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Troy (2004) - not a bad Homer adaptation for today's standards

posted 11 years ago by binapiraeus
9 replies | jump to latest

I'd bought the DVD "Troy" years ago when my daughter was still at elementary school, just because I love all kinds of historical movies from all eras of human history, and especially those that promise to be at least somewhat close to their real historical subject. I watched it, and quite liked it - and added it to my DVD collection.

And this year, now that my daughter has reached the 2nd grade of junior high school, and they're reading Homer's whole epic "Iliad" at school (and it's one of their basic lessons here in Greece!), I remembered that movie, and before they even started reading, I showed it to her, in order to make her familiar with the main characters, the events and the outcome of the whole thing. And now that we're reading ALL of Homer's verses rhapsody by rhapsody - I'm beginning to realize that this modern-day Hollywood production REALLY isn't a bad adaptation at all for today's standards: Brad Pitt makes an excellent, angry, stubborn Achilles, the story keeps quite close to the original text (except for the erotic interludes necessary today to attract audiences...), the fighting scenes are really authentic, and the scenery and costumes very carefully made to really correspond with the time. A very neatly done epic adventure, both entertaining and educational!

Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

[–] furienna 11 years ago

Indeed, I like "Troy" too. And I hate how people keep blaming the war on Paris and Helen, as if all those things wouldn't have happened sooner or later anyway...

Intelligence and purity.

[–] binapiraeus 11 years ago

Of course, you're quite right, it was all in the course of history: the Myceneans envied the rich city of Troy which happened to lie (i.e. had been built) exactly on the strait between the Aegean and the Black Sea, and its kings were swimming in gold from the tolls they collected - and so Agamemnon and his people went out and started a war against Troy... But in this case, it wasn't Hollywood, of course, who 'romanticized' the story - it had been Homer himself 2700 years before...

Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

[–] ContinentalOp 11 years ago

''And I hate how people keep blaming the war on Paris and Helen, as if all those things wouldn't have happened sooner or later anyway...''

Blame that damn apple!

Formerly KingAngantyr

[–] furienna 11 years ago

The gods weren't present in that version, so the apple wasn't mentioned either.

Intelligence and purity.

[–] Ana_Banana 11 years ago

Indeed. First I didn't like it and found it too much Hollywoodian, but it's really watchable. Perhaps it has too many troops and ships for that era, though.

We can't be lost; we don't know where we're going.
All that matters is that we're going.

[–] binapiraeus 11 years ago

Well, Homer himself writes about a huge fleet that Agamemnon sent to take Troy - but there's also the fact, of course, that he wrote the "Iliad" about 700BC, that is 400 years AFTER the Trojan War... So, as for historical accuracy we can only guess there; but, as you said, it's quite a good, authentic production for Hollywood standards!

Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

[–] Ana_Banana 11 years ago

What was 'huge' to the Homeric bards? In ancient times there were much less people around.

We can't be lost; we don't know where we're going.
All that matters is that we're going.

[–] binapiraeus 11 years ago

Yes, but the Mycenaeans were a big seafaring nation, they traded with Northern Africa and Asia Minor and had conquered Minoan Crete - only Troy was a pain in the neck for them financially, because the Trojans, who were situated exactly at the strait of Marmara, demanded high tolls for the very lucrative trade with the cities of the Black Sea; and so Mycenae's king Agamemnon, who was then ruler over ALL the cities of mainland Greece, assembled ships from all the cities to conquer Troy - so they must have been quite a lot...

Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.