Helen had a face that launched a thousand ships. Prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) of Troy spirited away the lovely Grecian queen. So enraged were the Greeks that they launched an armada to take back Helen and exact revenge on Troy. It’s a popular story from Homer’s epic poem ‘The Iliad’: a battle that raged on and only ended years later when the Greeks tricked the Trojans by hiding soldiers in a giant wooden horse that was taken behind Troy’s impenetrable walls.
Spearheading the attack on Troy is nation builder and brute, King Agamemnon (well played by Brian Cox) and his thousands of troops. Principal soldier of all is Achilles (Brad Pitt). Rumoured to have the blood of the Gods in his veins, Achilles is a fierce and unstoppable warrior. He is also fickle, likely to bed villagers while his king is howling for the Greek’s champion to fight. Paris and Hector (Eric Bana) are the sons of King Priam (Peter O’Toole) of Troy. O’Toole is strong in his role, even though he had to fight for screen time amidst so many players.
Troy has all the earmarks of an epic: massive scope, exotic locales, pitched battles fought by heroes and villains. The battle scenes are impressive, as are all of the trappings of this movie: set design, costuming and special effects. The actors are some of the most beautiful people in Hollywood, dressed in little throughout the movie; Brad Pitt and others find many excuses to show off their physical assets.
This movie walks a distracting tightrope of morality and casting. In the end, who do you root for? The Greeks were slighted and they have Achilles on their side. Troy is a small nation defending itself against kings who fight out of spite. Troy is touted as Brad Pitt’s movie, but he plays a conflicted and effective killer. He sides with the forces that lay siege to Troy. It’s an anti-hero role, but the movie lacks sufficient depth to make him a sympathetic figure. Movies like Dangerous Liaisons have successfully put lead characters up against one another, but that dynamic doesn’t work here. Orlando Bloom’s Paris takes away Helen, sparks a war that dooms Troy and shows cowardice in a pivotal duel. Should we like this non-hero? Hector is heir-apparent to the throne of Troy. From a standpoint of empathy, he should be the focus of this story and does get a lot of screen time, but he’s ultimately on the periphery. Homer’s ‘Iliad’ is about the adventures of King Odysseus (played by Sean Bean), but here, Odysseus is left to play off his friend Achilles, Agamemnon and others.
Swordplay has been popular fare in the movies: Gladiator, Lord of the Rings and others have made extensive use of it to rouse their audiences. This movie is entertaining, action-filled and full of good eye candy, but while the epic tale of Troy has lasted eons, the movie Troy is as memorable and fulfilling as a good bag of movie popcorn.
