Chapter 318: Torn between two worlds
The director of "Troy" was Wolfgang Petersen, a German.
Perhaps his name might sound unfamiliar, but he had previously directed a film called "Das Boot", which was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Oscars the following year. It was also included in the "Top 10 Most Authentic World War II Movies" by Hollywood Reporter, He was 40 at that time.
After years in the industry, he finally gained recognition and had more room to showcase his talents.
"Troy" marked his ninth directorial work and was also his most ambitious one. The story was based on the famous battle of the "Trojan Horse" from Greek mythology, making it inherently well-known.
The success of "The Lord of the Rings" had also created a broad audience base for similar epic works, which was one of the reasons Warner Bros. was eager to support this project.
In terms of casting and investment in the film, a lot of thought had been put into it. Brad was chosen for Achilles because he had the physique and a solid fan base, making him a perfect fit. Orlando Bloom, known for his role as the Elven Prince, was also an excellent choice, given his current popularity and good looks.
Looking at the entire cast, it was well-rounded, with a combination of veteran actors and popular stars, making it a classic ensemble. Even the supporting female roles, as mere decorations, didn't fall short.
Furthermore, David Benioff, the writer of "Troy", was the same person who had written the script for Spike Lee's "25th Hour" and had received multiple Best Screenplay nominations. The cinematography was handled by Roger Deakins, who had been nominated for Oscars more times than one could count.
One could say that the entire creative team behind the scenes consisted of top-notch experts in the industry.
Only a platform like Warner Bros., with a budget close to $200M, could assemble such a team. Otherwise, even with great connections, it wouldn't be possible to gather this much production budget.
...
There were many familiar faces at the venue, and Lyman spent over half an hour greeting them one by one before taking his seat.
Accompanying him was Joseph Benjamin.
As the manager of internal affairs at Firefly Films, he needed to cultivate relationships and connections, which he was exceptionally skilled at.
At 8 PM, the movie began.
After a brief introduction to the background, the melodramatic plot officially unfolded.
Lyman had heard about the film's reputation but hadn't seen it. Now, as he watched, his eyes involuntarily glanced at Brad, who was leading the cast and sitting in the front row.
He suddenly wondered what was going through Brad's mind right now. Was he feeling awkward?
At the beginning, Orlando Bloom, playing the Trojan prince Paris, seduced Helen, the queen of Sparta, away from her husband, setting the stage for the story. Setting aside the premise, the handsome actors and actresses were pleasing to the eye. However, as the story continued...
How should he put it? It became quite absurd. Or rather, how did the focus shift from war to romance?
Could it be that this wasn't "Troy" but should be called "Troy: A Love Story"?
Especially when Achilles, played by Brad, made his appearance, it became unbearable to watch.
On the big screen, the poorly executed battlefield and the scenes of the two armies facing off looked more like child's play.
What was even more frustrating was the thinness of the visuals. When the two armies confronted each other, there was neither the grandeur one would expect nor any palpable impact. Instead, there was a strong sense of discomfort. It was harsh on the eyes. It felt like... the Sengoku period in Japan. They promised a large-scale battle, but in reality, it was just a few hundred people fighting, resembling a village brawl. The weapons, the equipment... it all seemed like child's play.
My goodness, anyone with even a slight understanding of the story of "The Siege of Troy" should know that before the clever use of the Trojan Horse, both armies had been in a standoff for ten years, with almost all their resources invested in it.
Lyman struggled through half an hour of the film and found it unbearable.
A film needs to have some climactic scenes, right? Even if the depiction of the battle scenes should be realistic, there should still be something convincing for the audience.
What's more, there was a rather baffling move when Brad appeared fully nude from the back in the film.
Did the production team think they could entice female fans with this flesh display?
Why else would they interpret the character of Greece's greatest warrior, Achilles, this way?
This move was simply beyond comprehension.
It should be noted that in Homer's epics, there were specific descriptions of Achilles's heroic deeds. The answers were all there, and they could have just followed those descriptions.
The progression of the plot wasn't over yet. Hector, portrayed by Eric, who was regarded as the god of war by the soldiers, was defeated by Achilles in an instant, which felt anticlimactic.
Then, one could see Brad with a proud look on his face, holding a weapon and dominating the scene.
How should one put it? Lyman guessed that this scene was designed to emphasize how formidable Achilles was in terms of strength. But... why couldn't this formidable person conquer Troy for such a long time?
Such a strength setting, was it reasonable?
Facing hundreds wasn't enough; it had to be exaggerated to facing thousands and tens of thousands single-handedly.
With so much power, they still couldn't take a single city?
Lyman was dumbfounded, feeling like his intelligence was being insulted.
Even though he didn't have much knowledge about Homer's epics, he could tell that this kind of plot was simply a disaster.
Or perhaps, the viewers felt the same way.
While Lyman was getting bored and looking around, he noticed that some of the audience members were leaving.
Mind you, this was the premiere, and the audience consisted of true fans.
Even if they weren't true fans, no one would be willing to endure one or two novels' worth of narration, standing and braving the elements just to watch a movie, especially given the high ticket prices.
In summary, "Troy" was a film that disguised itself with an epic battlefield theme but had a poorly thought-out plot, feeble character development, and a love story so clichéd that not even a dog could bear it.
What a waste of the renowned Homer's epics. It was supposed to be a famous work, not some trashy romance novel written by an author with questionable values.
This made it even more unacceptable.
Moreover, "Troy" had a runtime of over 160 minutes, and the pacing was excruciatingly slow.
Towards the end, after Hector's death, suddenly, the Trojan Horse made a dazzling appearance.
After more than a decade of relentless warfare and the use of this strategy, the scene felt quite abrupt to Lyman, although it was due to the film's time constraints. Despite trying to condense time, the entire grand and magnificent climax had no effect on the audience, and instead, it made them laugh.
Achilles had been built up so much, only to die at the hands of Paris, who had eloped with the queen and caused this war, the very prince who set off this conflict.
This?
The instigator of the war suddenly turned into a hero?
Brilliant, truly brilliant. It could be considered the highlight of this work, a masterpiece that even Brad's on-screen nudity couldn't save.
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