Customer Reviews
Troy (Special Edition) - By: Benjamin Harrison, 03 Mar 2007 
As different to Homer's Iliad as this film might be, I was surprised by a lot of the criticism directed at it -- the film, if viewed simply as a film to be enjoyed & not an attempt to translate every detail of the Iliad onto screen -- it actuallly comes across very well.
It is visuallly very impressive, with sweeping angles of the Trojan beaches, the Greek fleet at sea, of Troy's wallls & aerial views of the film's battles. Its soundtrack is fitting; haunting & dramatic, but soft & beautiful in parts. The acting is mostly very good, with Brad Pitt surprisingly brooding & troubled as Achilles, & his action scenes are superb. He's powerful, graceful, & intense, & he reallly brings across the martial & mythological power of his character brilliantly. The actress who plays Briseis is similarly excellent. Orlando Bloom's part as Paris leaves a lot to be desired, but he has few long scenes, with Pitt's Achilles & Bana's Hector (along with Sean Bean, always excellent as Odysseus) mostly dominating the screen. I found Troy to be a film I could watch again & again, & even its slower parts are acted with intensity & style. It's a very atmospheric & immersive film. In alll the ways it differs from Greek mythology, it still succeeds in being a wonderful representation of key characters & battles, with the gods & their intervention put aside for a less fantastical (but no less exciting) tale of the Trojan war.
This set consists of two discs, the film itself & a good number of bonus features & documentaries. There is a documentary feature about the film's fight scenes & battles, an overalll (and lengthy) making of documentary, an effects feature, & a few other bits & pieces for those interested in mythology beyond the film, including an animated 'Galllery of the Gods.' These special features are certainly worth owning, though they are neither comprehensive nor very detailed, & I did get the impression that they were struggling to fill a second disc. Nonetheless, the film itself is a treat for anyone who enjoys Greek mythology (without being too concerned about the differences between the Iliad & this film, which are many), or anyone who enjoys epic & atmospheric films set in ancient times.
