Dir. Woolfgang Peterson, 2004, USA, 162 mins
Cast:
Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Diane Kruger, Brendon Gleeson, Peter O-Toole, Sean Bean, Saffron Burows, Rose Byrne
"Will what you do in this life echo across eternity?" Hmmm. Haven't we heard that line somewhere before? Or how about seeing your loved one again "in this world or the next"? Wolfgang Petersen's 'sword & sandals' epic Troy deliberately pits itself against the might of Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Who shall reign triumphant?
Troy is indeed an epic on the grandest of scales. Based on Homer's The Iliad, it tells the story of the outbreak of the Trojan War. Just as years of hostilities between the Greeks and the Trojans appear to be at an end, Paris (Orlando Bloom), Prince of Troy, secrets away his lover, Helen (Diane Kruger), Queen of Sparta - "the face that launched a thousand ships" - as they set sail to return to Troy. However, they are soon being given pursuit, for Helen's husband, King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), and his brother, Agamemnon (Brian Cox), king of the Mycenaens, decide to defend the family honour and unite all the armies of Greece.
The tale that ensues is one of loyalty, and love of country above all else. Hector (Eric Bana), Paris ' brother, is horrified by his younger brother's selfish actions, fully aware of the situation he has plunged them all into, in which they have no choice but to fight. Indeed, the film seems to posit the idea that passionate love is pure folly. Paris has put his own needs before that of his fellow men and in doing so has sealed the fate of his comrades and his family. Paris is a complex character and Bloom portrays him as an insipid, immature coward, who comes to learn too late that his actions have consequences.
However the advancing armies have a secret weapon - Achilles (Brad Pitt). An undefeated warrior, Achilles was considered the rock star of his time. Powerful, attractive and arrogant, qualities with which Pitt imbues his character. Achilles is the soldier who yearns for his name to be remembered across millennia. Disdainful of his king, he believes in the cause, and personal glory, yet ultimately carries a true sense of justice. Pitt finally comes of age as a matinee idol in this role, looking every inch the proverbial Greek God, with his long flowing locks, perfectly toned body, and petulant pout. His Achilles is lithesome, solid, classically good-looking, and with plenty of attitude (a far cry from a certain Mr Crowe, some might say). Achilles appears at opportune moments throughout the film, generally refusing to fight, being coerced to fight, having a fight, or thinking about the fight. A true war horse. It is only when Achilles feels love - of sorts - for the Trojan girl Briseis (Rose Byrne), his willing slave, that he exposes his weak spot - his heel - and dies at the hands of well-aimed arrow. Once again, the narrative appears to be saying that selfish love, the passionate all-consuming love between two people, can destroy even the most invincible. Achilles' love for another human being allows he himself to become more human, but in doing so he must take up the burden of human mortality.
Elsewhere, there are good performances all round; Petersen has chosen his cast exceptionally well. Bana has just the right amount of smouldering but haunted intensity to bring to the role of the noble Hector, a brave man who will fight because he must, reluctantly placing his country before his beloved wife (Saffron Burrows) and his child. The three Kings - Priam of Troy (Peter O'Toole), Menelaus, and Agamemnon - are portrayed convincingly and quite movingly by this trio of English and Irish thespians, ably bringing together Shakespearean act-ors with Hollywood's finest, and coming up with a winning blend. Sean Bean, as Odyssey, brims with charisma, and there is even a cameo for Julie Christie as Achilles' mother.
With epics comes the requisite movie-making on a grand scale, and so it is with Troy. The masses at the battlefield have been likened to the final scenes of The Two Towers , but here the comparison should end. Petersen's Troy feels incredibly realistic, with burning heat, and sand you can almost taste. The recreation of Troy itself has been meticulous, and as for the famous Trojan horse, in which the Greeks infiltrate the city of Troy, the first sighting, as the camera pans slowly upwards, is akin to the moment in the The Wicker Man, as Edward Woodward comes over the hill and spots the colossal structure in all its huge, black, imposing glory. Although we see it only briefly, the Trojan horse has a suitably dark, menacing quality that is likely to fill the nightmares of many a young child for many a year.
However, it is refreshing to note, in a film that is laced with special effects and computer generated images, that for once it is not these, nor even the action sequences they enhance, that are the stars of the film but the actors themselves. Admittedly, the story is an immortal one, but in doing so is complex in its portrayal of the nature of humanity, and it takes an actor of some merit to rise to the challenge and acquit themselves well. With Troy, the collective casting is a joy of symbiosis, and Petersen should be pleased that he has added a more than worthy specimen to the genre, a staple for Easter Monday viewing for a long time to come.
Jean Lynch
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