Average Customer Review: ( 837 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
382 of 420 found the following review helpful:
 Brad Pitt might be Achilles but David Benioff is no Homer Sep 28, 2004
By Lawrance M. Bernabo
As a teacher of Classical Greek and Roman Mythology I was looking forward to "Troy." In the past I have put together a unit on the Trojan War that included not only Homer's epic poem the "Iliad," but also the plays of Euripides and Aeschylus and other ancient works on the stories of these characters. In other words I am familiar with this story to the extent that when Briseis showed up wearing a garment with long sleeves I was upset that we did not get to see the lovely arms that were part of her usual epithet. So, suffice it to say, that when characters who survived the Trojan War started dying in this film, I was not exactly happy. Consequently, the truth is that the less you know about the Trojan War of classical mythology, the more you will enjoy Wolfgang Petersen's "Troy."
I have no problem with the idea that Homer and the other ancients have to be adapted in making a modern motion picture about the Trojan War. The decision to eliminate the gods is appropriate, getting away from the idea that this was a ten year war makes sense, and if the alliance of the Greeks is now political rather than as part of an oath sworn by the princes who were suitors for Helen's hand, I consider that to be legitimate. I do not understand why Iphigenia, Cassandra, and Hecuba are all eliminated but there are not fatal omissions. But when you start rewriting who gets killed that is going a bit too far, especially when one premature death starts a chain effect that means Athens will never develop the jury system, which means we probably lose out on it too. David Benioff's screenplay was "inspired" by Homer's "Iliad," which at least is an honest way to characterize what he did in this script, but I still do not have to like it or endorse it.
The big selling point for this film was not Homer but rather Brad Pitt as Achilles. Stories abound about how Pitt worked six months to get in shape for this film, gave up smoking, and ended up hurting his Achilles tendon in one of those profound ironies that indicates that maybe the gods were not pleased with what was happening in this film. Pitt certainly looks good, not just in terms of taking several opportunities to display the line of his nude body, but in how he carries himself as Achilles. The whole idea is that this guy is the greatest warrior on the face of the planet and Pitt exudes that with the way he strides across the sands of Troy. Even more impressive is the choreography for the fights, because Pitt's movements are so smooth and powerful, especially compared with that of Eric Bana's Hector, that you do not doubt that this guy is in a league by himself as a warrior. I also like the way he uses the distinctive form of his shield when fighting. They thought this part out quite a bit.
The fight choreography was worked out by Simon Crane, the film's stunt coordinator and second unit director, who describes Achilles as fighting with a boxing style but with the velocity of a speed skater and the agility of a panther. They also come up with a nice touch in that Achilles looks slightly to the side at his opponent until he is ready to come in for the kill. The best fight sequences of "Troy" are when Achilles is fighting. The giant battle sequences of computerized soldiers are not as impressive, mainly because the camera is always in motion and the cutting is so fast that we are left with an impression of the battle rather than always being able to tell what is going on (which has become my constant complaint with most movies with large battle sequences).
Bana does a good job of capturing Hector's nobility without turning him into a marble statue, while Peter O'Toole fills the role of Priam naturally. On the Trojan side the problematic character is Paris (Orlando Bloom), again because of the writing more than the performance. Priam has negotiated peace between Troy and the Sparta of King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), but that is destroyed when Paris persuades Helen (Diane Kruger) to run away with him. Both Hector and Priam know that Paris is wrong and their reasons for supporting him and thereby dooming Troy ring hollow (the less than stellar "Helen of Troy" television miniseries did a nice job of providing a solid motivation for the Trojans to protect Helen).
It you want to draw a clear distinction between Homer's story of Achilles and that of Benioff it is that the former is about the rage of Achilles (see the first line of the "Iliad") and the latter adds an equally strong love element. The one character whose role is most inflated in this version is that of Briseis (Rose Byrne), the Trojan slave girl who comes between Achilles and Agamemnon (Brian Cox), the king of kings for the Greeks. This change becomes the reasoning behind how the film rewrites the end game of the Trojan War, although I still do not understand why some of the key characters get to live happily ever after. But since Pitt's performance dominates the film and he is clearly the horse that director Wolfgang Petersen is riding to make the whole thing work, it makes sense that he has to be around until the very end.
The good news is that when I teach mythology after this DVD comes out my students will probably enjoy attacking Benioff's changes in the original stories of Greek mythology in their papers. I think this will definitely help them understand why the writings of Homer and the other ancients are considered classics.
33 of 33 found the following review helpful:
Director's cut improves on the original...worth the $ 14.99 price tag! Sep 24, 2007
By Woopak
"The THRILL"
When I saw TROY in the theaters, I wasn't expecting much. After that first viewing, I knew there was something missing; the screenplay just didn't grab me, it failed to immerse me on the scenes. I am quite familiar with GREEK myths, also both Norse and Roman mythology. Well, I managed to purchase the director's cut of Troy, and although it is not as great as KINGDOM of HEAVEN Director's cut, it is a better cut of the film.
I presume that most of the folks who'll be interested in the director's cut are fans or at least the ones who saw it in theaters as I did. ONE OBVIOUS improvement this version has over the previous dvd is the PICTURE transfer. The Video this time out is more vibrant, sharper and cleaner. Another difference is the SOUNDTRACK on certain scenes; the training scene of Achilles and his cousin, the duel between Hector and Achilles. Also, the music is improved with added bass during the siege at the beach and on the gates of Troy. The music sounded more powerful.
The Director's cut has the same plotlines, characters and scenes. It does have added "meat" and do they make Troy a better cut of the film? Yes.
1: Opening scene with a dog going around the spoils of war. (Dead bodies)
2: Nudity in the scene between Paris and Helen. Their relationship is also a bit more fleshed out. Love scenes are extended, suffice it to say, the film is a bit more uninhibited when it comes to nudity.
3: Helen's husband is shown as unfaithful. It gives more motivation to Helen's actions.
4: Odysseus is developed as the humble King of Ithaca. He likes to be among the common folk. His character is also more fleshed out; the film also emphasizes how it is Achilles trusts his judgment.
5: Hector knew about Paris' affair with Helen even before they boarded the ship back to Troy. He warns him of the potential consequences.
6: Achilles' ego is more fleshed out. He has a confrontation with Agamemnon regarding the Priestess of Apollo. (Extended)
7: Extended battle sequences. More blood is shown. Heads get lopped off more often.
8: Funeral sequences are extended. It shows more emotion and emphasizes the combatants' sorrow with the lost of their comrades.
9: A dog licks off the "fake" disease after the Trojans took the wooden horse inside their city.
10: Agamemnon's obsession and arrogance is more fleshed out.
11: Extended final act sequence; last assault on the city of Troy. More blood and gore is shown. A tad more brutally graphic.
There may be more that I missed, it did contain an added 30+ minutes of footage. The film is contained in 2 discs (2 Dual layer DVDs) similar to the terrific extended cuts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Kingdom of Heaven Director's cut.
VIDEO/AUDIO: 2.35 Anamorphic widescreen. Exceptional transfer, an improvement over the previous dvd release; Near-flawless picture quality, nice colors, improved sharpness and contrast. Black levels are solid. 5.1 Dolby Digital English is very powerful. I'd had hoped that this cut would include DTS sound mix, it would have been better with DTS.
In closing: Is the director's cut worth a "double dip"? For me, for $ 14.99 2-disc edition director's cut, definitely yes! As for the other more "stylish" Ultimate Edition (includes photo book etc.)with the $ 25.99-$ 34.99 price tag, I'm not so sure. For fans of the film, or if you don't have the original release, this is a no-brainer. The lack of DTS track is a minus, but this new edition definitely has a bit more "grandeur" than the theatrical release.
However, if you hated the original cut, this new director's cut will NOT change your mind!
Recommended! (timidly) ( 3 ½ stars)
49 of 55 found the following review helpful:
Brad Pitt might be Achilles but David Benioff is no Homer May 18, 2004
By Lawrance M. Bernabo
As a teacher of Classical Greek and Roman Mythology I was looking forward to the opening of "Troy," which came on the final day of exam week, too late to use in class this semester. In the past I have put together a unit on the Trojan War that included not only Homer's epic poem the "Iliad," but also the plays of Euripides and Aeschylus and other ancient works on the stories of these characters. In other words I am familiar with this story to the extent that when Briseis showed up wearing a garment with long sleeves I was upset that we did not get to see her lovely arms. So, suffice it to say, that when characters who survived the Trojan War started dying in this film, I was not exactly happy. Consequently, the truth is that the less you know about the Trojan War, the more you will enjoy Wolfgang Petersen's "Troy."I have no problem with the idea that Homer and the other ancients have to be adapted in making a modern motion picture about the Trojan War. The decision to eliminate the gods is appropriate, getting away from the idea that this was a ten year war makes sense, and if the alliance of the Greeks is now political rather than as part of an oath sworn by the princes who were suitors for Helen's hand, I consider that to be legitimate. I do not understand why Iphigenia, Cassandra, and Hecuba are all eliminated but there are not fatal omissions. But when you start rewriting who gets killed that is going a bit too far, especially when one premature death starts a chain effect that means Athens will never develop the jury system. David Benioff's screenplay was "inspired" by Homer's "Iliad," which at least is an honest way to characterize what he did in this script, but I still do not have to like it. The big selling point for this film was not Homer but rather Brad Pitt as Achilles. Stories abound about how Pitt worked six months to get in shape for this film, gave up smoking, and ended up hurting his Achilles tendon in one of those profound ironies that indicates that maybe the gods were not pleased with what was happening in this film. Pitt certainly looks good, not just in terms of taking several opportunities to display the line of his nude body, but in how he carries himself as Achilles. The whole idea is that this guy is the greatest warrior on the face of the planet and Pitt exudes that with the way he strides across the sands of Troy. Even more impressive is the choreography for the fights, because Pitt's movements are so smooth and powerful, especially compared with that of Eric Bana's Hector, that you do not doubt that this guy is in a league by himself as a warrior. I also like the way he uses the distinctive form of his shield when fighting. The fight choreography was worked out by Simon Crane, the film's stunt coordinator and second unit director, who describes Achilles as fighting with a boxing style but with the velocity of a speed skater and the agility of a panther. They also come up with a nice touch in that Achilles looks slightly to the side at his opponent until he is ready to come in for the kill. The best fight sequences of "Troy" are when Achilles is fighting. The giant battle sequences of computerized soldiers are not as impressive, mainly because the camera is always in motion and the cutting is so fast that we are left with an impression of the battle rather than always being able to tell what is going on (which has become my constant complaint with most movies with large battle sequences). Bana does a good job of capturing Hector's nobility without turning him into a marble statue, while Peter O'Toole fills the role of Priam naturally. On the Trojan side the problematic character is Paris (Orlando Bloom), again because of the writing more than the performance. Priam has negotiated peace between Troy and the Sparta of King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), but that is destroyed when Paris persuades Helen (Diane Kruger) to run away with him. Both Hector and Priam know that Paris is wrong and their reasons for supporting him and thereby dooming Troy ring hollow (the less than stellar "Helen of Troy" television miniseries did a nice job of providing a solid motivation for the Trojans to protect Helen). It you want to draw a clear distinction between Homer's story of Achilles and that of Benioff it is that the former is about the rage of Achilles (see the first line of the "Iliad") and the latter adds an equally strong love element. The one character whose role is most inflated in this version is that of Briseis (Rose Byrne), the Trojan slave girl who comes between Achilles and Agamemnon (Brian Cox), the king of kings for the Greeks. This change becomes the reasoning behind how the film rewrites the end game of the Trojan War, although I still do not understand why some of the key characters get to live happily ever after. But since Pitt's performance dominates the film and he is clearly the horse that director Wolfgang Petersen is riding to make the whole thing work, it makes sense that he has to be around until the very end. The good news is that when I teach mythology this summer and when "Troy" comes out on DVD, my students will probably enjoy attacking Benioff's changes in the original stories in their papers. I think this will definitely help them understand why the writings of Homer and the other ancients are considered classics.
76 of 88 found the following review helpful:
 "May the gods keep the wolves in the hills. . ." May 17, 2004
By D. Mikels
"It's always Happy Hour here"
An ancient poem and a motion picture are two entirely different mediums, and should be judged accordingly. We as viewers (well, most of us) cut Peter Jackson some slack with his deviations from Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," and we ought to give the same consideration to Wolfgang Petersen, who brings Homer's classic to vivid, sweaty life. And not only does Petersen pull off a cinematic coup, he makes watching TROY an outright fun and thrilling experience. The film centers around two characters--and they are not Helen and Paris. A beefed-up Brad Pitt plays Achilles, a fierce Greek warrior who is literally unbeatable. Yet Achilles is anything but a nice person: he is self-centered and pretentious, and he fights on his terms, often to the detriment of his countrymen. Achilles has but one quest: to be immortalized through history, and the Greek siege of Troy provides him the perfect opportunity. For such a shallow, narcissistic character, Pitt is perfectly suited for the role. Eric Bana, on the other hand, steals the show as Hector, Prince of Troy. Hector is a good, kind, and decent man who loves his family and his country. Faced with having to clean up the mess after his brother Paris (Orlando Bloom) brings Helen of Sparta (Diane Kruger) to his beloved land, Hector leads the Trojan army against the Greek invaders; his showdown with Achilles is inevitable, and is also the film's defining moment. Yet TROY is bursting at its wooden horse seams with other memorable performances, including a frail Peter O'Toole as Trojan King Priam, and his scene-chewing counterpart Brian Cox, who plays greedy King Agamemnon. Brendan Gleeson and Sean Bean are superb, too, as Greek kings Menelaus and Odysseus, while Bloom is less than stellar as a peach-fuzzed, pusillanimitic Paris. Director Petersen delivers a grand epic complete with stunning cinematography, fierce action, imaginative special effects, and a spellbinding story. His film does not detract, but instead enhances, Homer's classic. In the words of King Menelaus of Sparta: "May the gods keep the wolves in the hills and the women in our beds." How can an epic go wrong with a line like that?
--D. Mikels
31 of 34 found the following review helpful:
First film I've seen 6 times -- EVER! Truly a great film. Nov 02, 2004
By Kaller
This is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review.
I am a fan of Homer and the original texts, but the interventionist Gods had to be cut to allow for a film that wouldn't be viewed as farcical to a contemporary audience.
I had never been a fan of Brad Pitt, and frankly expected to be disappointed in his portrayal of Achilles. I was WRONG, his portrayal was EXCELLENT, and it prompted me to take a look at the work he's been doing since his days on the covers of the teenage magazines. He has done some excellent work and I think it has been dismissed because he is so photogenic.
Playing Achilles is wrought with all the pitfallls of playing Hamlet. We all know the story, the scenes, and the lines. There have been great paintings depicting scenes such as Priam begging Achilles for Hector's body. This is every bit as tough as trying to deliver Hamlet's "To be or not to be...". The actor's great challenge is to make those words his own, in order to be believable as the character. Brad Pitt accomplishes this and it is no small feat. I for one applaud his courage in taking on this role, and would be the first to rise for a standing ovation for the performance he delivers.
The score for Troy by James Horner is magnificent, evocative, and compelling. "Remember Me" should be a serious contender for the Oscar, and shouldn't be missed. I'll tune in on Oscar night just to cheer for James Horner, and Troy.
The lessons of the tale of Troy are lessons for the ages; the archetypal personalities ring as true today as they ever did, and the screenplay captures them with messages such as:
"War is young men dying and old men talking."
"Men are wretched things."
"There will always be another war, I can promise you that."
"I want what all men want, I just want it more."
What is it that man wants? Immortality. A name that will live forever. How many men over the centuries have been willing to trade everything for personal glory? Mankind is ever the same.
When I first read the Iliad, I wept for Hector and the mighty Achilles, and I wept again with this film. Wept for them and all of mankind, because we seem to have so little control of our destinies, as we try to exert complete control over our world.
Set aside your preconceived notions of Mr. Pitt, open yourself to the experience of this film, stop looking for disappointment, and you'll experience a wonderful, yet emotionally devastating, heartbreaking film. Theatre requires a "suspension of disbelief" on the part of the audience to work its magic.
Judge this film for yourself, with an open mind, and an open heart.
Kaller S. Gilbert
Portland, Oregon
See all 837 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
![Troy: Director's Cut (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5129dbIr8IL._SL250_.jpg "Troy: Director's Cut (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]")
based on 837 reviews
