In ancient
Greece, the greatest warrior the world has ever seen, Achilles
(Brad Pitt), has an uneasy alliance with Agamemnon, king of Mycenae
(Brian Cox). When Agamemnon’s brother Menelaus, king of Sparta
(Brendan Gleeson), loses his wife Helen (Diane Kruger) to Troy’s
Prince Paris (Orlando Bloom), Agamemnon has his excuse for war.
Paris’ bother Hector (Eric Bana) leads the Trojan forces.
CRITIQUE
When Troywas released in theaters, the spectacle overwhelmed me.
Though its flaws are more apparent now, I still find a lot to enjoy
about this dramatization of the classic Trojan War story.
One feature of this film I now notice more than ever is the way it
blends appeal to both genders. Women get the three outstanding leading
men, frequently shirtless (thank you!) and the men get well executed
battles to feast their eyes on. Plus, the script is above average,
too. Critics complained about missing the gods on the film’s release
but had they been included those same critics would have called it
Clash of the Titans-style camp, yet I think the liberal references
to the deities are more than adequate.
The flaws come with other small parts of the script and a bit of
the direction. The plot changes writer David Benioff creates are not
the best (pairing Achilles and Rose Byrne’s Briseis ends up being more
affecting than Paris and Helen, and we know Briseis didn’t kill
Agamemnon), plus his stringent cutting left out one of the most
compelling elements of the story: Paris and Hector’s clairvoyant
sister Cassandra. As for Wolfgang Petersen’s direction, it’s mostly
solid. The battle scenes are expansive, the production design excels,
and the special effects are seamless. However, a couple of spots
needed a more cohesive feel in staging and editing.
The actors here are one of the film’s selling points. I don’t even
need to mention legends like Peter O’Toole and Julie Christie (who is
underused), but the others stand out as well. Cox is a future legend,
growlingly evil here. Bloom works against the heartthrob type with a
risky role but he pulls it off. Pitt’s performance should make even
his detractors notice. Best of all may be Bana, getting the lead
that’s both heroic and truly noble.
Oddly enough, the critics I mentioned might find Troy
more ingratiating on the small screen, but, make no mistake, this is
an epic and more than worthy of a night’s viewing.
THE VIDEO
The grand visuals of the theatrical release are preserved in this
2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation. Colors are crisp and
picture quality is top notch.
THE AUDIO
The film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The
dialogue and overall soundtrack are presented with clarity. Also
offered are a French language track and English, French, and Spanish
subtitles.
THE EXTRAS
In the
Thick of Battle:
This is a 17-minute featurette focusing on the film’s outstanding
battle scenes. There is a lot of detail here and much of it is
interesting. There is plenty of rehearsal footage and interviews with
the off camera personnel and everything from the choreography to the
training to the actual filming of the scenes is covered. Here is the
first mention of the hurricane that knocked down much of the
impenetrable wall of Troy
just before the climactic Hector/Achilles battle.
From
Ruins to Reality:
This featurette is of the same interview and behind-the-scenes format
of the others, but the topic here is the production design. You have
much more of an appreciation for the work after viewing this. All of
the 14 minutes interesting but the most fascinating is the brief
discussion of the excavation of the actual site of Troy. I also like
the conception of the famous Trojan Horse.
Troy: An Effects Odyssey: Another studio featurette that devotes
11 minutes to the special effects of the film. There are two sections
shown here: visual and sonic, and there is much more of these in the
film than the viewer might think at first. The cable cam shots the
team were able to devise and the software that allowed for full battle
scenes are interesting, but I most liked the in-depth look at how the
sonic/sound effects were achieved by the foley artists.
Gallery
of the Gods:
This cool interactive feature is a 3D guide to all twelve of the major
gods and goddesses in Greek myth. The design graphics are top-notch,
with each deity having their own brief narrated introduction next to
their statue. These include connections to the Trojan War with parts
of the story not included in the film, such as Paris’ choice of
Aphrodite as the fairest goddess before he takes his place as Trojan
prince.
Theatrical Trailer:
This is a good trailer, actually, starting with the incomparable
O’Toole’s voice and excitingly sampling the drama and action.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A
timeless story anchors grand production values and excellent acting in
Troy
despite an imperfect script. Its appeal will cross genders and ages,
though the film’s flaws are more apparent to me now after a second
viewing. Pitt’s physical prowess and the risk Bloom took still
impress, the direction is solid and, best of all, the film could
inspire a look at "The Illiad" and the history books.
