Troy (2004) Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znTLzRJimeY

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Some wars cause chaos, while some cause chaos.


PLOT


Inspired by Homer’s ‘Iliad’, 2004’s Troy takes place 1184 BC. King Agamemnon of Mycenae has been uniting Greek kingdoms with the use of the mighty warrior Achilles, the only one who openly dislikes his vicious leadership. Prince Hector of Troy does seem a peace treaty with Agamemnon’s brother Menelaus, King of Sparta, but the efforts are disregarded when his brother Paris smuggles his wife Queen Helen. Predictably, Menelaus declares war for this disrespect and his brother immediately takes his side as an excuse to rule Troy as he’s always wanted. With a new war on the horizon, he does approach Achilles to lead the next battle, but isn’t until convinced persuaded by King Odysseus of Ithaca. He doesn’t fully decide until his mother Thetis goddess of water, that he’ll peacefully if he stays in Larissa or will have eternal glory should he go to Troy. When Hector & Paris return home, their father King Priam chooses to accept Helen rather than be threatened of her presence, confident that the walls of his kingdom will remain untouched. On the Trojan beach does Achilles lead a successful raid with his Myrmidom forces, sacking the temple of Apollo and taking a priestess hostage, Briseis cousin to Hector & Paris. Paris would establish a parley that he would duel Menelaus for Helen’s hand and if he wins, Troy must be spared. It would be a pummeling for the ages as Menelaus almost conquers him until Hector intervenes. With this violating the pact, Agamemnon charges but ends up retreating when Hector defeats Ajax the Great (Tyler Mane) and many forces within his skillful leadership. Ashamed of defeat, Agamemnon gives Briseis to his soldiers for amusement until Achilles protects her, thus starting a relationship between them. Just as he plans to leave, he would be stunned to discover Priam ordered an attack and Hector killed his cousin Patroclus who he thought to have been him. Knowing Achilles will want revenge, he instructs his wife to take a tunnel should he die and Troy be overran by Spartans. After a day of not fighting does Achilles challenge Hector as predicted. Despite the pleas of Briseis, he bests her cousin and drags his body back to camp. However, Priam pleads for his son’s body back and he respects the request, as well as establish a 12 day truce; He would also allow Briseis to return home to her family. It is during this time where Odysseus comes up with the idea to sneak everyone in to attack after the treaty; The idea would be building a giant Trojan horse as a ruse of the peace offering and hiding the ships in a cove nearby. Priam falls for it and brings the horse in. Greek forces do not out of the horse emerge until nightfall to sack all of Troy. As the city gets overwhelmed, Andromache & Helen take the tunnel as prepared and Paris defends his home with a bow & arrow, passing the Sword of Troy to Aeneas, instructing him to find the Trojans a new home. Troy’s Second in command Glaucus would die defending the kingdom, where Priam would be killed by Agamemnon. He would then try to kill Briseis until she defends herself with a concealed knife. Just as Achilles reunites with her, Paris shoots him in the heel and twice more in the torso that takes his life. By the time Paris & Briseis catch up with survivors to Mount Ida, Odysseus cremates Achilles and the film ends with his narration: "If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Hector, tamer of horses. Let them say I lived in the time of Achilles".


THOUGHTS


It is safe to assume some people know what an epic story really is. That changes when they encounter something that has grown to define it. Director Wolfgang Petersen and writer David Benioff are able to provide something that is right in the middle where you can say it is close to being considered one, but not really yet still pretty fun. Whether you prefer the theatrical version that’s under 3 hours or the director’s cut that is 16 minutes over, and has extended action sequences such as when a spartan launches a baby like a football, comes to show how wild war was in the Greek era. Roger Pratt’s cinematography was on point because it gave us a chance to digest the horror and beauty of said era. James Horner provides an ideal transcendent score and boy do the costumes match the criteria. If there is anything it does do better than Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, it is going to be the design of the trojan horse because it does do better in matching how much people were to actually fit inside. Considering how this war started with greed & lust, you come to wonder what is the point of this story and who are we supposed to root for? In my response, it’s not really about who to root for exactly, but more about learning how we must value the personal aspects in our lives such as pride, mortality and glory. When those things get mixed up, we’re no different than the ones we call our worst enemy. Brad Pitt makes an icon out of Achilles because is the kind of character that is in the midst of understanding that is better than those he surrounds himself with. At first, he comes off as a guy who fights to survive. He doesn’t exactly have a purpose until his mother gives him the advice he seeks. He goes through with fighting Troy because he wants to be immortal, much different from how bloodthirsty Brian Cox portrays Agamemnon. The latter is depicted as straightforward in being hungry for power, and then you feel a bit confused when it comes to his relationship with his embittered brother Menelaus, portrayed to a tee by Brendan Gleeson. It does feel sure that he manipulated him to pursue Troy after what Paris did, but it does become personal after losing him. Achilles never liked the king because he was never comfortable enjoying the pain he caused, hence acting out of spite to him originally by showing up late to be his champion to take Thessaly. What would start to change his ways furthermore was the fact he feels loss and accepts he’s not the only one who knows that is. That in turn does back his romance with Briseis and they hit it off because Rose Byrne shows her to be a principle figure in her own right and he respects that. She also proves to be independent since not only did she choose to be a priestess, she was able to kill Agamemnon before Achilles could. It is still a surprise for him to be defeated via arrow to the heel because he did feel invincible throughout, but it does prove that the greatest can fall least expected. Even if the whole world knew how he died, it wouldn't matter because how he set the bar in how to be the strongest at what you do. In reality, the one who understood it best was Odysseus. Sean Bean made it work in his given time because he relates to him in terms of being strategic and while having his own reluctance out there, he’s wise enough to speak his mind. Considering what a journey this character would go through in The Odyssey, I’m sure he’ll be thinking about his brother in arms to keep him going through the vast obstacles that came his way. Again, this story does not even become possible had it not been for one prince who couldn’t help himself keeping it in his pants. At first, you can’t blame Paris to fall for Helen of Troy since Diane Kruger is a beautiful actress portraying her and it seems like they relate to wanting to be seen for more than that, but Orlando Bloom makes him such a scumbag because he can’t back up the aura his brother has and it is annoying that it takes losing him to gain his confidence. We can go on and on saying how every one in Troy is a victim once the horse was brought in through the walls, but Hector is the biggest one of all because Eric Bana shows he is the more honorable prince that knew his actions were gonna cause problems. He kept standing by his side because he knew he couldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t protect him and it never felt worth it since it sparked an unlikely rival. I can say each army battle shown throughout was well edited, but it peaked most appropriately when he got to meet his match that was Achilles. It’s a fight that moves me because Achilles actually takes his time savoring revenge for his cousin and simultaneously makes sure it is done fairly. However, that is where his arc takes a turn because when seeing Prima, who may have his own overconfidence in being impenetrable, the late Peter O’Toole has the chance to show him cynicism for the first time that he’s never felt before. Had he not been reminded that he’s not the only one to experience loss, he would’ve not maintained the honor he had left. It is still a shame to see a good king dying protecting his home, but it still doesn’t feel in vain compared to Achilles because his son will do his best to maintain whatever pride is left of Troy. In conclusion, 2004’s Troy is a classic Greek epic that may be quite different from the source material, yet does enough to teach what needs to be said. If you’re a Greek fanatic, I hope this is up your alley.