TROY (2004)

"An enjoyably engrossing experience, which entering into a summer season no doubt filled with mindless sequels and CGI-saturated comic book adaptations, might just be enough."

- Kelly Dumouchelle

(5/5 Stars)

0 Comments

If you've ever had to sit through Russell Crowe's monosyllabic performance in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, then the idea of catching Hollywood's latest attempt at a sweeping epic, Wolfgang Petersen's Troy might leave you cold. As a viewer soundly disappointed by the former, I found myself pleasantly surprised by Warner Bros. Studio's upcoming adaptation of Homer's classic, The Illiad.

In an interview, Petersen was asked if he was influenced by Scott's film. Thankfully the established director replied simply: "No."

But enough with the Gladiator bashing. My point here is simply to illustrate that the two films cannot be lumped together in the same category, merely because they both happen to feature men wearing skirts.

I went into the screening of Troy with almost no knowledge of the film at all. As the running time was announced at a lengthy 2 hours and 35 minutes, I was a little nervous. But what followed was an absorbing escape into an ancient world inhabited by greedy kings, brave princes and a woman so beautiful her face could "launch a thousand ships."

Sounds trite, doesn't it? Yet under Petersen's artful direction and screenwriter David Benioff's rendering of the original epic poem, Troy manages to tell a story where warriors fight fiercely and men love bravely, without falling victim to pat conventions.

Eric Bana stars as Hector, Trojan prince and son of Priam, played by the legendary Peter O'Toole, who must protect his younger brother, Paris (Orlando Bloom) and all of Troy from the entire Greek army, including famed warrior, Achilles (Brad Pitt). Though the battle lines are drawn pretty clearly, the cast does a remarkable job in keeping the divisions between the good guys and the bad, blurred at best. This allows us to really feel the emotional core of each character, and also brings out their human qualities, in that we all make good decisions and bad decisions; we all are little good, and a little evil at times.

With no clear hero to root for, the conflict between Hector and Achilles grows more and more complicated, and their motivations are revealed to us as being very layered. For instance, Achilles, known as the greatest warrior of all time, originally enters into the war because he wants to achieve immortality. Because his loyalties lie only with himself, and not power-hungry king Agamemnon (Brian Cox), Achilles pulls out of the battle when the ruler claims victory for his own. The warrior's motivations are further complicated by the introduction of a love interest, and a familial death.
I loved the push and pull created by these layered scenarios, because it never gives you the chance to just sit back, settle in, and root for the designated "good guy." Writer Benioff does a great job of adapting the story in such a way, that even though many people know the myths, we can still be kept guessing.

Besides the great ensemble cast, Petersen's visual vocabulary is also quite exciting. Shot partially on the golden shores of Malta, our eyes are treated to the delight of gazing upon vast beaches, startlingly blue waters, and desert plains. There is something about the coloration of this film that recalls an earlier age of cinema. The almost literal golden glow that seems to radiate off the screen, echoes an era before CGI graphics and splashy set dressings, and takes us back to a time when solid acting and sensuous cinematography ruled.

The beauty of Troy for me lies in its respectful homage, both to the great literary prowess of Homer, and to the original epic masterpieces that came before.

Though whether or not Troy will go down in the history books as classic film, only time will tell. It was, however, an enjoyably engrossing experience, which entering into a summer season no doubt filled with mindless sequels and CGI-saturated comic book adaptations, might just be enough.

Comments & Responses

More Theatrical Reviews

"For the most part this is a war story and one that remains as relevant as ever. Mostly it is a story about character and the perils of greed, vanity, arrogance and bloodlust. You remember character? Well, if all you see are movies -- maybe not."

By Blake Snyder