''Troy''

Directed by	Wolfgang Petersen
Written by	David Benioff (screenplay) Based on Homer's Iliad
Starring	Brad Pitt Eric Bana Orlando Bloom Brian Cox Sean Bean Diane Kruger Peter O'Toole
Produced by	Wolfgang Petersen Diana Rathbun Colin Wilson
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	2004
Runtime	163 min
Language	English
Budget	$185,000,000
IMDb page

Troy is a movie released on May 14, 2004 about the Trojan War, which is described in Homer's Iliad and other Greek myths as having taken place in Anatolia (modern Turkey) around the 13th or 12th century BC. It stars, among others: Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector, Orlando Bloom as Paris, Brian Cox as Agamemnon, Sean Bean as Odysseus, Diane Kruger as Helen, and Peter O'Toole as Priam. It is directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and written by David Benioff. It received an Oscar nomination for its costume design. Download high resolution version (550x819, 362 KB)Troy (movie) poster, taken from the movies official website. ... Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (born March 14, 1941 in Emden, Lower Saxony, Germany) is a German film director. ... David Benioff (born circa 1970 in New York City) worked as club bouncer, till he won recognition for his book, 25th Hour. ... Bust of Homer in the British Museum For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... The Iliad (Greek Ἰλιάς, Ilias) tells part of the story of the siege of the city of Ilium, i. ... Brad Pitt Brad Pitt (born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963), is an American film actor. ... Eric Bana (born August 9, 1968 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian actor. ... Orlando Bloom portrays Legolas in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. ... Brian Cox as Henry II in The Devils Crown. ... Sean Bean Shaun Mark Bean (born April 17, 1959) is a British actor from Sheffield, Yorkshire. ... Diane Kruger on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine Diane Kruger (born July 15, 1976 near Hildesheim, Germany) is a German model and actress. ... Peter OToole (born August 2, 1932) is a famous Irish film actor. ... Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (born March 14, 1941 in Emden, Lower Saxony, Germany) is a German film director. ... Colin Henry Wilson (born June 26, British writer. ... Warner Bros. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... This is a list of film-related events in 2004. ... The Trojan War was a war waged, according to legend, against the city of Troy in Asia Minor by the armies of the Acheans, following the kidnapping (or elopement) of Helen of Sparta by Paris of Troy. ... Bust of Homer in the British Museum For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... The Iliad (Greek Ἰλιάς, Ilias) tells part of the story of the siege of the city of Ilium, i. ... Greek mythology comprises the collected legends of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολή anatolÄ“ or anatolí, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish associated with Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion... (14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC - other centuries) (1300s BC - 1290s BC - 1280s BC - 1270s BC - 1260s BC - 1250s BC - 1240s BC - 1230s BC - 1220s BC - 1210s BC - 1200s BC - other decades) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 1295 BC - End of the... (13th century BC - 12th century BC - 11th century BC - other centuries) (1200s BC - 1190s BC - 1180s BC - 1170s BC - 1160s BC - 1150s BC - 1140s BC - 1130s BC - 1120s BC - 1110s BC - 1100s BC - other decades) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 1200 BC - Ancient Pueblo Peoples... Brad Pitt Brad Pitt (born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963), is an American film actor. ... For other uses, see Achilles (disambiguation). ... Eric Bana (born August 9, 1968 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian actor. ... In Greek mythology, Hector (holding fast), or Hektor, was a Trojan prince and one of the greatest fighters in the Trojan War, equal to Ajax and surpassed only by Achilles. ... Orlando Bloom portrays Legolas in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. ... Paris (also known as Alexander), son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. ... Brian Cox as Henry II in The Devils Crown. ... The so-called Mask of Agamemnon. Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 at Mycenae. ... Sean Bean Shaun Mark Bean (born April 17, 1959) is a British actor from Sheffield, Yorkshire. ... :This article is about the mythological character. ... Diane Kruger on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine Diane Kruger (born July 15, 1976 near Hildesheim, Germany) is a German model and actress. ... Helen of Troy by Evelyn de Morgan Helen was the wife of Menelaus and reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, and her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War. ... Peter OToole (born August 2, 1932) is a famous Irish film actor. ... In Greek mythology, Priam (Greek Πρίαμος) was the king of Troy during the Trojan War, and son of Laomedon. ... Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (born March 14, 1941 in Emden, Lower Saxony, Germany) is a German film director. ... David Benioff (born circa 1970 in New York City) worked as club bouncer, till he won recognition for his book, 25th Hour. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Plot

In the year 1193 B.C, Agamemnon, king of the Greeks, rules most of the civilized world. But the city of Troy, known for its great defensive walls, is untouched. When Troy's younger prince, Paris, woos the beautiful Helen away from her husband, Menelaus, king of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon, Menelaus convinces Agamemnon to continue his imperialistic conquests and attack Troy. Achilles and his team of elite Myrmidon warriors assist the invasion. The so-called Mask of Agamemnon. Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 at Mycenae. ... Walls of the excavated city of Troy (Turkey) This article is about the city of Troy / Ilion as described in the works of Homer, and the location of an ancient city associated with it. ... Paris (also known as Alexander), son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. ... Helen of Troy by Evelyn de Morgan Helen was the wife of Menelaus and reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, and her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War. ... Menelaus (also transliterated as Meneláos), in Greek mythology, was a king of Sparta and son of Atreus and Aerope. ... Sparta (Grk. ... A cartoon portraying the British Empire as an octopus, reaching into foreign lands A cartoon showing the U.S. growing up and growing girth. ... For other uses, see Achilles (disambiguation). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Deviations from Homer's version of the myth

It would be difficult to give a fair assessment as to the historical accuracy of the film; there is no "historical" accuracy for a legendary tale, just different versions of the myth. The actual events regarding the archaeological remains associated with the myths in Iliad are extremely uncertain at best. One, however, can compare the film to Homer's/the Epic Cycle's original story, from which the filmmakers derive their story. In mathematics, see epic morphism. ...

For instance, according to the Iliad, the entire war from the time of Helen's abduction by Paris until the fall of Troy took ten years and not the few weeks depicted in the movie. Some characters are missing in the movie (notably, Diomedes); others are killed differently than is described in the myth. There is also a lengthy romance between Achilles and his captive Briseis which is not existing in the original story. In Greek mythology, Diomêdês (god-like cunning) was the son of Tydeus and Deipyle and a favored hero of Athena. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

There are also a number of other discrepancies between the mythology and the story given in the movie. In the movie, Paris woos Helen during peace talks between the Greeks and the Trojans. However, in mythology, Paris is given Helen during the Judgement of Paris, in which Paris chooses Aphrodite as the fairest god in return for the love of the most beautiful woman. In the movie, it seems as if Paris is unmarried as he speaks to Hector about his wavering love life, but in mythology, Paris was wed to the nymph Oenone. He then abandons Oenone and their child, Corythus, for Helen. Greek mythology comprises the collected legends of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ... Helen of Troy by Evelyn de Morgan Helen was the wife of Menelaus and reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, and her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War. ... Walls of the excavated city of Troy (Turkey) This article is about the city of Troy / Ilion as described in the works of Homer, and the location of an ancient city associated with it. ... The Judgement of Paris, Peter Paul Rubens, ca 1636 (National Gallery, London) The Judgement of Paris is a story from Greek mythology, in which the legendary roots of the Trojan War can be found. ... Aphrodite (Αφροδίτη, risen from sea-foam) is the Greek goddess of love and beauty. ... In Greek mythology, Oenone (wine woman) was the first wife of Paris. ... In Greek mythology, Oenone (wine woman) was the first wife of Paris. ...

In the movie, Menelaus is slain by Hector to save Paris when he flees from the fight between him and Menelaus. Also, Helen escapes the burning of Troy with Paris. In mythology Menelaus survives and returns to Greece with Helen, where they die of old age years later. In the movie, Agamemnon is killed by Briseis when he taunts her, but in mythology Agamemnon lives to return to Greece where he is killed by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Clytemnestra (also Klytaimnéstra or Clytaemnestra, praiseworthy wooing) was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. ...

In the movie, Patroclus is the cousin of Achilles, while in mythology he was Achilles's best friend and/or lover. In the movie, Paris warns against the acceptance of the Trojan Horse, but in mythology a Trojan priest named Laocoön warns against the acceptance of the Trojan Horse. Laocoön is then killed by a sea serpent, making the Trojans believe that the gods want them to accept the horse. In the movie, the Trojan horse fits right through the gates of Troy, while in mythology the Trojan's walls had to be partially disassembled for the Trojan horse to fit through. A cup depicting Achilles bandaging Patroklos arm, by Sosias. ... For other uses, see Achilles (disambiguation). ... 19th century etching of the Trojan Horse The Trojan Horse is part of the myth of the Trojan War, though it does not figure in the part of the war narrated in Homers Iliad. ... Laocoön in the Vatican Museum, Rome Laocoön (Greek Λαοκοων, pronounced roughly La-oh-koh-on), son of Acoetes, was allegedly a priest of Neptune (or of Apollo, by some accounts) at Troy; he is famous for warning the Trojans in vain against accepting the Trojan Horse from the Greeks...

In the movie, Achilles is killed by Paris during the burning of Troy; however, in mythology Paris shoots Achilles in the heel with an arrow guided by Apollo. This happens before the Trojan Horse is even built. Apollo (Greek: Απόλλων, Apóllōn) is a god in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin of Artemis (goddess of the hunt). ...

In the movie, Priam is killed by Agamemnon, while in mythology, Achilles's son, Neoptolemus, kills him. In the movie, Patroclus is killed by Hector, who mistakes him as Achilles. In mythology, Patroclus is wounded by Euphorbos and Hector spears him in the belly, knowing that he is Patroclus in Achilles' armor. In Greek mythology, Neoptolemus, also Neoptólemos or Pyrrhus, was the son of Achilles. ... Euphorbus, the son of Panthous, was a Trojan hero during the Trojan War. ...

In the movie, Ajax is killed by Hector in battle. In mythology, Achilles's armor is refused to Ajax who, in a fit of rage, attacks a flock of sheep which he mistakes for Greeks--he commits suicide after he realizes his mistake. AJAX or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML is a term describing a web development technique for creating interactive web applications using a combination of: HTML (or XHTML) and CSS for presenting information The Document Object Model manipulated through JavaScript to dynamically display and interact with the information presented The XMLHttpRequest object...

In the movie, Paris escapes the burning of Troy, while in mythology Paris is killed by Philoctetes. In the movie, Astyanax, the son of Hector, escapes the burning of Troy with his mother, Andromache. In mythology, Astyanax is thrown to his death from the walls of Troy, and Andromache becomes the slave of Neoptolemus. Also in the movie Aeneas is portrayed as a normal Trojan citizen, but in mythology Aeneas was the son-in-law of Priam and second-in-command of the Trojan forces. In Greek mythology, Philoctetes (also Philoktêtês or Philocthetes) was the son of King Poeas of Meliboea in Thessaly. ... In Greek mythology, Astyanax (Greek for king of the city) was the son of Hector and Andromache. ... Andromache grieves the loss of Hector In Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of Hector and daughter of Eetion, sister to Podes. ... In Greek mythology, Neoptolemus, also Neoptólemos or Pyrrhus, was the son of Achilles. ... Aeneas (or Aineias) was a Trojan hero, the son of prince Anchises and the goddess Venus. ...

In the movie, Achilles is the first Greek ashore; in mythology, Protesilaus was the first Greek to land on the shore of Troy and thereby fulfill the prophecy that the first Greek to land on the Trojan shore would be killed immediately. In Greek mythology, Protesilaus was the son of Iphicles and the leader of the Phylaceans. ...

It is also worth noting that the gods are not physically present in the film, except through people's belief in them - and even this is limited. For example, Hector's pragmatic approach to the war is contrasted with Priam's faith in the gods. In the myth, Achilles speaks with his mother, Thetis, frequently referencing her connection to the other gods; in the movie, most of this dialogue relating to the gods is removed, and while rumors of Achilles's divine parentage are mentioned, his mother is never explicitly named as a goddess. This list of deities aims to give information about deities in the different religions, cultures and mythologies of the world. ... This article is about the Greek sea nymph. ...

Finance and Reaction

Troy screening's have earned its makers $133 million in America, overall. Having cost more than $180 million to make, it might appear that it was a flop - a complete financial failure. Many critics anticipated the failure when Troy barely missed the $50 million mark on its opening US weekend and wrote off the film. Other surefire summer blockbusters such as Shrek 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 2 (2004) were just around the corner, leaving it seemingly without hope for recovery. Perhaps as a result of this, many critics have a tendency to lump Troy into the category of failed historical epics or Gladiator (2000) rip-offs, which have also included Alexander (2004), and The Alamo (2004). Troy had been compared to Gladiator, not just because of gory ancient battles, but also due to director Wolfgang Petersen's regrets over turning down the chance to work on that film. Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: United States Wikinews has a related story: United States United States government CIA World Factbook Entry for United States House. ... Most of the items listed below are ones that had high expectations, large amounts of money or widespread publicity, but fell far short of success. ... Shrek 2 is the 2004 sequel to the computer-animated 2001 DreamWorks Pictures movie Shrek that was released in the United States on May 19, 2004. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to the popular 2002 film Spider-Man and was released in the U.S. on June 30, 2004. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gladiator was a popular movie that appeared in 2000, directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alexander is a 2004 drama/war film, directed by Oliver Stone about the life of Alexander the Great. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Alamo is a 2004 movie, a second major studio film about the legendary battle, was shot and scheduled for release initially in December 2003 and then rescheduled for release in April 2004. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Troy was a success because more than 70% of its revenues were made outside of the U.S. Thus, the actual sum made by this film is much higher that it would first appear. Troy made half a billion dollars worldwide, placing it in the #35 spot of top box office hits of all time. This is 12 places above Gladiator and 5 places above Saving Private Ryan (1998), which are both considered successful. (Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan did more than recoup their production/marketing costs at US box office, and the US market is often overemphasized as judge of movie success.) Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat, dealing with the World War II Battle of Normandy. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Despite its financial success, Troy met mixed reactions by reviewers and movie lovers. According to Rotten Tomatoes, only 55% of the reviews are positive. Roger Ebert, who seemed to dislike what he saw as an unfaithful adaptation of the Iliad, gave it two stars out of four [1]. Ebert claimed that Troy "sidesteps the existence of the Greek gods, turns its heroes into action movie cliches and demonstrates that we're getting tired of computer-generated armies." David Denby of the The New Yorker, however, seemed to like it[2]: "[It's] harsh, serious, and both exhilarating and tragic, the right tonal combination for Homer." Rotten Tomatoes are generally used as an insult against performers. ... Roger Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a film critic who writes for the Chicago Sun-Times; his reviews are syndicated to over 200 newspaper in the U.S. and abroad. ... The New Yorkers first cover, which is reprinted each year on the magazines anniversary. ...

External links

• Official homepage
• Troy at the Internet Movie Database
• Gossip from Cinescape