As a former student of classical languages and literature I suppose I should be categorically opposed to this movie. But to be honest I probably enjoyed around three quarters of it.
(Spoiler Alert – Skip down to last paragraph to avoid spoilers and read recommendation)
Now full disclosure, the movie Troy resembles Homer’s Iliad about as closely as my grandson’s middle school band’s rendition of the Blue Danube Waltz resembles that performed by the Berlin Philharmonic. In other words, not a lot.
But that really isn’t important. The question is whether it succeeds on its own terms. What we’re presented with is an adventure film masquerading as a literary epic. We have the story of Orlando Bloom as Paris absconding with Menelaus’ wife Helen from Sparta and taking her to Troy where her new father-in-law Peter O’Toole as Priam decides that they’ll defy Agamemnon and try to keep Helen even if Brad Pitt as Achilles is preparing to run amok on the windy plains of Troy.
In order to turn an epic poem into a two-hour movie some compromise had to be taken with the plot. Instead of a ten-year war we have a ten-day war. And some folks had to be sacrificed. For instance, both Menelaus and Ajax are axed in the second day of battle. Now that is surprising since in the Hellenic version Menelaus is one of the few heroes to reach a ripe old age after the war. And equally surprising, not only does Paris survive but he ends up keeping Helen. Shocker!
So, you might ask what does survive the translation from page to screen? Well, I’d say Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, Priam and Hector are recognizably themselves. Agamemnon is an arrogant fool. Odysseus is the wily survivor and Achilles is the aristocratic demi-god following his doom. Priam is the honorable king who must see his country and family laid waste. But the most sympathetic character is of course Hector. Here is the good man, prince, husband, son, brother and father trying to save his country from a creature that no man can defeat. It is his fate to kill the cousin of the monster and now have to face him in single combat. And he will die and his body will be lashed to the back of Achilles chariot and dragged around the plains of Troy in ignominy. And this gives his father the chance to beg Achilles mercy to allow for decent burial.
So quite a bit of the story survives. We even get the Trojan horse scene, which truth be told isn’t part of the Iliad. It’s more of an aside in a story in the Odyssey.
As you can imagine, the whole thing is sort of a hot mess. To his credit I think Brad Pitt acquits himself quite skillfully in his characterization of Achilles. His relation to the primary and secondary characters is consistent and generally very entertaining. Unfortunately, all of this relatively positive film making falls apart in the last scene. The sack of Troy is highly unsatisfactory. The death of Achilles seems to fall flat and lacks emotional interest.
So, who, if anyone, can I recommend this movie to? Well, to start with Brad Pitt fans might want to give it a watch. I’d say fans of sword and sandals epics might like it. Strict devotees of Homer will be affronted and may throw things at the screen. My opinion is that it is relatively entertaining with some weak scenes and an unsatisfying ending. Of course, your milage may vary.