Troy

Ratings : * Avoidable ** Average *** Good **** Must Watch

Agamemnon of Mycenae and his army are in Thessaly, Greece, looking to expand their military might and empire. His army prepares to engage in combat against a host of soldiers under Thessaly's king, Triopas. Rather than suffer great losses, the King of Thessaly agrees to avoid unnecessary deaths by settling the matter through a decisive match between the heroes of the opposing armies. The King of Thessaly summons his greatest and most accomplished warrior, Boagrius. Agamemnon shouts for Achilles, who is still at a small village. A messenger is sent out to get him. Achilles arrives and defeats Boagrius, killing him with a single sword thrust. Accepting defeat, the King of Thessaly presents Achilles with a scepter as a token for his King, which he refuses saying "He's not my king."

Agamemnon has to call upon Achilles again when his brother Menelaus seeks revenge on the Trojan Prince Paris for eloping with his wife, Helen of Sparta. Paris' warrior brother—Hector—is not pleased to learn of this affair and when he returns to Troy, he urges their father, King Priam, to return the young woman to Sparta. But Priam puts too much faith in his high priests and their interpretation of how Apollo will react. Accordingly—and with Agamemnon realizing that a victory over Troy would give him complete control over the Aegean—the Greeks amass the largest naval force ever known to man and set sail for Troy. It is also Thetis wh o tells Achilles of a prophecy she had learned of that stated that if he does not go to the war he will find peace and have a family of his own but he will eventually be forgotten. If he chooses to go to Troy, his name will last for eternity but he will die there. Achilles cannot resist the glory of such fame and heads for Troy.

The Trojan Horse The Greeks land at Troy and are able to take control of the beach on the first day of the war. Achilles and the Myrmidons are able to defeat many Trojans but also desecrate the Trojan temple of Apollo and kill the unarmed priests that reside there. Briseis, a member of the Trojan royal family who has chosen to dedicate her live to service to the gods, is captured and serves as a prize for Achilles, though she is far from a willing captive. After the battle, Achilles is annoyed that, though he and his Myrmidons spearheaded the battle, the other kings who serve Agamemnon pay him tribute in honor of 'his' (Agamemnon's) great victory. Offended by what he sees as Achilles' disrespectful and disobedient attitude, Agamemnon unwisely deliberately humiliates Achilles by using his authority as the high king to take Briseis from him and repeatedly telling him that there is nothing he can do about it and he, Agamemnon, is more powerful and important than Achilles. Only Briseis' pleas stop Achilles from slaughtering Agamemnon and his men right there (foolishly, Agamemnon taunts him as being humbled by a female slave.) Achilles leaves, but before going, promises Agamemnon to his face he will see Agamemnon dead before his own life ends.

When the Greek army marches upon Troy, it is without Achilles and the Myrmidons; Achilles, fed up with Agamemnon, refuses to fight or allow the Myrmidons to fight until Agamemnon regrets belittling him. With the Trojan army beneath the walls of Troy and the Greek army surrounding it, Paris, feeling guilt for having brought the threat of war upon Troy, challenges Menelaus to a duel. Paris battles with Menelaus but loses badly. Paris, terrified of dying, crawls back to Hector's feet. Menelaus intends to kill Paris at Hector's feet but Hector steps in to protect his brother and kills Menelaus - guaranteeing that the war will continue. Hector kills Ajax and the increasingly energized Trojans press their attack against the uncoordinated Greeks. Without Achilles and his Myrmidons, and with the Trojan archers upon the walls of Troy free to shower arrows upon the Greeks, the battle quickly turns against the Greeks. With command of the battle lost, Agamemnon grudgingly bows to Odysseus's pleas to withdraw, and the Greeks retreat to the beach.

Briseis has been given to some men by the king after their poor performance in battle as a "morale booster". Achilles saves her from being raped and branded. He then takes her back to his tent. Achilles attempts to clean her wounds but she fights him away. Briseis considers killing Achilles as he sleeps. However, she does not carry it through because Achilles sexually tempts her by pulling her on his bed and lifting her skirt. Achilles penetrates Briseis and they end up sleeping together. The next night the two are in bed talking, when Achilles tells her that he is leaving in the morning.

The Trojans attack the Greek camp at dawn. Frustrated at not getting a chance to fight, Patroclus takes Achilles' armor and joins the battle. He brings courage to the Greeks, as they mistake him for Achilles, and eventually fights man-to-man against Hector. In the fight with Hector, Patroclus' throat is cut: this energizes the Trojans and dismays the Greeks, until Hector, sensing something wrong, pulls Achilles's helmet off and finds Patroclus, a young boy, dying slowly because of the nature of his wound. Grieved at having slain one so young, Hector gives him a killing blow out of mercy. When Achilles finds out, he is consumed by grief and rage, and walks toward the beach. T he next day he and Hector gear up to fight each other. Achilles marches toward the Trojan gates to fight Hector. Hector stops the city's archers from opening fire and goes down to face Achilles in battle. Ultimately, Achilles wins when he does a 360 degree spin and spears Hector in the chest; then delivers the final blow. He then ties Hector's body to the back of his chariot and drags it along the dirt. That night King Priam goes to the Greek army's camp to get Hector's body back. Achilles agrees and lets Priam take Briseis back as well. He assures Priam that 12 days are allowed for a proper funeral service for Prince Hector.

During the 12 days that Troy mourns Hector's death, the Greeks devise a plan to enter the city, using a hollowed-out wooden horse, devised by Odysseus. The Greeks leave the horse on their camp site then withdraw leaving the horse on the beach in the remains of their camp. Paris warns Priam about the horse, but Priam neglects his warning and brings the horse into Troy for celebration. However a Trojan scout sees the Greeks still at the bay but gets shot by an arrow before he can deliver the news. Assuming victory, the Trojans, against the advice of Paris (who says to burn it), take the horse into the city and celebrate. That night, the Greeks, hidden inside the horse, launch a surprise attack and open the gates of Troy to allow the Greek army inside the city walls. Paris refuses to leave and hands the Sword of Troy to Aeneas, quoting his father by telling Aeneas that as long as the Sword of Troy remains in the hands of a Trojan, the people have a future. Priam yells to the Greeks who break statues in the temple and says "Have you no honor?" but is killed by Agamemnon.

Achilles frantically searches for Briseis, who is at the shrine of Apollo being threatened by Agamemnon. Agamemnon tells her that she will be his sexual slave. She kills him with a concealed knife, and is saved from Agamemnon's guards when Achilles reaches her. Paris, who manages to find Achilles and Briseis, shoots an arrow that goes straight through Achilles' heel. He shoots Achilles full of arrows, mortally wounding him. Achilles, after pulling out every arrow in his body (save the one piercing his heel,) then delivers his last words, "You gave me peace in a lifetime of war." as he passes into death. Briseis tearfully leaves the city with Paris after Achilles assures her that "Everything's all right, go."

After a last disorganized and futile attempt by surviving Trojan soldiers to repel the invaders, the battle ends and the Greeks storm the inner palace only to find that Achilles has died just a few moments earlier. They perform the funeral rituals for him the next morning.

My Rating : ***

Genre : Action/Epic

Director : Wolfgang Petersen

Cast : Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Dian Kruger.