Vox Nova At the Movies: Troy, The Director’s Cut

Last updated on: December 7, 2007 at 11:18 am by Henry Karlson

Vox Nova At the Movies: Troy, The Director’s Cut 2007-12-07T11:18:18-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Homer’s Iliad is a profound religious work; while it was written by a pagan, the issues he brought up continue to be ones which Christian theologians throughout the ages try to find answers to. According to Balthasar, “The real theme of the poet of the Iliad is the divinity caught between the prayers of men, rent apart by the tragic contradictions of the world (this division is expressed in the personal relationships of the individual gods to their protégés and their quarrels against each other) and at the same time raised above the contradiction, keeping it under control by inscrutable decree.” (Hans Urs von Balthasar, The Glory of the Lord IV: The Realm of Metaphysics in Antiquity. Trans. Brian McNeil, Andrew Louth, John Saward, Rowan Williams and Oliver Davies. Ed. John Riches (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1989), 63). How should God react to humanity when humanity, divided against itself, selfishly seeks God’s blessings upon that division and to aid one side of humanity over and against another? Indeed, as Joy Davidman points out, all too often, not only do we seek God’s blessings to be upon us, we seek God to defend us in all our beliefs and actions, even if they oppose God’s will; we want God to defend our idols:

Our earthly loves and joys are meant to lead us to Christ, and we must certainly ask the Christ in whom we believe to preserve them for us. Yet this is very different from using Christ without believing in him — from making Christian doctrine into a propaganda weapon, a pep talk to hearten us to go out and fight for good old materialism. We must return to Christianity in order to preserve the things we value — but we cannot return to Christianity at all unless the thing we value above all else is Christ. If we are reviving religion only in order to defend our own works, from the American Constitution down to the famous American blueberry pie, we are in effect asking Christ to save our idols for us.

— Joy Davidman, Smoke On the Mountain (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1985), 36-37.

While for Homer, it was Zeus who was asked to defend and protect all the different, divided nations, because it was his decrees which mattered, his decrees which had to be followed, in the end the question is the same today as it was for Homer: how and why does God choose to benefit one group of humanity over another, especially if both sides are invoking him for their benefit? One can argue that this question remains in the background of Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy.

However, by the fact that the gods are no longer active participants in the Trojan War, and often their central place in the film are as idols created to receive the brutal hostility and scorn of Brad Pitt’s Achilles, the question has changed. No longer is it how does God decide, by why does God sit still doing nothing, why does God remain inactive when humanity fights against itself? How can God fail to take sides? In this way, Homer’s story featuring a pious questioning of the gods has been transformed into an epic emphasizing the nihilism of our culture. With this emphasis, is Petersen making an clear, unequivocal criticism of God, or is he, perhaps, making a subtle criticism of our own cultural bias? Arguments can be made for either position. And perhaps, that too, might have been what he wanted.

It is clear that the Trojans, as a whole, end up having nobler, purer hearts than the Greeks. Certainly they are not perfect, and the war was a result of Paris’ sin, and it is their pride which brings about the fall of Troy. But, the goodness of Hector and Priam far exceed anything we see within the Greeks. And the Trojans as a whole stick together; they care for each other more than the Greeks do for fellow Greeks. Despite their faults, we can feel sympathy for them. And if this is the case, how could Troy fall? What justice is there in this? How could they not get the blessing of divinity?

The Greeks are masters of war and terror, and they are led into it by Agamemnon’s desperate quest to dominate the world. Achilles and his men represent the best of the Greeks, and yet he seems to fall more as a nihilistic hero after the works of Robert E. Howard than he does a Greek. He has no regard for kings, for the gods, for anyone who would lay any claim over him, unless it is a claim of the heart. He honors and respects bravery, and can tell and appreciate nobility in kings when he sees it (as with Priam), but he is his own man, and he will not follow orders which take him away from his desires, central of which is to have his name preserved throughout history by feats of heroic glory. Fame, he thinks, is all that really matters. It is here that the connection of Achilles with modern ideals combines very well with the Homeric Achilles, because the two here are one: and in that unity, both come to see beyond the illusion of fame, and, in the end, want nothing of it. “The whole thing hinges on the glorification of Achilles, which he willingly purchases at the price of his early death; indeed, in the very moment in which Achilles’ dream is completely fulfilled, the honour is of no further use to him for his Patroclus is dead.” (Hans Urs von Balthasar, Glory of the Lord IV, 66). Petersen portrays the wrath of Achilles very well, but more importantly, he rightfully shows the transformation that his wrath creates within the hero; he learns that his fame is at the cost of his heart, that his glory that he was promised was to come at too great a price, that of the death of his young cousin. And through Priam he understands that his grief, his anger, his wrath, is the grief, anger and wrath all face in the heart of war; brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, children and elderly are sacrificed at the altar of Ares for such a shallow reward.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NgaCP9EgSqU

When Troy was released at the theatre, what I had heard about it disappointed me; the reviews were lackluster, to say the least. While I understood the point of doing the Iliad as history, I wanted (and still want) a faithful rendition of Homer in all of its pagan glory. When The Director’s Cut of Troy was released, many reviewers still felt something was lacking in the film, but they did point out that it was far more realistic, far bloodier, and filled with far more gravitas than what was released at the theatre. They also pointed out that many of the characters were far more fleshed out, making for a far better story than what was told in its original release. Since I never saw its original cut, I cannot compare the two, but I can say I felt the movie, for the most part, was quite good. It tries to balance itself out between story and action. Moreover, unlike many movies, when war is being waged, when fights are breaking out, one can follow what is going on in the screen. That I think helps the film; Petersen relies upon the camera to show what is going on and lets us see it, instead of leaving us confused as most directorial fads do.

The violence might be slightly over-the-top, and battle victories (except when heroes fight each other) are won a bit easier than would normally happen. But this is to be expected. And so is the gore: there is quite a bit of blood being shed, making this a movie that the squeamish might want to avoid. Yet, it is necessary, and not gratuitous. That cannot be said for the nudity; while it is understandable that the heroes will sleep around with the local populace, Petersen could have covered them up on screen instead of letting them lie naked on the ground.

There is much to like about this film. The main actors are top notch. The direction is superb. The budget allowed for the production of great sets and realistic looking armies. It is long – very long, but it is needed to get to the depth of the story which is behind the fall of Troy. But there are certainly quibbles I could also make about it. Its greatest failure was its end: the sacking of Troy seemed anticlimactic. Unless I missed her, Cassandra was not in sight. Aeneas, while shown, was unconvincing. But these are minor issues; clearly the fall had had to be shown, but the emphasis here was with the Iliad and not the Aeneid.

3 out of 4 stars.

Film

Henry Karlson

War and Peace

Previous Post

December 7, 2007

News Commentary You Can Use: Romney Wins One Poll

Next Post

December 7, 2007 The Vatican and the Iraq War Revisited

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2019 A Consistent Ethic of Life Aaron Weldon Abortion absurdity Abuse Scandal Academics Adoption Advent Africa agreement/disagreement with Church teaching Alexander Schmemann Alexham Alterity America Amnesty International Anarchism angels Anglicanism Animals Annual Statistics Anthony Anxietas Apocalyptic Apophatic Appalachia Aquinas Art Atheism Atonement Augustine Authority Baptism Beauty Bible biblical criticism biblical scholarship Bioethics Bishops Black Catholics Black Theology Blackadder Blogs Books Breastfeeding Brett Salkeld Buddhism Bush administration Byzantine Catholic Calvinism Canada Canon Law Capital Punishment Capitalism Caryll Houselander Catholic Blog Awards Catholic Blogging Catholic League Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Worker Movement Catholicity CFL Charity Children Chris West Christ and Culture Christian Democracy Christian Unity Christmas Christology Church Church Doctrine Church History Climate Change Cohabitation Colbert Collegiality Communion Communism Comparative Theology Competition Conferences conscience conscience rights Consequentialism Consistent Life Ethics Consumerism Contraception Contrition Conversion Converts Coptic COVID-19 Creation Critical Thinking Cross Cuba Culture Culture of Death Culture of Life Darfur David Cruz-Uribe David Wheeler-Reed Death Death Penalty Democracy Demons Desert Fathers Devil Dialogue dignity Disability Disarmament discernment Discipleship discrimination Dissent Distributism Division Doctrine Domestic Church Dorothy Day Double Effect Doubt Down syndrome Driving Early Church Easter Eastern Churches Ecclesiology Economics Economy Ecumenism Education El Salvador Election Election 2020 Ellul Embryonic Stem Cell Research Empire Energy Enlighenment Environmentalism Ephraim Radner Episcopal Church epistemology Equality Eschatology Ethics Eucharist Europe Euthanasia Evangelization Evil Evolution Excommunication F.X. Durrwell Facism Facts Fair Trade Faith Family Fashion Feddie Feminism Feminist theology Fertility Fetal Rights Fiction Film Finances First Things flags Folk Religion Food Foreign Affairs Forgiveness Frank Sheed Free Speech Freedom gay & lesbian persons Genocide George W. Bush George Weigel Gerald L. Campbell Girard/Mimetic Theory Global Warming Globalization Gnosticism Good Friday Grace Gratitude Greed Grey Cup 2009 Guadalupe Guest Post Guest Posts Gun Control Gustave Martelet Habitat for Humanity Hans Urs von Balthasar Harry Potter Hate Speech Health Health Care Healthcare Heather King Hebrew Bible Henri de Lubac Henry Karlson Herbert McCabe Heresy HHS Mandate Controversy History Holidays Holiness Holy Spirit Homiletics Homily Homosexuality Hope Hospitality How Far Can We Go? How Far Can We Go? Human Person Human Rights Humanae Vitae Humility Humor Hunger Hunting Identity Idolatry Ignacio Ellacuría Imagination Immigration In Memoriam Income Inequality Inculturation Indigenous People Individualism Inklings Intellect Interdependence Internet Interpretation Interviews Introduction Iraq War Islam Israel Jain James Alison James Martin Jazz Jesus Christ Jews Joe Biden Joe Hargrave Johann Baptist Metz John Allen John Henry Newman John Paul II John the Baptist John XXIII Jonathan Josef Pieper Joseph (the husband of Mary) Joseph Bernardin Joseph Ratzinger Josh Brumfield Journals Joy Judgment Just War Justice Kari Lundgren Karl Rahner Katerina Ivanovna Kenya Keynes Kingdom of God Kyle R. Cupp Labor Language Latin America Law Leanne Ogasawara Legion of Christ Leisure Lent Liberalism Liberation Theology Libertarianism Libya Lies Life life & dignity & responsibility of the human person Literature Little Way Liturgical music Liturgical Year Liturgy Living Simply Living Wage Local Church Lombard Lord of the Rings Louis Dupre Love M.Z. Magic Magisterium Mark DeFrancisis Mark Gordon Marriage Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Martyrdom Marxism Mary Masculinity Matt Talbot Matthew Fish Matthew Levering McCain Media Memorial Day Mennonites Mental Illness mercy Michael Iafrate Middle East militarism Miroslav Volf Mitt Romney Modesty Moral Theology Morality Mormonism Morning's Minion Mother Teresa Music Muslims Natalie Nate Wildermuth Nationalism Native Americans Nature Nazis Neuhaus New Evangelization New York City News NFP nihilism Nonviolence Not Abortion Nova's Ordo Nuclear weapons Nuns Obama Occult Old Age Opus Dei Ordination ordination of women original sin Orthodoxy Oscar Romero Other Voices Pacifism Palestine Palin Papacy Papal Peace Messages Papal Social Encyclicals Particular Affections Partisanship Patriotism Paul Paul Ryan Paul VI Peace Pentimento persecution Personalism Phantastes Philosophy PKD Planned Parenthood Pluralism Poetry Policraticus Politcal Apathy Politics Poll Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope Leo XIV Population Postcolonialsim Poverty Power Prayer Preaching Predictions Predictions for 2012 President Barack Obama priestly formation & discernment Pro-Life Progress Prophetic Witness Proportionalism Public Diplomacy Public Policy Question Quotes Rachel Maddow Racism Radical Catholic Mom Radical Catholicism Raymund Schwager Real Catholic TV Real Presence Reconciliation Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange Religion religious freedom Responsibility Ressourcement Resurrection Rick Garnett Ridiculous Crap You Never Thought You'd See Robert Barron Roe v. Wade Roman Curia Rome Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation History Sam Harris Sam Rocha Same-sex Marriage Saskatchewan Roughriders Satire School of the Americas Science Scripture Seamless Garment Second Vatican Council Seeing Sex sexual violence Sexuality Sia Sin social justice Social Security Socialism Society of Jesus Sofia Loves Wisdom Solidarity Sophia soteriology Soutenus Spirituality Sports St. Dismas St. Joseph Stanley Hauerwas Statistics Stimulus Suffering Sunday Reflections Supernatural Supreme Court Symbolism Syria Taxing Technology Terrorism The State The Tea Party The Trump Administration Theological Anthropology Theology Theotokos Thomas Merton Throwaway Culture Tim Muldoon Tim Riley Tim Tebow Time Titian Tolkien Torture Toys Trade Traditionalism Transgender Transportation Transubstantiation Trinity Truth TV U.S. Affairs Uncategorized Unions unity among people who disagree US Catholicism USCCB Usury Utilitarianism Utopia Valentine's Day Vatican Vatican II Veterans Vicarious Suffering Video Violence Virgin Mary Vocations Voluntary Associations Voluntary Poverty Voting Vox Nova vox nova blog war War and Peace War Strategy Wealth Weirdness Welfare state Women Women Priests Work Woundedness Youth

Select a Month June 2026 May 2025 February 2025 January 2025 July 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 July 2023 March 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 November 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who did Jesus call out of the tomb after four days?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Bartimaeus Lazarus Mary Jairus