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June 11, 2004
Classical pretty boy finally puts out!
(But not the way you might think.....) Last night I was pleasantly surprised by the movie Troy. I'd heard it wasn't historically accurate, but the real history of Troy is still so much in dispute that I wouldn't allow that to deter me. I have never been much of a Brad Pitt fan either, because I can't stand hype, and he always seemed to be relying on his pretty boy image. Well, I have to admit to a new respect for Brad Pitt as an actor. His Achilles really worked for me. Achilles was the ultimate pretty boy anyway; after all he was a Greek demigod. I never noticed it before, but Pitt actually has the archaic smile, and even archaic eyes. Peering through the visor of his helmet, there is something distinctly magical about the whole look. And as a classical actor, Pitt held his own against the great Peter O'Toole, who at age 72, delivered a fantastic performance as Priam, King of Troy. Achilles' relationship with Patroclus did seem a bit constrained by Hollywood realities, especially considering the traditional story. I'm sure that Brad Pitt's agents wanted to avoid the kind of fallout which would have inevitably resulted had his female fans been forced to witness their heart-throb deliver lines like this to his dearly departed Patroclus: You had no consideration for my pure reverence of your thighs, ungrateful after all our frequent kisses.There are limits to ingratitude.... (And in Hollywood, things which might appear to be morality are usually driven by money.) I know that others disagree, but I think that the Bowdlerization of love (or money-driven morality) in this film is a relatively minor point, especially considering that butchering even recent history is standard Hollywood fare. The film is fun, and the showdown between Brad Pitt and Peter O'Toole is alone worth the price of admission. posted by Eric on 06.11.04 at 04:28 PM
Comments
Removing the Gods?! Those atheistic, Godless, Goddessless, Communists! Steven Malcolm Anderson the Lesbian-worshipping gun-loving selfish aesthete · June 12, 2004 04:06 PM Um, yeah. Sure... John Jenkins · June 12, 2004 04:32 PM Hmmm...I might go see it now. I had been blowing it off but it's nice to see a positive review for a change. Pitt has never been my cup of tea but perhaps there's something there worth watching. Jim Lynch · June 12, 2004 10:13 PM Removing the Gods?! That's blasphemy! Steven Malcolm Anderson the Lesbian-worshipping gun-loving selfish aesthete · June 12, 2004 11:13 PM The Goddess against the Godless. Steven Malcolm Anderson the Lesbian-worshipping gun-loving selfish aesthete · June 12, 2004 11:14 PM I'm beginning to sound more and more like holy Dawn and her holy Negro wife Norma and my other characters more and more all the time in these comment threads. Including wicked Wanda. I can see why Brad Pitt might appeal to many men's men. I can see why he'd make an excellent Achilles. Pretty boy? "Pretty Boy Floyd"? Hmmm.... Floyd Ferris and Eugene Lawson? Floyd Lawson? Hmmm.... I can think of a few other actors I'd go for if I was a man's man. Too bad Burt Lancaster isn't around any more. If I was a man's man he's a man I'd go for. John Kusch likes Sean Hannity and was also turned on by Lee Majors as "The $6,000,000 Man". I can see that. I wish I looked like Friedrich Nietzsche or Oswald Spengler. Or Eric Scheie. But there can only be only one Eric Scheie. Only one Classical Values. Of actresses I like Emma Thompson. Too bad Janet Leigh isn't around any more. Of other women, Eleanor Clift turns me on. That would be a good show for both me and John Kusch: "Hannity and Clift". I'm less and less attracted to Ann Coulter now, but becoming more and more attracted to Tammy Bruce. I'm tempted to vote for Bush just to keep Condi Rice up there. "Condi and Camille". I'd love to see that. Back to Classical Values: Nietzsche informed us of the tension between Apollo and Dionysus. I find within myself a conflict between Dionysus and Aphrodite. Strong drink brings out a lot of strong emotions within me, but I've never found lust to be one of them somehow, even though that's the strongest when I'd sober. In other people, it has the opposite effect. I very rarely drink these days. I get high on Aphrodite instead. But, pervertedly, I've always been turned on more by Artemis than by Aphrodite. "Jehovanistic-style Gnostic".... Steven Malcolm Anderson the Lesbian-worshipping gun-loving selfish aesthete · June 12, 2004 11:59 PM Hmmm.... Didn't do an S&G.... Steven Malcolm Anderson the Lesbian-worshipping gun-loving selfish aesthete · June 13, 2004 02:22 AM I too enjoyed Troy, in spite of its wild excursion from the source material. Brad Pitt was superb as Achilles, a warrior dominating his opponents through sheer athleticism. O'Toole as Priam was also magnificent, Lear minus the madness. Brian Cox as Agamemnon and Sean Bean as Odysseus were equally convincing, and I wholeheartedly favor bagging the gods and goddesses in favor of geopolitical maneuvering. Restaging the Normandy invasion on the coast of Anatolia was an inspired touch. On the down side, Eric Bana as Hector was handicapped by a weak chin, in appearance hardly the "breaker of horses" he needed to be. Orlando Bloom was OK as pretty boy Paris, but Diane Kruger as Helen was worth launching no more than, say, 758 ships. All in all, a decent diversion well worth the $6 matinee price. Ralph Hitchens · June 14, 2004 10:12 AM |
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I think "historically inaccurate" is a misnomer, but Troy is more properly unfaithful to its source material, The Iliad. As you point out, the downplaying of Patroclus is one bit of unfaithfulness. Then there is the removal of the Gods, pretty much the casus belli in the original story.
The depressing part is the arrogance of Hollywood that they felt they could "improve" what is perhaps the greatest epic of all time with their little refinements.