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Troy (film)

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This article is about the 2004 film. For the forthcoming Netflix mini series, see Troy: Fall of a City.
Troy
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWolfgang Petersen
Screenplay byDavid Benioff
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRoger Pratt
Edited byPeter Honess
Music byJames Horner
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • May 14, 2004 (2004-05-14)
Running time
163 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Malta
LanguageEnglish
Budget$185 million[1][2]
Box office$497.4 million[3]

Troy is a 2004 epic period war film written by David Benioff, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and co-produced by units in Malta, Mexico and Britain's Shepperton Studios. The film features an ensemble cast led by Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Orlando Bloom. It is loosely based[4] on Homer's Iliad in its narration of the entire story of the decade-long Trojan War—condensed into little more than a couple of weeks, rather than just the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon in the ninth year. Achilles leads his Myrmidons along with the rest of the Greek army invading the historical city of Troy, defended by Hector's Trojan army. The end of the film (the sack of Troy) is not taken from the Iliad, but rather from Homer's Odyssey as the Iliad concludes with Hector's death and funeral.

Troy made more than 73% of its revenues outside the United States. Eventually, Troy made over $497 million worldwide, temporarily placing it in the #60 spot of top box office hits of all time. It was the 8th highest-grossing film of 2004.[5]

Plot

In the late 12th century BC, a battle between the armies of King Agamemnon of Mycenae and Triopas of Thessaly is averted when the great warrior, Achilles, defeats Thessaly's champion in single combat. Meanwhile, Prince Hector of Troy and his younger brother Paris negotiate a peace treaty with Menelaus, King of Sparta. However, Paris is having an affair with Menelaus' wife, Queen Helen, and smuggles her aboard their home-bound vessel. Upon learning of this, Menelaus meets with Agamemnon, his elder brother, and asks him to help take Troy. Agamemnon agrees, as conquering Troy will give him control of the Aegean Sea. Agamemnon has Odysseus, King of Ithaca, persuade Achilles to join them. Achilles, who strongly dislikes Agamemnon, eventually decides to go, after his mother Thetis tells him that though he will die, he will be forever glorified.

In Troy, King Priam is dismayed when Hector and Paris introduce Helen, but welcomes her and decides to prepare for war. The Greeks eventually invade and take the Trojan beach, thanks largely to Achilles and his Myrmidons. Achilles has the temple of Apollo sacked, and claims Briseis — a priestess and the cousin of Paris and Hector — as a prisoner. He is angered when Agamemnon spitefully takes her from him, and decides that he will not aid Agamemnon in the siege.

The Trojan and Greek armies meet outside the walls of Troy; during a parley, Paris offers to duel Menelaus personally for Helen's hand in exchange for the city being spared. Agamemnon, intending to take the city regardless of the outcome, accepts. Menelaus wounds Paris and almost kills him, but is himself killed by Hector. In the ensuing battle, Hector kills Ajax and many Greek soldiers fall to the Trojan defenses. On Odysseus' insistence, Agamemnon gives the order to fall back. He gives Briseis to the Greek soldiers for their amusement, but Achilles saves her. Later that night, Briseis sneaks into Achilles' quarters to kill him; instead, she falls for him and they become lovers. Achilles then resolves to leave Troy, much to the dismay of Patroclus, his cousin and protégé.

Despite Hector's objections, Priam orders him to retake the Trojan beach and force the Greeks home; the attack unifies the Greeks and the Myrmidons enter the battle. Hector duels a man he believes to be Achilles and cuts his throat, only to discover it was actually Patroclus. Distraught, Hector euthanizes Patroclus and the armies agree to stop fighting for the day. Achilles is informed of his cousin's death and vows revenge. Wary of Achilles, Hector shows his wife Andromache a secret tunnel beneath Troy; should he die and the city fall, he instructs her to take their child and any survivors out of the city to Mount Ida.

The next day, Achilles arrives outside Troy and challenges Hector; the two duel until Hector is killed, and Achilles drags his corpse back to the Trojan beach. Priam, in disguise, sneaks into the camp and implores Achilles to return Hector's body for a proper funeral. Ashamed of his actions, Achilles agrees and allows Briseis to return to Troy with Priam, promising a twelve day truce so that Hector's funeral rites may be held in peace. He also orders his men to return home without him.

Agamemnon declares that he will take Troy regardless of the cost. Concerned, Odysseus concocts a plan to infiltrate the city: he has the Greeks build a gigantic wooden horse as a peace offering and abandon the Trojan beach, hiding their ships in a nearby cove. Priam orders the horse be brought into the city. That night, Greeks hiding inside the horse emerge and open the city gates for the Greek army, commencing the Sack of Troy. While Andromache and Helen guide the Trojans to safety through the tunnel, Paris gives the Sword of Troy to Aeneas, instructing him to protect the Trojans and find them a new home. Agamemnon kills Priam and captures Briseis, who then kills Agamemnon. Achilles fights his way through the city and reunites with Briseis. Paris, seeking to avenge his brother, shoots an arrow through Achilles' heel and then several into his body. Achilles bids farewell to Briseis, and watches her flee with Paris before dying.

In the aftermath, Troy is finally taken and a funeral is held for Achilles, where Odysseus personally cremates his body.

Cast

Production

The city of Troy was built in the Mediterranean island of Malta at Fort Ricasoli from April to June 2003.[6] Other important scenes were shot in Mellieħa, a small town in the north of Malta, and on the small island of Comino. The outer walls of Troy were built and filmed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.[7] Film production was disrupted for a period after Hurricane Marty affected filming areas.[8] The role of Briseis was initially offered to Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai, but she refused it because she was not comfortable doing the lovemaking scenes that were included. The role eventually went to Rose Byrne.

Music

Main article: Troy: Music from the Motion Picture

Composer Gabriel Yared originally worked on the score for Troy for over a year, having been hired by the director, Wolfgang Petersen. Tanja Carovska provided vocals on various portions of the music, as she later would on composer James Horner's version of the soundtrack. However, the reactions at test screenings which used an incomplete version of the score were negative, and in less than a day Yared was off the project without a chance to fix or change his music.[9] James Horner composed a replacement score in about four weeks. He used Carovska's vocals again and also included traditional Eastern Mediterranean music and brass instruments. Horner also collaborated with American singer-songwriter Josh Groban and lyricist Cynthia Weil to write an original song for the film's end credits. The product of this collaboration, "Remember" was performed by Groban with additional vocals by Carovska.

The soundtrack for the film was released on May 11, 2004 through Reprise Records.

Director's cut

Troy: Director's Cut was screened at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2007 and received a limited release in Germany in April 2007. Warner Home Video reportedly spent more than $1 million for the director's cut, which includes "at least 1,000 new cuts" or almost 30 minutes extra footage (with a new running time of 196 minutes). The DVD was released on September 18, 2007 in the US. The score of the film was changed dramatically, with many of the female vocals being cut. An addition to the music is the use of Danny Elfman's theme for Planet of the Apes during the pivotal fight between Hector and Achilles in front of the Gates of Troy.

Various shots were recut and extended. For instance, the love scene between Helen and Paris was reframed to include more nudity of Diane Kruger. The love scene between Achilles and Briseis is also extended. Only one scene was removed: the scene where Helen tends to the wound of Paris is taken out. The battle scenes were also extended, showing much more of Ajax's bloody rampage on the Trojans during the initial attack by the Greek Army. Perhaps most significant was the sacking of Troy, barely present in the theatrical cut, but shown fully here, depicting the soldiers raping women and murdering babies. Characters were given more time to develop, specifically Priam and Odysseus, the latter being given a humorous introduction scene. Lastly, bookend scenes were added: the beginning being a soldier's dog finding its dead master and the end including a sequence where the few surviving Trojans escape to Mount Ida. In one of the commentary sequences, the film's writer, David Benioff, said that when it came to deciding whether to follow The Iliad or to do what was best for the film, they always decided with what was best for the film.

Home media

Troy was released on DVD on January 4, 2005[10] The Director's cut was released on Blu-Ray & DVD on September 18, 2007[11][12] The Directors Cut is the only edition of the film available on Blu-Ray, however the theatrical cut was released on HD-DVD.

Reception

Commercial performance

When the film was completed, total production costs were approximately $185 million. This made Troy one of the most expensive films produced in modern cinema. It was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.[13]

Troy screenings have earned US$133,378,256 in the United States.[14]

Troy made more than 73%[14] of its revenues outside the United States. Eventually, Troy made over US$497 million worldwide,[14] temporarily placing it in the #60 spot of top box office hits of all time. It was the 8th highest-grossing film of 2004 and currently is in the top 150 highest-grossing films of all time.

Critical reception

Troy was met with mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 54%, based on 221 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's consensus describes the film as "A brawny, entertaining spectacle, but lacking emotional resonance."[15] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 56 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[16] On IMDb, it has an average rating of 7.2/10.

Box office totals

  • Budget – $185,000,000
  • Marketing cost – $50,000,000
  • Opening weekend gross (Domestic) – $46,865,412
  • Total domestic grosses – $133,378,256
  • Total overseas grosses – $364,031,596[14]
  • Total worldwide grosses – $497,409,852

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Result
2005 Academy Awards Best Achievement in Costume Design - Bob Ringwood Nominated
2008 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Best DVD Special Edition Release (Director's Cut: Ultimate Collector's Edition) Nominated
2005 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Box Office Films - James Horner Won
2005 Awards of the Japanese Academy Best Foreign Film Nominated
2004 Golden Schmoes Awards Biggest Disappointment of the Year Nominated
2004 Golden Schmoes Awards Best Action Sequence of the Year (Hector vs Achilles) Nominated
2004 Golden Trailer Awards Best Music Nominated
2004 Golden Trailer Awards Summer 2004 Blockbuster (For "Greatest War") Nominated
2005 Harry Awards Film Which Most Contributed to the Public Understanding and Appreciation of History Nominated
2004 Irish Film and Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in Film/TV - Peter O'Toole Won
2005 London Critics Circle Film Awards British Supporting Actor of the Year - Brian Cox Nominated
2005 Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing in Foreign Features Nominated
2005 MTV Movie Awards Best Male Performance - Brad Pitt Nominated
2005 MTV Movie Awards Best Fight - Brad Pitt, Eric Bana Nominated
2004 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actor: Action - Brad Pitt Won
2004 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Action Nominated
2004 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actor: Action - Orlando Bloom Nominated
2004 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Fight/Action Sequence Nominated
2004 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Breakout Actor - Garrett Hedlund Nominated
2004 The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Actor - Brad Pitt Nominated
2004 The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Fake Accent: Male - Brad Pitt} Nominated
2005 Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture Nominated
2004 World Soundtrack Awards Best Original Song Written for Film ("Remember Me") Nominated
2005 World Stunt Awards Best Fight Nominated
2005 World Stunt Awards Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director - Simon Crane Nominated
2005 Yoga Awards Worst Foreign Actor - Brad Pitt Won

See also

References

  1. ^ "'Troy' a mediocre epic". CNN.com. 10 October 2005. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  2. ^ Klein, Christina (27 February 2005). "Is 'King Fu Hustle' Un-American?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  3. ^ Troy (2004). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  4. ^ Haase, Christine (2007). When Heimat Meets Hollywood: German Filmmakers and America, 1985-2005. Camden House. p. 90. ISBN 1571132791.
  5. ^ "2004 Worldwide Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  6. ^ Flynn, Gillian (May 2004). "MEN AND MYTHS". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  7. ^ "Troy - Malta Movie Map". MaltaMovieMap.VisitMalta.com. Archived from the original on 2004-02-07. Retrieved 2010-05-30. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Bowen, Kitt (September 29, 2003). "News, Sept. 29: Arrests on Set of Brad Pitt Film, 50 Cent Buys Mike Tyson's Mansion, "Wonder Woman" Gets Screen Treatment". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  9. ^ "The Score of Troy - A Mystery Unveiled: by Gabriel Yared". TheScreamOnline.com. Retrieved 2010-05-30. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ Petersen, Wolfgang (2005-01-04), Troy, Warner Home Video, retrieved 2018-01-03
  11. ^ Petersen, Wolfgang (2007-09-18), Troy: Director's Cut, WarnerBrothers, retrieved 2018-01-03
  12. ^ Troy, Warner Home Video, 2007-09-18, retrieved 2018-01-03
  13. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Troy". Festival-Cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  14. ^ a b c d "Troy (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-12-02. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Troy Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-10-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Other criticism arose with the depiction of the movie missing key elements and characters that were key components in Homer's The Iliad."Troy". Metacritic.

Further reading

  • Petersen, Daniel (2006). Troja: Embedded im Troianischen Krieg (Troy: Embedded in the Trojan War). HörGut! Verlag. ISBN 3-938230-99-1.
  • Winkler, Martin M. (2006). Troy: From Homer's Iliad to Hollywood Epic. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1-4051-3183-7.
  • Proch, Celina/Kleu, Michael (2013). Models of Maculinities in Troy: Achilles, Hector and Their Female Partners, in: A.-B. Renger/J. Solomon (edd.): Ancient Worlds in Film and Television. Gender and Politics, Brill, pp. 175–193, ISBN 9789004183209.
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