Wolfgang Petersen: Troy

Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Writers: Homer (poem), David Benioff (screenplay)

Cast                                       Character

Julian Glover             ...        Triopas
Brian Cox                  ...        Agamemnon
Nathan Jones             ...        Boagrius
Adoni Maropis          ...        Agamemnon's Officer
Jacob Smith              ...         Messenger Boy
Brad Pitt                   ...         Achilles
John Shrapnel            ...        Nestor
Brendan Gleeson       ...        Menelaus
Diane Kruger             ...        Helen
Eric Bana                   ...        Hector
Orlando Bloom          ...        Paris
Siri Svegler                ...        Polydora

Plot:

An adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.    - IMDB.com

Storyline

It is the year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age. Two emerging nations begin to clash after Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband, Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. So they set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy. With the help of Achilles, the Greeks are able to fight the never before defeated Trojans. But they come to a stop by Hector, Prince of Troy. The whole movie shows their battle struggles and the foreshadowing of fate in this remake by Wolfgang Petersen of Homer's "The Iliad."Written by Mensur Gjonbalaj (IMDB.com)

Thoughts:

Our story of Troy begins 3,200 years ago in Greece. Two opposing armies, the Trojans and Greeks, meet in Thessaly. Agamemnon taunts his enemy saying his opponents soldiers and land will belong to him. They agreed to have both sides fight with their best fighters. One against one.

When Achilles is found he tells his king, "Imagine a king would fight his own fights. Wouldn't that be the sight?" Very True. Achilles is the son of Peleus. Achilles doesn't respect his king. At Sparta there is a feast. Paris seduces a beautiful blonde woman named Helen. He sneaks her on boat with the Trojans and because of that Hector is mad. They have to return Helen to Troy.

Achilles is tempted by glory to fight in another war to have his name immortalized. His mother tells him he can have a family that loves him or eternal glory through war and death. She tells him, "The world will remember your name."

Menelaus wants to track Paris and Helen down. Achilles is on his way by boat to take Troy. Archers with fire arrows kill several of Achilles's men. Achilles after storming the beach says the men can take any treasure they can find. The Greeks and Trojans fight. To put it bluntly Achilles is not a humble soldier but he can fight and kill well.

Agamemnon shows the "spoils of war" which is a slave girl he found in the temple who tells Achilles, "If killing is your only talent, that's your curse."

The Greeks approach the city of Troy. Their army is massive. Paris fights Helen's former husband. Paris is beaten. He cowers to his brother like the coward he is. His opponent says, "This is not worthy of royalty." The Greeks charge for Troy and the Trojan archers kill a lot of Greeks. Eventually the Greeks retreat. The Greeks put a coin on the dead's eyes. "Greek and Latin sources specify the coin as an obol, and explain it as payment or bribe to Charon, the ferryman who conveyed souls across the river that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead." (Wikipedia) Hector fights for his country. Achilles fights only for himself.

Because Achilles desecrated a Trojan god the Trojans feel the Greeks are cursed and should be attacked. Hector attacks and kills Achilles's cousin thinking t was him. Hector is challenged by Achilles at the city gate. Hector goes to meet him. Achilles kills him within minutes. Achilles told him he would cut out his eyes and ears so he would be blind and deaf in the underworld.

Priam goes to Achilles and begs him to get the body of Hector in order to give him a proper burial. The face is mutilated of Hector. Achilles cries out of guilt to what he did to Hector's face. Priam and Paris burn the body.

A wooden horse is given to the Trojans. People celebrate the gift. A Trojan scout sees that the ships of Greece are still there. He is killed by arrows. Inside the horse the Greeks and Achilles emerge at night. They open the gate and the Greeks enter Troy.

Helen and others escape by the secret tunnel. The Greeks show no class in desecrating the gods. Achilles's heel is hit by Paris's arrow. He shoots Achilles in the stomach as well. Achilles tells Briseis, "You gave me peace in a lifetime of war." She is devastated. Achilles dies as does Troy. The Trojans bury the body of Achilles with class without mutilating the body like Achilles did to Hector.