Movies about Troy
«Troy» is based on the epic poem Iliad by Homer, according to the credits. Homer’s estate should sue. The movie sidesteps the existence of the Greek gods, turns its heroes into action movie cliches and demonstrates that we’re getting tired of computer-generated armies. Better a couple of hundred sweaty warriors than two masses of 50,000 men marching toward one another across a sea of special effects.
The movie recounts the legend of the Trojan War, as the fortress city is attacked by a Greek army led by Menelaus of Sparta and Agamemnon of Mycenae. The war has become necessary because of the lust of the young Trojan prince named Paris (Orlando Bloom), who while during a peace mission to Sparta, seduces the city-state’s queen, Helen (Diane Kruger).
This action understandably annoys Helen’s husband, Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), not to mention Paris’ brother Hector (Eric Bana), who points out, quite correctly, that when you visit a king on a peace mission, it is counterproductive to leave with his wife.
What the movie doesn’t explain is why Helen would leave with Paris after an acquaintanceship of a few nights. Is it because her loins throb with passion for a hero? No, because she tells him: «I don’t want a hero. I want a man I can grow old with.» Not in Greek myth, you don’t. If you believe Helen of Troy could actually tell Paris anything remotely like that, you will probably also agree that the second night he slipped into her boudoir, she told him, «Last night was a mistake.»
The seduction of Helen is the curtain-raiser for the main story, which involves vast Greek armies laying siege to the impenetrable city. Chief among their leaders is Achilles, said to be the greatest warrior of all time, but played by Brad Pitt as if he doesn’t believe it. If Achilles was anything, he was a man who believed his own press releases. Heroes are not introspective in Greek drama, they do not have second thoughts, and they are not conflicted.
Achilles is all of these things. He mopes on the flanks of the Greek army with his own independent band of fighters, carrying out a separate diplomatic policy, kind of like Ollie North. He thinks Agamemnon is a poor leader with bad strategy and doesn’t really get worked up until his beloved cousin Patroclus (Garrett Hedlund) is killed in battle.
Patroclus, who looks a little like Achilles, wears his helmet and armor to fool the enemy, and until the helmet is removed everyone thinks that Achilles has been slain. So dramatic is that development that the movie shows perhaps 100,000 men in hand-to-hand combat, and then completely forgets them in order to focus on the Patroclus battle scene, with everybody standing around like during a fight on the playground.
Pitt is a good actor and a handsome man, and he worked out for six months to get buff for the role, but Achilles is not a character he inhabits comfortably. Say what you will about Charlton Heston and Victor Mature, but one good way to carry off a sword-and-sandal epic is to be filmed by a camera down around your knees, while you intone quasi-formal prose in a heroic baritone. Pitt is modern, nuanced, introspective; he brings complexity to a role where it is not required.
By treating Achilles and the other characters as if they were human, instead of the larger-than-life creations of Greek myth, director Wolfgang Petersen miscalculates. What happens in Greek myth cannot happen between psychologically plausible characters. That’s the whole point of myth. Great films like Michael Cacoyannis’ «Elektra,» about the murder of Agamemnon after the Trojan War, know that and use a stark dramatic approach that is deliberately stylized. Of course, «Elektra» wouldn’t work for a multiplex audience, but then maybe it shouldn’t.
The best scene in the movie has Peter O’Toole creating an island of drama and emotion in the middle of all that plodding dialogue. He plays old King Priam of Troy, who at night ventures outside his walls and into the enemy camp, surprising Achilles in his tent. Achilles has defeated Priam’s son Hector in hand-to-hand combat before the walls of Troy, and dragged his body back to camp behind his chariot. Now Priam asks that the body be returned for proper preparation and burial. This scene is given the time and attention it needs to build its mood, and we believe it when Achilles tells Priam, «You’re a far better king than the one who leads this army.» O’Toole’s presence is a reminder of «Lawrence of Arabia» (1962), which I saw again two weeks ago, and which proved that patience with dialogue and character is more important than action in making war movies work.
As for the Greek cities themselves, a cliche from the old Hollywood epics has remained intact. This is the convention that whenever a battle of great drama takes place, all the important characters have box seats for it. When Achilles battles Hector before the walls of Troy, for example, Priam and his family have a sort of viewing stand right at the front of the palace, and we get the usual crowd reaction shots, some of them awkward closeups of actresses told to look grieved.
In a way, «Troy» resembles «The Alamo.» Both are about fortresses under siege. Both are defeated because of faulty night watchmen. The Mexicans sneak up on the Alamo undetected, and absolutely nobody is awake to see the Greeks climbing out of the Trojan Horse. One difference between the two movies is that Billy Bob Thornton and the other «Alamo» actors are given evocative dialogue, and deliver it well, while «Troy» provides dialogue that probably cannot be delivered well because it would sound even sillier that way.
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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. MPAA Rating: R (c) 2004 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Věková omezení
R (do 17 лет только со взрослыми)
Экшен и приключения
Hodnocení a recenze
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1,51 tis. отзывов
Zephyr Neumann
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16 2019 července
Troy is, unfortunately, one of the best examples of how even with an all-star cast, glorious set design and stunning visuals effects, a film can still fail when it lacks true heart and direction. Surprisingly, the visual effects were one of the highlights of the film, and nearly entirely hold up even by today’s standards. The mass of Greek ships, the armies clashing into one another, and the vast cities and camps all looked and felt authentic. Enough so at least to hold the immersion in the ancient Greek world. The performances in this film however, rarely felt particularly convincing or emotional, and while the acting from the cast wasn’t bad, they’re by no means any of these actors best performances. In the end, the biggest flaw of this film is the screenplay and the editing; resulting in a nearly 3 hour film that feels like it’s story could have easily been told in 2. The dialog is often bland and obvious, leading characters dully from one scene to the next, while the editing seems to at times simply end scenes when the main point has been addressed. It’s these sloppy elements that leave Troy feeling tedious and uninspired, despite its many great qualities.
Веками люди начинали войны — за власть, славу, честь и любовь. Брэд Питт снялся в эпической легенде страсти, предательства и героизма — истории битвы за Трою. За 1000 лет до Рождества Христова Парис похищает королеву Спарты Елену, что приводит к войне Ахилла и Гектора и разрушает древний мир.
Věková omezení
R (do 17 лет только со взрослыми)
Экшен и приключения
Hodnocení a recenze
Оценки и отзывы не проверены info_obrys
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Оценки и отзывы не проверены info_obrys
Oliver Emmett Knox
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Město ledna 28 2021
Wolfgang Petersen’s «Troy» is an excellent epic war drama movie loosely based on Homer’s ‘Iliad.» The movie plot was well written while including the important details of the original story. The army special effects, movie sets and the scenery are all very beautiful. The costumes, the armor, the art and the weapons are very well crafted and stay true to the ancient Greek setting. The war between Ancient Greece and the Trojans is epic in scale and isn’t about poetry. The movie dialogue was very good. The cast is superb. Brad Pitt delivers an upstanding performance as Achilles by giving the right amount of power and strength for his character. Eric Bana is terrific in his role as Prince Hector. Sean Bean was born for the role as Odysseus. Peter O’Toole gives a wonderful performance as Priam, the King of Troy. Orlando Bloom is very good as Prince Paris of Troy. Diane Kruger was a brilliant choice for the role as Helen of Troy. Brian Cox captures King Agamemnon’s character and villainous personality perfectly. Brendan Gleeson was excellent as Agamemnon’s brother, Menelaus. Saffron Burrows who plays Andromache gives easily an excellent performance. The lines are well delivered by the cast and their characters are believable. This movie contains some of the most elaborate action sequence. The fight scenes are great. The battle sequence between Hector and Achilles is one of the best choreographed fight scenes in epic war movies. The violence is likewise beautiful with blood and guts galore both on the battlefield and in single combat. The music score is very amazing. All in all, «Troy» is very action-packed and beautifully well-made. You’ll be connected with the magnificent and timeless qualities of the Homeric universe.
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