Directed by Wolfgang Peterson. Produced by Wolfgang Peterson/Diana Rathbun/Colin Wilson. Starring Brad Pitt (Achilles), Eric Bana (Prince Hector of Troy), Orlando Bloom (Prince Paris of Troy), Diana Kruger (Queen Helen of Sparta) and Brian Cox (Agamemnon) in lead roles.
Storyline: The king of Achaea (old Greece) Agamemnon and king of Sparta (Menelaus) were brothers. Agamemnon had a long cherished wish to capture the wealthy and powerful kingdom of Troy, ruled by King Priam, who makes a peace pact with Sparta to avoid the invasion of Agamemnon. But, the younger Prince of Troy, Paris falls in love with the wife of Agamemnon, Queen Helen. He smuggles her to Troy. This angers both Menelaus and Agamemnon and gives them a reason to attack Troy with all their forces in 1000 ships. They take the help of Achilles, the greatest warrior ever born in this world, lord of the deadly warrior clan of Greece, called the Myrmidons, for this attack. Achilles, unwillingly takes up the job as he was against the principles of Agamemnon and his unjustified invasions. Achilles skillfully wins the initial war against Troy, by taking over their coveted Temple of Apollo, where he comes across the beautiful Brisies, cousin of the Prince of Troy, Hector, with whom he falls in love. Prince Hector, the elder son of King Priam, an equally fierceful warrior, defeats the Greek army with his great war skills. In his second reluctant attack Hector kills the cousin of Achilles, mistaking him for Achilles himself. This greatly angers Achilles and kills Hector in a one to one tussle, avenging his cousin’s death. Achilles repents for this act of his, when King Priam begs to give back his brave son’s corpse for last funeral rights. After a brief peace assurance for twelve days, the Greeks enter the impregnable Troy walls hidden in a wooden horse, which the Trojans mistake for a gift to their God Apollo, for having attacked Troy. The Greeks plunder Troy by burning the city to ashes, ruthlessly killing the men and the babies after raping their women. The royal family women along with Prince Paris escape through a secret passage built by Hector. Agamemnon, Menelaus and Priam along with all their great generals die in this dastard attack in the night. Achilles, also gets killed by Paris’s deadly arrows when the former tries to find his lover Brisies in the palace. Finally, Achilles is given full royal funeral pyre in the ruins of Troy by the Greeks, as a farewell to the greatest warrior that ever lived on this Earth.
Positives: One of the greatest epic war movies ever made in the history of world cinema. Another proof that mankind’s self destruction happens only due to the hunger for either power or a woman. Lot of study and research has gone into the making of this movie which has given the right aroma of excitement through hair raising scenes brought out in the greatest wars of olden days. The true story of the rivalry between Greece and Troy and the great war that resulted in destruction of one of the most prosperous and powerful kingdom of Troy is exquisitely shown on silver screen. Kudos to the production and technical team which captured every minute detail of the true epic story, on celluloid. The warrior skills of Achilles and Hector, the two greatest warriors of those days, was brought back to life as if those men exist even today, amongst us. Perfect screenplay, music, action, and result.
Negatives: Though Brad Pitt well suited as Achilles, Eric Bana as Prince Hector, seemed a little misfit. Hector was shown as too weak compared to Achilles both in physique and mental state, which is actually, not true, in history. There should have been more of Helen and Paris, whose selfish love (rather infatuation) was the actual reason behind the fall of a great kingdom and death of two great warriors.
My rating is 4.75 out of 5
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