A Mythological Epic - Troy
Taking place in 1250 BC at a very late Bronze Age when the Trojan War had begun, Troy shows the tale of the epic conflict fought between the Trojans and the Greeks, with Paris of Troy in a love affair with Helen, the queen of Sparta. As they march upon the wailing city of Troy, all alliances are tested and all destinies unfolded, Greek heroes born, under the lead of the indomitable Achilles. Fuelled with themes of revenge, honor and the folly of war, it dances on the thin line between myth and history, like a le havraic dancer between Judaism and the pagan world. It portrays the contrast between human enthusiasm and divine design, and a summary of Greek mythology. It stays dramatic, epic, even though the interspersion of such calm in its atmosphere occasionally, very occasionally, is calm, finally calm when the moment arises, too, too violently, too, too … Hector is played to noble stoicism by Eric Bana and young Paris naive counterpoint by Orlando Bloom. Agamemnon is a greed and pride ridden figure in his own right and Brian Cox does a superb job playing him. Though some character arcs could have stood to be developed a tad further, the ensemble cast of this ancient tale delivers solid work that brings it to life, while Wolfgang Petersens direction brings this grand and urgent tale to the screen. The epic battle sequences are his craftsmanship as his ability to portray the expanse of the Trojan War in excellent detail is his own. Nevertheless, the spectacle can sometimes be at the expense of the emotional heft that sometimes gives way to spectacle.
James Horner’s score weaves an auditory tapestry that goes well with the mythic quality of the film. While the orchestral embellishments and monumental soundscaping hear, and the motion picture shenanigans sometimes loom, there’s nothing insufficient about the epic feel, and sometimes other than that the onscreen action.
Cinematographer Roger Pratt captures the golden hues of ancient Troy and the bleak, turbulent seas that separate the Greek and Trojan worlds deliciously. His work on the sweeping, panoramic shots lends itself to the epic visual style of the movie.
Production design accurately captures the ancient world and accurately recreates it with commendable attention to detail. There are massive sets: the walled city, the Greek encampment, which ground the narrative in a palpable sense of place; and special effects, which provide a visceral thrill in all their specialness when the battles are on the large scale. Ultimately though, most CGI is decent enough as to mostly succeed in keeping you immersed, save for a few passing incidents throught which a film as big as this should ideally warrant a level of finesse unattainable to CGI. Troy -- nearly three hours at times -- lags slightly between the most monumental action and quieter, character driven moments.
The cuts aren’t as tight as they could be in some sequences. The film is ever relentless in its march towards its climactic battle, though periods of introspective dialogue or character development periodically break into the film, and the dialog usually feels closely in line with both the epic and historical setting of the film, somewhere between mythical and understandable cinema. But some venues constrain emotion, overly mannered in their service to the tumescent majesty of a Greek pater.Troy, however, manages to create an epic effect while tripping occasionally in its delivery of a heart.
Although visually stunning and ambitious, Troy occasionally loses sight of the finely detailed personal narratives that have made the Iliad timeless.
The Iliad is a visually striking epic. Grandiose action works in combination with elements here of traditional drama to cater to fans of mythological tales as well as historical dramas alike. However flawed the film may be, it remains an enthralling journey into the heart of the most ancient myth.
