely with an introspective, philosophical softer side that gives Achilles depth, making him the unlikely hero we are rooting for.
Similarly, Eric Bana, who was vastly under-played in the Hulk, revised my opinion of him by truly shining in the role of Hector. His visual attractiveness notwithstanding, Bana gives Hector the intensity and wisdom that was so sorely wasted on his portrayal of Bruce Banner, and the likeability of both Hector and Achilles makes their physical and mental
conflicts all the more appealing.
Unfortunately, while Bana and Pitt are well cast in their roles, the same cannot be said about some of the other casting choices. Though Peter O'Toole as Trojan King, Priam, is both sensitive and wise, and Cox is delightfully ruthless as Agammemnon, Kruger is flat as the beautiful Helen, and unconvincing as the woman who inspired two armies to battle. Rose Byrne as Achilles' unlikely lover, Briseis, is similarly grating, while Bloom seems to
have played Paris to an exaggeration, acting more as comic relief than the man who led Troy to folly for the love of a woman.
Peterson, while he shows true skill in the directing the battle scenes, seems at a loss when it comes to showing his actors displaying feeling or dramatic effect. As is the problem with many of this year's movies, Peterson seems to think that drawn-out close-ups of his actors will communicate profound depth and feeling, when really it merely interrupts the fast-paced feel of the battle scenes without delivering much of a payload as far as emotional depth.
Whether it is a product of untalented secondary actors or a poor director, the film is flashy yet lacks the real substance that is at the gut of the Illiad. As an aesthetically stunning piece of entertainment, Troy easily commands its audience's attention for its two hour running time, and if you are looking for a good mindless action flick (or salivate at the idea of revealing meat-market shots of the film's big stars), this movie might be well worth the price of admission. However, scholars of Grecian mythology and those looking for some exposition in their cinematic fare might find Troy to be too brutish and mindless for their liking. Overall, Troy is great eye candy, but far from the epic it could've been.