Brad Pitt 'Troy-umphant'; almost hits Homer

by NATHAN LERNER

Loosely inspired by The Iliad, the epic poem attributed to Homer, Troy recounts the tale of the Trojan War. Fought approximately 1250 B.C., the war pitted the unified Greek city-states against Troy, which was situated in Anatolia (modern day Turkey). In all likelihood, the long ago war was precipitated by a desire to control the Dardanelles, the strategic water passage, which connected the Black Sea with the Aegean.

As depicted by director Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot, A Perfect Storm) and screenwriter, David Bentioff (25^th Hour) the events are driven by love, hubris and a quest for glory, thereby mirroring Homer's version. When Prince Paris of Troy (Orlando Bloom) impetuously spirits away Helen (Diane Kruger), the beautiful wife of King Menelaus of Sparta (Brendan Gleeson), the plot is set into motion. King Menelaus convinces his brother, King Agamemnon of Mycenea (Brian Cox), to raise an army to attack Troy. Acting as an envoy for Agamemnon, Odysseus (Sean Bean) persuades Achilles (Brad Pitt) and his Myrmidon mercenaries to join the expedition.

With a fleet of a thousand ships, Agamemnon and his allies sail for Troy. There, the Greeks are confronted by a seemingly impregnable 12-foot thick wall that protects the Trojans from their enemies. Inside the citadel, Paris' father and older brother, King Priam (Peter O'Toole) and Hector (Eric Bana from Chopper), respectively, must rally their Trojan subjects.

Despite a large ensemble cast, in large measure, Troy focuses upon Brad Pitt's portrayal of Achilles. As the brooding warrior, Pitt is more than adequate dramatically, capturing his character's deep-seated animus towards his own commander, Agamemnon. What Pitt brings to the screen is an extraordinary athleticism for an actor.

Troy is a beautifully mounted film with superb production values. Like The Iliad, this film is remarkably balanced in its depiction of the rival Greeks and Trojans. Our protagonist, Achilles, is a gorgeous specimen and a courageous warrior. However, he is obsessed with perpetuating his own glory. This renders him less than totally sympathetic.  Left without a strong sense of identification, the viewer is robbed of a strong rooting interest in the outcome and therefore remains emotionally disengaged from the proceedings.

For all its spectacular visuals, Troy fails falls short of masterpiece status.

*** R (for graphic violence and some sexuality/nudity) 162 minutes