Movie Journal: Troy
Saw "Troy" yesterday. Didn't expect to like it, in light of the harsh reviews, but I did. Historical inaccuracies aside, I thought it was a good example of epic cinema. And besides, some of the inaccuracies were sweet. Widow queen Briseis as a virgin priestess of Apollo? Sassy! Patroculus as Achilles's cousin instead of his lover? Oh those prudish Americans! And Menelaus dying pretty much at the beginning instead of surviving Paris and eventually returning home with Helen? Nice twist. And makes things so much simpler for Hollywood that it's both genious and comical. I laughted out loud when Hector impaled Menelaus. It was such a surprise. I also thought that the scene of Hector bidding his wife Andromache and their infant son goodbye was a beautiful adaptation to the moving scene from the Iliad. So, yes, fun movie.