jchrisobrien (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jchrisobrien) wrote2004-05-17 12:47 am
jchrisobrien) wrote2004-05-17 12:47 am
On Troy
The short version:
Brad Pitt: "I'm the prettiest."
Eric Bana: "No, I'm the prettiest."
Orlando Bloom: "No, I'M the prettiest!"
Sean Bean: "I get to live!"
Diane Kruger: "Shouldn't I be the prettiest."
All: "SHUT IT, HELEN!"
I often seem to like a lot of films most people don't. It could be because I have not taste, or it could be because I have a lower expectation of films, and am easy to please. What's closest to the truth is that I can read between the lines, and answer my own questions about why things play out the way they do in films. Whatever. The point is, I enjoyed Troy. This is not to say that it was a great movie, or even a good one. Opinions vary widely on that. I can say what I liked about it, and that will be enough.
Troy is basically this year's Gladiator, but not as good. One difficulty with Troy is that there are a lot of unlikable characters. Achilles is self righteous and arrogant, Agamemnon is drunk with power, Paris is vain and self centered. Helen is fairly bland, and she makes a huge error in judgment, but she was trapped in a loveless marriage, and who can be truly angry with her leaving her lout of a husband? Hector was, well, the shit. He was a very sympathetic person, probably the best and most well rounded character of the film.
It's hard to like a film when you have so many people that are unlikable. I, however, liked them because they were flawed. It's one thing to have heroes like Aragorn and Legolas, who always seem to do the right thing. It's another to have characters that do something horrible wrong, try to make up for it, FAIL, and try again with moderate success. Paris was a ho, but tried to put an end to what he helped start. His cowardice, and having to live with his shame afterwards, allowed his character to continue to change and grow. I got the sense that he might someday grow to be the man Hector was, if he learns from his mistakes.
Now I don't mean to sound all gay or anything, but Brad Pit was a hot Achilles. He was a god walking among mortals, his power in battle only exceeded by his pride. I think he could have pulled off the brooding part a little better (see Christopher Lambert in Highlander) but I really got the sense he was a force of nature. I haven't read the Iliad recently, but I'm sure his romantic interest was grafted in there. It didn't annoy me, but we probably could have done without it. Brad in battle was damn cool and his battle with Hector? Truly epic.
Despite the fact that this Helen wasn't that notable, let's cut her some slack. Helen was supposed to be the hottest thing under the sun. In the Iliad, Paris picked her over the goddess of love herself. These days, people would have probably wanted her dead for getting them involved in a war. But, again, she was supposed to be the very definition of beauty, and we all know that people cut Beauty a lot of slack. Especially if you are living in the mightiest fortified city in the know world. Plus, they played the loveless wife angle with Helen. The movie may not have gone far enough to establish the relationship between Paris and Helen, but I understood it as Helen finally found someone she loved, and Paris found someone that would make him give up his philandering ways. If this were a modern story, they would probably end up in a divorce six months down the road, but this is an epic. True Love, and all that.
Troy is the kind of movie that I will end up owning. Even if I just watch the fight between Hector and Achilles. And Achilles showering. AHEM! I mean Helen. Yeah. That's it.
Brad Pitt: "I'm the prettiest."
Eric Bana: "No, I'm the prettiest."
Orlando Bloom: "No, I'M the prettiest!"
Sean Bean: "I get to live!"
Diane Kruger: "Shouldn't I be the prettiest."
All: "SHUT IT, HELEN!"
I often seem to like a lot of films most people don't. It could be because I have not taste, or it could be because I have a lower expectation of films, and am easy to please. What's closest to the truth is that I can read between the lines, and answer my own questions about why things play out the way they do in films. Whatever. The point is, I enjoyed Troy. This is not to say that it was a great movie, or even a good one. Opinions vary widely on that. I can say what I liked about it, and that will be enough.
Troy is basically this year's Gladiator, but not as good. One difficulty with Troy is that there are a lot of unlikable characters. Achilles is self righteous and arrogant, Agamemnon is drunk with power, Paris is vain and self centered. Helen is fairly bland, and she makes a huge error in judgment, but she was trapped in a loveless marriage, and who can be truly angry with her leaving her lout of a husband? Hector was, well, the shit. He was a very sympathetic person, probably the best and most well rounded character of the film.
It's hard to like a film when you have so many people that are unlikable. I, however, liked them because they were flawed. It's one thing to have heroes like Aragorn and Legolas, who always seem to do the right thing. It's another to have characters that do something horrible wrong, try to make up for it, FAIL, and try again with moderate success. Paris was a ho, but tried to put an end to what he helped start. His cowardice, and having to live with his shame afterwards, allowed his character to continue to change and grow. I got the sense that he might someday grow to be the man Hector was, if he learns from his mistakes.
Now I don't mean to sound all gay or anything, but Brad Pit was a hot Achilles. He was a god walking among mortals, his power in battle only exceeded by his pride. I think he could have pulled off the brooding part a little better (see Christopher Lambert in Highlander) but I really got the sense he was a force of nature. I haven't read the Iliad recently, but I'm sure his romantic interest was grafted in there. It didn't annoy me, but we probably could have done without it. Brad in battle was damn cool and his battle with Hector? Truly epic.
Despite the fact that this Helen wasn't that notable, let's cut her some slack. Helen was supposed to be the hottest thing under the sun. In the Iliad, Paris picked her over the goddess of love herself. These days, people would have probably wanted her dead for getting them involved in a war. But, again, she was supposed to be the very definition of beauty, and we all know that people cut Beauty a lot of slack. Especially if you are living in the mightiest fortified city in the know world. Plus, they played the loveless wife angle with Helen. The movie may not have gone far enough to establish the relationship between Paris and Helen, but I understood it as Helen finally found someone she loved, and Paris found someone that would make him give up his philandering ways. If this were a modern story, they would probably end up in a divorce six months down the road, but this is an epic. True Love, and all that.
Troy is the kind of movie that I will end up owning. Even if I just watch the fight between Hector and Achilles. And Achilles showering. AHEM! I mean Helen. Yeah. That's it.
no subject
At this point, Trojans started to gain land and push the Greeks back to the boats. Achilles his best friend (and rumored lover), the noble Patroclus convinces Achilles to let him borrow his armour to raise morale and drive back the Trojans. Patroclus succeeds, but is killed by Hector at the walls of Troy.
In the book, it is the grief over loosing Patroclus that drives Hector into a frenzy and leads to the killing of Hector at the gates.
Having heard that the movie nearly gets rid of Patroclus's role altogether, I'm curious as to how they get Achilles to the gates.
no subject
Patrolces, pissed off at being told to guard the boat, takes Achilles armor and leads the myrmidons into battle. He fights Hector, Hector kills him, Achilles loses his shit and goes to the walls of Troy.
In that respect it's like the book. Big differences? Patrocles is the cousin, not the lover, and Achilles and Briseis hook up.