Troy

*** - Homer’s “Iliad” is one of the most popular, famous and iconic of the stories to have come down to us from the classical Greeks. This 2004 epic starring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom and Brian Cox stays fairly faithful to the basic plotline of the Homeric original, but also falls into the same trap of modernization that many film adaptations of ancient works fall into. Taking place over 3000 years ago, this movie and the epic poem it’s based on take place in a Greece (actually, mainly in modern-day Turkey) that has morals, beliefs and sensibilities far different from those of today’s western cultures. Like most of its predecessors, “Troy” attempts to give the ancient ways modern spins, and I think that does a disservice to both the original work and the audience. Not only does it do that by giving the characters modern emotions and thought processes, but other than a few references, it completely cuts the Greek Gods out of the story, who play a major and active role in Homer’s poem. But comparing this to an earlier version is probably somewhat unfair in light of the fair amount of entertainment value it provides. It is along the lines of movies like “Braveheart” and “Gladiator” but probably a notch or two below in quality, and a bit longer. But if you enjoy those sorts of movies, you might like this one.