Troy (2004)

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writers (WGA):

Homer (poem)
David Benioff (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Romance

Tagline:

For Honor

Plot:

An adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.

Plot Keywords:

Trojan | Greek | Fate | Prince | Queen

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Julian Glover	...	Triopas
Brian Cox	...	Agamemnon
Nathan Jones	...	Boagrius
Adoni Maropis	...	Agamemnon's Officer
Jacob Smith	...	Messenger Boy
Brad Pitt	...	Achilles
John Shrapnel	...	Nestor
Brendan Gleeson	...	Menelaus
Diane Kruger	...	Helen
Eric Bana	...	Hector
Orlando Bloom	...	Paris
Siri Svegler	...	Polydora
Lucie Barat	...	Helen's Handmaiden
Ken Bones	...	Hippasus
Manuel Cauchi	...	Old Spartan Fisherman

Also Known As:

Untitled 'The Illiad' Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic violence and some sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

163 min | Germany:189 min (director's cut) | 196 min (director's cut) | Turkey:146 min (TV version)

Country:

USA | Malta | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Iceland:14 | Singapore:M18 (director's cut) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA (original rating) | Australia:M (re-rating on appeal) | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 (cut) | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Taiwan:R-12 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Blue Lagoon, Comino, Malta

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

One of the hurricanes that tore through the set during filming was during the night and it wiped out Brad Pitt's house. Pitt did wake up at about 4 in the morning but since he was so tired from the night before, he slept through the hurricane.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Paris goes forward to talk to Hector on the ship to Troy, his cloak is wide open at the top. During the rest of the scene, the top closes up without him touching it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Odysseus: [voiceover] Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity. And so we ask ourselves: will our actions echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we are gone, and wonder who we were, how bravely we fought, how fiercely we loved?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Paul Giamatti/Ludacris featuring Sum-41 (#30.10)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Remember

So it's not(!) the Iliad...

But it's an inspiring tale of men(!) at war in ancient times. The movie, albeit long, moves along a good pace, with mercifully brief romantic and philosophical breaks between the combat scenes. This movie is action, with more than a little thought put into accurately presenting the realities of the tactics used in Greek warfare. Troy is also to be congratulated for not over-armoring the cast like previous Hollywood productions and staying true to the lightness of armor prevalent during the historical period.

Lovers of Homer and Greek mythology may be disappointed but keep in mind this film is about the Trojan War, not the Iliad. This war is epic in scale and isn't about poetry.

Still, it would be great if Sean Bean were given the opportunity to play Odysseus again. Although not on screen much in Troy, his performance is edgy and true to the legends of the cunning king of Ithaca.