“Troy”, for all of you armchair literature buffs, is based on Homer’s “Iliad” and tells the story of the war between Sparta and Troy. This war was sparked on the eve of a peace treaty, caused in part by the lust of Paris, who was the Prince of Troy, and Helen, the wife of the Spartan King Menelaus. Though there was much more to blame than just this illicit affair, it has become the stuff of legends. If you are extremely familiar with Homer’s “Iliad”, there’s a good chance that you might not be totally sold on director Wolfgang Peterson’s epic film adaptation. While it delivers an impressive display of warfare on a massive scale, the screenplay does away with all of the legendary aspects of the piece. While the Gods are spoken of, they are presented as really existing, or being the cause of the events that unfold.

The story is told in such as way as to make it seem less mythological and more historical. And of course, there is the ever present ‘Hollywoodization.’

After all the press that followed the film’s initial theatrical release, I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Troy” when the new DVD from Warner Brothers hit my doorstep. Generally, I try to stay away from the influences of movie critics, opting instead to form my own opinion. But there was so much being said at the time that I couldn’t get away from it. There were those who called it a spectacular event film, while others decried it as a soulless piece if work. I though it might be a good idea to get comfortable on the couch and see if I could determine who was right. (Getting comfortable is a good idea, by the way, as the film runs just little short of 3 hours.)

In the end I’d have to say I saw a little bit of everyone’s point. There is no question that “Troy” is an epic piece of filmmaking. The battle sequences are immense and the sets are overwhelmingly breathtaking. The battle scenes run a bit long, but considering the war itself went on for years, I can at least be appreciative Peterson didn’t go for a ‘real-time’ format. What was interesting to me, was as much as he decided to take out of the original story, Peterson decided to add in the fabled Trojan Horse. Most audiences, I’m sure nodded their heads when they saw it coming, but it never took place in Homer’s “Iliad.” (I think I’m going to look up the origin of that legend this afternoon…)

As for the film being soulless, this I can only say is true of some of the acting. Well, actually I can narrow it down to one actor. Unfortunately, it is the main star of the film, Brad Pitt. Pitt stars as Achilles, one of the greatest warriors of the period. He is brought in to the war by Agamemnon, the King of Greece. And while there is much to say about Pitt’s ability to physically represent the legendary hero, his performance harkens back to the days when he was Hollywood’s fastest rising brooder. Before proving his acting chops in films like “Twelve Monkeys” or “Fight Club”, he tended to little more than sulk his way through his roles, getting by on his good looks. He is able to deliver a much stronger performance than he did here, and I’m curious as to why he didn’t.

But where Pitt was the weakest link of “Troy”, almost every other actor stepped up and made the most of their roles. Orlando Bloom, who seems to be destined to a career in sword and sandal epics, appears to be an almost perfect choice in the casting of the lustful and naïve Paris, while Diane Kruger makes a lovely Helen (though whether or not her face could launch a thousand ships is questionable…)

The film’s strongest performances lie in the hands of Eric Bana, Brian Cox, Sean Bean and Peter O’Toole. Bana, whom most of us are used to seeing “Hulk-out”, proves his acting mettle in the role of Hektor, Paris’ brother, while Cox makes a perfect Agamemnon. Bean, who is undeniably one of Hollywood’s most underrated and under-appreciated actors, is terrific as Odysseus. However, it is O’Toole, whose screen time as Paris and Hektor’s father Priam is quite short, who very nearly steals the entire film. When he is onscreen, he hooks you in completely, with a performance that is as riveting as one has come to expect from this celebrated actor.

The DVD of “Troy” is a 2-disc affair, the first disc committed exclusively to the film itself. It is not until you pop in the second disc that you will find the extra features. The first featurette you’ll find is ‘In The Thick of Battle’, which is devoted entirely to the creation of the battle sequences. This is followed by “From Ruins to Reality”, which gives us a look at the locations that were used. “Troy: An Effects Odyssey”, offers a look at the CGI work utilized in the film. Each of these featurettes runs between 10 and 20 minutes, and offers up some fairly interesting information. The final featurette gives viewers a look at 12 of the Greek Gods.

While I can’t say that “Troy” leads the pack as far as big Hollywood epics go, but it was a far better film than most people gave it credit for. Complaints about the casting of big name actors can be easily put down by reminding them of the actors that graced films like “Ben-Hur” or “Spartacus”, both of which offered what could be considered ‘Hollywood’ versions of great pieces of literature. They were no less revised from their original inspirations than “Troy” was, and certainly no less entertaining.

Directed by: Wolfgang Peterson
Starring: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Brendan Gleason, Peter O’Toole
Extras: “In the Thick of Battle”, “From Ruins to Reality”, “Trot: The Effects Odyssey”, “Gallery of the Gods”
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 1/4/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Graphic Violence and Some Sexuality / Nudity)
Website
Website

We'll give Troy a B.