fajrdrako | Oh those Trojans...

I went to see Troy again last night, with Tasia. I wanted to hear her perspective on the movie, since she knows Greek culture far better than I do. She knows Homer far better than I do too, but couldn't remember all the details I was asking her about. Must read for myself. Some of the things they changed - things I know to be changes - made no sense at all to me: the way Homer had it was just fine and it looked like change for the sake of change.

Generally speaking, I had the same reactions as the first time I saw it: the acting was far, far better than the bad script and story deserved; including the acting of Orlando Bloom, but not that of Diane Kruger. The Trojans looked even less like Mycenean Greeks to me, and more like Assyrians or Babylonians with English accents. Not that this is wrong; but I found their architecture, clothing and art increasingly unconvincing. Briseis was annoying the first time around. On second viewing, she was even worse,especially at the end. Or maybe I just resented her on behalf of Patroclus.

Tasia had two interesting comments - the first being that Odysseus should have been played by Armand Assante. I thought that was brilliant, then realized when I looked him up on imdb where she got it: Armand Assante played Odysseus in the 1997 TV miniseries. Wonderful casting! And of course Sean Bean in wonderful in anything you put him in, but he doesn't look like Odysseus.

Her other comment was that the whole movie lacked passion - among both Greeks and Trojans. Everyone was very restrained. At Hector's funeral, there should have been weeping and wailing. Achilles should have been out of his mind when Patroclus was killed. In other words, their emotione sere more like modern those of Americans and Europeans than ancient Greeks and Trojans.

Not that we expected authenticity, right?

Anyway, I'm thrilled that they're making movies of ancient and medieval history (however loosely they take the word), and there's lots to look forward to - Alexander the Great, King Arthur. Bring 'em on - if they make enough historical movies, they're bound to get one of them right. (Maybe.)