Troy (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
by Wolfgang Petersen
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DVD details
Actor: Adoni Maropis, Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Jacob Smith, Orlando BloomDirector: Wolfgang Petersen
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.40:1
Running Time: 163 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-01-04
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Model: 28411
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- AC-3; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
DVD Reviews of Troy (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: Because it is possible to love both the movie AND the Iliad
Summary: 5 Stars
Comparing Troy to Homer's Iliad will make a great difference in the outcome of a review. I noticed that most negative reviews here are a result of dissatisfaction with the changes made, and while I love the Iliad and respect canon sources just as much as any scholar, I also think it possible to enjoy a film for what it's worth.
Yes, I know that many important elements of the original story aren't included in Troy, such as the gods and goddesses, and that a lot of characters who should've died lived and vice versa. I can understand the frustration fans of the Iliad have with Paris and Helen's escape at the end, or even the fact that Patroclus was recreated as Achilles cousin, instead of his best friend as he originally was in Homer's epic. All these changes are sins in the eyes of many expecting an accurate adaptation of this beloved classic, but for the record I also know quite a number of people (knowledgeable in all things Homer or otherwise), who were able to enjoy the film in spite of these. I happen to be one of those who enjoyed the movie, and I think that it had much to do with my expectations- or lack thereof.
First off, Greek mythology has always been a rich source for the movie industry over the years. From Disney's animated movie Hercules to last year's Helen of Troy miniseries; from the 1956 Helen of Troy movie to the 1960's sandal and sword epics...Greek myths have also never been portrayed 100 percent faithfully to the sources and whether this is a good thing or not is a matter of debate, which I will not delve into. One thing I am certain of is that while I still love the idea of an accurate portrayal of the Trojan War onscreen, I also appreciated Troy- though it was not what everyone hoped for.
Troy's casting choices were excellent. Brad Pitt's Achilles failed to convince during my initial viewing, but after a second and third viewing I could not see anyone else in the part. Overconfident in his abilities, invincible as a warrior and demi-godlike in appearance (yes, Achilles was a blonde), Mr. Pitt had the role pinned down. His fight scenes were the best I've seen in a long time and they were made more impressive by the fact that no stuntmen were involved in the shooting. Achilles signature fighting style was also interesting to watch and made you believe that he was indeed, `a man born to end lives.' Nowadays, when Achilles' character comes to my mind, it is Brad's face that accompanies it. Eric Bana played a very sympathetic Hector, the man you alternately root for and grieve for every time his wisdom is ignored and he is forced to obey orders against his will and better judgment. Critics were right when they said that Hector was the emotional core of the story, for the only time I cried during the movie was when Hector bade his father farewell before confronting Achilles. Orlando Bloom was perfect as the selfish and impulsive prince Paris, his fight scene with Brendan Gleeson's Menelaus one of the best after the Achilles-Hector duel. Many hated Paris' weakness and Bloom's silly facial expressions- ironically, these were what made him Paris, as Paris WAS a coward and Bloom's fear during his fight with Menelaus was altogether real and perfect. The Paris-Hector scenes were well written, and I found the chemistry between the brothers even more believable and endearing than the relationship between Paris and Helen itself.
Brian Cox's Agamemnon was a little over the top at times, but he amused me to no end. Cox really looked like he was enjoying his part, and he took me on the ride with him. To his credit, he is the only actor who can act and look greedy while being funny and believable at the same time. Brendan Gleeson also made a satisfying Menelaus. While I disagree with the scriptwriters rendition of the jilted husband (as Menelaus was both young and a good husband who loved Helen), this has more to do with the scriptwriter's version of the character, rather than Gleeson's acting. His rage at his insulted honor was convincing and I truly felt scared for Paris during their fight.
The supporting characters also came up to par with the main cast.
Sean Bean portrayed a wise Odysseus whose lines are witty enough to be quoted every now and then, and the way Bean spoke also had me convinced that he was always right about everything. His intermediary role between Achilles and Agamamnon was entertaining to watch, as was his tone when exercising his powers of persuasion.
Peter O'Toole was both mesmerizing and frustrating as Priam. Mesmerizing in the scene were he begged for Hector's body in Achilles' tent, frustrating in his disregard for Hector's opinion and dependence on the gods.
Julie Christie had only one scene as Thetis, but she was regal enough for me to doubt that there were no goddesses in the film. She was either a goddess, or *very* close to it.
But IMHO, Rose Byrne was the best among the female leads, considering what she had to work with. Her expanded role as Briseis is another thing many complain about, but in the interest of being objective I will say that she did very well with what she was given and held her own against Pitt himself. She also displayed more range (fear, anger, hurt, happiness, etc.) than Diana Krueger's Helen and it is no wonder that the warrior was so taken with her version of the spirited temple maid.
Vincent Reagan was another face I could not forget while watching Troy. His portrayal of Eudorus truly defined the epitome of a supporting character, and I have no doubt that there has never been a right hand man as likeable as he. Like Briseis, he too was able to express a range of emotions- pain, fear and loyalty- and I find this impressive, given his relatively small number of scenes.
As a whole, my only complaints with regards to the movie are the compression of events, the musical score, and a weak performance or two.
The timing of the events, for it seemed as if the Trojan war was compressed from a span of 10 years to a period of 5 days in the movie. While 10 years may be too much of an exaggeration for translation into film, I feel that the creators of Troy could've made the war last for up to a few months, at least.
I was also disappointed in their choice of Helen. Diane Krueger is lovely to look at (perhaps not beautiful enough to play Helen, but pretty enough to keep both Paris and myself happy), but her performance seemed flat in comparison to Byrne's. Her role may have been toned down, but I felt that Helen still had a lot of scenes where she could've displayed emotion more convincingly. Her romance with Paris was also less interesting than what Hector had with Andromache, or even what Achilles had with Briseis. On a more positive note, Krueger was very regal in her bearing, and I had no trouble believing her to be every inch a queen.
Saffron Burrows was a likeable Andromache, another character one could look up to and sympathize with; my only complaint was that she was not given more to do. Aside from happiness with her family, the only other emotions she displayed were that of sorrow and worry, suppressed or otherwise. Still, she displayed these very convincingly- and the part where she banged her head against the wall when she knew her husband was being killed moved me.
Garrett Hedlund's Patroclus was the worst of all performances- and this had nothing to do with his demotion from best friend to cousin. As I mentioned above, the script changes from canon are not an issue with me since I am judging the movie *in itself**. Initially, I could see what the scriptwriter was doing. Since Troy focused on Achilles and Hector largely, Benioff tried to create parallelisms between the two men at different points: Hector had a love interest in Andromache, as Achilles had in Briseis. Hector had a filial, protectiveness over Paris, as Achilles had with Patroclus. But the difference is that while Hector's brotherly love for Paris and Paris' childish dependence on Hector were very touching, the interaction between Achilles and Patroclus did not strike the same cord. Perhaps it was because Hedlund's Patroclus seemed too modern; while Pitt MADE Achilles, Hedlund did not look as if he belonged in the same era at all...in fact, he looked as if he belonged to a surfing movie...which is strange, considering that his appearance was similar to that of Pitt's. I feel that he could've also acted better in spite of how his role was written. I wanted to sympathize with young Patroclus' in Troy. I wanted to empathize with his need to fight- I wanted to feel his frustration in not being able to prove himself. Sadly, what could've been pent up fury (or an impressive display of teen angst), only came across as mere childish tantrum, which was annoying at worst and laughable at best.
Lastly, the musical score was painful to the ear. The woman's moaning in the background was not mysterious and exotic as the composer intended...it was only strange a tad grating, which aroused my curiosity on how the original rejected score, must have sounded.
And yet, these faults have not dimmed my enjoyment of the movie. I did not view Troy as a deep, historical epic but as a brilliant fantasy-action adventure which had a little bit of everything to keep most movie goers happy. When I made this distinction, it was possible for me to watch it without comparing it to the Iliad every five minutes. It is possible to love both the movie and the book as two *separate* things after all, and I can only hope that those who loved Troy as much as I did will now be curious enough to pick up the Iliad, learn how it differs from the movie, and even enjoy the differences in BOTH mediums.
Description of Troy (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Brad Pitt picks up a sword and brings a muscular, brooding presence to the role of Greek warrior Achilles in this spectacular retelling of The Iliad. Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger play the legendary lovers who plunge the world into war, Eric Bana portrays the prince who dares to confront Achilles, and Peter O'Toole rules Troy as King Priam. Director Wolfgang Petersen recreates a long-ago world of bireme warships, clashing armies, the massive fortress city and the towering Trojan Horse.DVD Features:
Featurette
Photo gallery
Theatrical Trailer
There are many reasons to recommend Troy as a good ol' fashioned Hollywood epic, especially if you've never read Homer's The Iliad. Dispensing with Greek gods altogether, this earnestly massive production (budgeted at upwards of $200 million) will surely offend historians and devoted students of the classics (for them, there's the History Channel's Troy). But there's politics aplenty in the grand-scale war that erupts when Trojan prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) makes off with Helen (blandly beautiful German model Diane Kruger), wife of Spartan ruler Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), whose brother, the Greek king Agamemnon (Brian Cox) prods him into enraged retaliation. Greek warrior Achilles (Brad Pitt) brings lethal force to his battles (and there are many of them, mostly impressive), and his Trojan counterpart, Paris's brother Hector (Eric Bana), adds even more buffed-up beefcake to a film so chock-full o' hunks that there's barely room for Peter O'Toole (doing fine work as Trojan king Priam) and even less for Julie Christie, appearing ever-so-briefly as Achilles's melancholy mother. The drama is nearly as arid as the sun-baked locations (Mexico and Malta) that stand in for the Aegean coast, and many critics suggested that Pitt (who valiantly tries to give Achilles some tormented dimension) was simply miscast. But when you consider that Wolfgang Petersen also made The Perfect Storm, there's nothing wrong with enjoying Troy as a semi-guilty pleasure with a touch of ancient class. --Jeff Shannon
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