The DVD edition of Troy is just as epic as the film

The DVD edition of Troy is
just as epic as the film

Troy (Warner Home Video)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen

By DOUGLAS COWELL
STATIC and FEEDBACK correspondent

The epic Troy was a massive undertaking, and like all
epic period pieces, the DVD release was loaded with
special features – enough to keep anyone enthralled
with not only the story, but the film making itself.

Retelling Homer’s The Iliad was no small
undertaking, even for a director like Wolfgang
Petersen, and no surprise that it took years to finalize.
But weather you’re a fan of the book or simply Brad
Pitt, Troy is a wonderful movie. From the art direction,
with the detail and splendor, to the acting, which was
deep and very well carried.

Several points are worthy of note: the speech by
Hector on war not being glorious, or the conversation
between Paris and his father about fighting for love.
The movie had an overall message about war and the
reasons men fight that is both philosophical and
spiritual.

The movie follows the legend of Achilles and the Trojan war. Though he has no love for his war monger of a
king, he chouses to fight because he knows being a hero in this war will ensure his name will live on for ages. In
this movie, you see both sides of the conflict. The movie gives a great sense of reality and brutality of the warfare
at that time, which was such close combat as to make it near savagery. This fact makes you feel as if you where
actually there, bringing back the large scale big budget epic movie making with subtle special effects. With an
all star cast and a well developed story, this movie holds its own. Though I feel leaving out the Gods in the movie
was a detriment when they are such a significant part of the myth. And in all, the myths appear so readily as to be
seen fighting along side the army of their choosing. But given the commitment to reality of history, perhaps more
then Homer’s vision and that of the famous Greek myth, I can see why this was done. The attention to detail from
speech to visual is astounding. The blending of periods in the sets of Troy was astonishing and whimsical
enough to be both believable and breathtaking. The battles where amazing to witness and better still to see how
they where accomplished in the DVD’s special features.

The double DVD itself has a fine host of special features: several behind the scenes featurettes including a
unique feature to make up for the lack of gods in the movie. “The temple of the gods,” is where one can learn the
myths of the Greek gods in an interesting fashion and see how they fit into the Trojan war; a wonderful feature,
though in some ways it makes me wonder all the more what the movie could have been with the Gods included;
Another point to make is the possible political parallels in a country that is split by war it is easy to see the
modern day reference of a king craving war to carve his name into history.

The cast and direction were done very well – Brad Pitt as the mighty Achilles, Eric Bana as the valiant hero of
Troy, and Hector and Orlando Bloom as the young prince Paris, who’s love for the fair Helen sparks war. All in
all, this movie is well thought out, well developed and well made.

Troy is available in both fullscreen and widescreen editions.


















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