Review of Movies Troy and Alexander.
The review of the movie Alexander will follow shortly but first some thoughts on the movie Troy with Brad Pitt. And, by the way, there are some connections. The movie Troy is really about the Iliad of Homer one of the great classics of the world. Every school kid in ancient Athens
and the Peloponnese and colonies and probably most of the Mediterranean, and going back to Homer's day of 500 B.C. and probably some of it even long before, knew all about the Iliad and the adventures of Achilles, Hector, Paris, Helen, Agamemnon and all the rest. The story involves humans on a grand mission either helped or not helped by the gods. Athena was champion of the Greeks and especially the great, heroic, warrior Achilles (played by Pitt). In fact, she was so upset at Laocoon for trying to tip off the Trojans about the Greek's great ruse of the "Trojan Horse," that she set a big sea serpent to destroy him. Incidentally, this scene wasn't in the movie. Of course, with such an epic you can't get everything in.
Laocoon has always interested me. A fabulous statue of Laocoon wrestling with the sea serpent was found in a grotto near Rome during the Renaissance. It was so good that Michaelangelo is said to have cried when seeing it. Unfortunately, an arm was missing. The big question of the time was whether or not the arm was straight or at an angle? They got Michaelangelo to restore the arm. After much deliberation, the great sculptor made the arm straight. However, later the real arm was found...and it was bent!
The Greeks, the Iliad and mythology were very important to the Romans and to all of us this very day. We are still caught up in it. There is a big statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, New York. By the way, Prometheus is the symbol of the atheist/humanist movement making big headway in the U.S.A. the last century. They're slick aren't they!
One of the pediments of the Asklepion at Epadorous
(the main Asklepion of 100 Asklepions in Greece) has a scene from the Iliad. This is interesting. Why would they put something from the Iliad on a healing hospital of last resort? A story of epic proportions, with great things happening - any stupendous thing - miracles - were possible. And, what can take your mind off some problem better than a good story?
The Iliad was so important in everyone's lives. Everyone likes a good story, and this was (is) one of the best...full of action, love interest, conflicts between men and gods, heroism, tragedy, ingenuity, victory, reality - heroes die, etc. The Iliad was so grand in their lives it was as a combination Bible, works of Shakespeare, Mother Goose and Grimm's fairy tales and Encyclopedia Britannica. Anyway, they put the grandest thing they knew, the Iliad, on the pediment of the Asklepion.
One of the great readers of the Iliad was Alexander.
He had been given a copy by none other than his teacher Aristotle. It is said that he slept with the treasured copy nearby on his expedition. Alexander identified with the great Achilles. In fact, he got so wrapped up with the story that he went off the deep end and became a god himself. This reminds me of my cousin when a kid who identified so with Captain Marvel that he leaped off our garage roof - Shazam! Kerplop! Mortals are mortals, as Alexander, who had become Captain Marvel "Achilles," found out finally in Babylon. Lots of captains today trying to be Achilles and immortal are heading for a kerplop.
There have been many translations of the Iliad. It is open game. It's available in the ancient Greek if you would like to give it a try. But translations are very difficult, especially this one. It is really a poem in a grand epic style. What is so hard is that translators try and capture the grand eloquence - the epicness and poetry and drama of the whole thing, yet, at the same time must make it readable for us today, and, moreover, they must maintain accuracy. Cultures and languages change down through the ages. We are different in cultural ways than the generation before. Look what has happened to the King James Bible. The original KJV Committee of 50 or so men came up with quite a grand eloquent, literary work of art and scholarship based much on the core Latin translation of St. Jerome, which is at the Vatican. St.Jerome, one of the greatest translators of all time, worked away on his monumental work in a cave in the Holy Land.
It's fascinating to analyze translators and their works. I respect them greatly. Some translators though just can't resist tinkering, and end up distorting, whether they realize what they are doing or not. Denominations and egocentric translators are so positive that theirs is the right way. Fortunately, re. the bible, many translators work in committees or have other experts double check them. Since the KJV translation, many translators and paraphrasers have come up with a plethora of versions. You hope that they haven't let human stuff enter the stew and the old Word is intact.
I have several translations of the Iliad. Before seeing the movie I was wondering if a movie might get to the dramatic, poetic, heart of the story - maybe better than written translations? And, screen-writers are translators too, although they are limited by time, funds, etc. The movie method of translations has some great possibilities, it's really awesome what they can do, but usually movies leave a lot out and re-work. The writers of original books and short stories usually pull their hair when seeing their treasured "baby" on the screen. I believe an ancient Greek would like the present film version, although would be constantly pointing out, such and such was left out, and they talk funny. But the ancients had great imagination and would know of stage limitation, and still would get caught up as all of us do with drama. After all, they were familiar with the great Greek plays. Tremendous illusion going on there in ancient theatres...big stories down there on a little stage! There is a special magic about the stage. I remenber when a kid in the depression, hanging out at theatres where Dad was Art Director, at Columbia, Missouri, that people could somehow rake up a nickle or dime and go to a movie, buy a bag of popcorn, and get lost in that magic. I was not only lost in that magic, but the backstage magic of the vaudeville acts and the wonderful electric sounding pit orchestra,(I can still hear that special, wonderful sound today!) and the stage Mgr. pulling his hair and on top of his troubles having to deal with some inquisitive urchin kid. I don't think they paid the poor guy enough.
I must take a break as I need to view the movie one more time to see if there is any poetic epicness, among other things. Right now the showings of the movie have seemed to vanish on the satellite, but am sure it will return.
In any case, the Trojan Horse story will go on forever...as will the story of captured Helen by Paris (I don't think she was kicking and screaming too much!)...Helen, one of the great beauties of all time...with "the face that launched a thousand ships." Then, there is the tragedy of Achilles. Wouldn't it be ironic if archaeologists someday discover that Alexander had a foot infection? If so, he knew absolutely what was in store for him, and the dumb mental would have done it's nefarious work. And, of course, this was all the beginning of another great epic by Homer, the Odyssey. After some more study of the film I'll be back with more comments. RM - June 11, '07...and June 16, '07.
A few notes added June 26, '07. And, some more touching up, Sept. 1st, 2007.
Yes, I did see the film Iliad a second time! It is something great and special. Other producers could easily do 850 other movies on the Iliad, and have something great also. I kept thinking all the time: what would the ancient Greeks think of the movie? I am sure that they would be astounded at the special effects...the masses of armies and all the ships. They were sharp and would size up various divergencies quickly. They would be impressed with Pitt and the other actors, which by the way did swell jobs.
Again, the whole original story is of such epic proportions that many more versions could be done. Each writer translator will come up with something different. And, the old Greeks if they could see it would point out all the omissions ...Apollo putting an early curse on the Trojans, the Laocoon episode, etc....and in their logic say..."why not just do the whole thing completely...even if it takes 400 episodes? You moderns have got a great technique...the movies...why not make the most of it? Of course, the Athenians had the Laurean Silver Mines near Athens, and movies are very expensive. But it is something about which to think.
Lastly, there is some old poeticness in this movie...blended with modern understandability. Lots of work went into this. Among other things, the movie deserves much study by future epic-makers. And, how they do the special effects is amazing to me...modern movies as this with all such effects are wonders of the modern world.
I know the ancients would have spotted this and been awed by it all. Ron Miller
PS - Brad Pitt is from nearby Springfield, Missouri, about 40 miles north of our WAS Hq. My brother-in-law's brother went to highschool with him. Also, Pitt went to the University of Missouri, Columbia, many, years after your writer. This makes Pitt a Mizzou Tiger.
And, while I'm totally off the track here, singer Cheryl
Crow went to Mizzou. When she goes to games there, the announcers talk to her.
Also, Jan Karl of Inside Hollywood is from Mizzou also.
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Review of Movie Alexander.
I just saw the movie Alexander. Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that the special effects of such places as Babylon, the Library at Alexandria, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria are just super. I don't know how Hollywood does it, but you have got to hand it to them.
Angelina Jolie I believe stole the show. She is an excellent actress. Anthony Hopkins was great as always, and Alexander, Colin Farrell had some good moments also (better in the action scenes than non-action). ( Note- I recently saw the film a second time, and I believe I should give Farrell more credit for acting skills. This makes me think, I should watch any film twice. And, too, this second version was uncut, and one gets a different "picture" literally). I still believe, after the second viewing, that Angelina Jolie should get a Golden Globe and Oscar for her portrayal of Olympia, mother of Alexander. Adding a little more to this review later, I don't believe she received any awards. The Award industry should view the film a second time also.
The battle scenes were some of the best ever filmed, with quick shots, whirls and blurs of illusion...some new techniques I think. But, they are realistic and gory. Not for everyone. I don't particularly like the quick blurring action shot style (prevalent in many action films of late). One loses the train of human thought and integrity of the scene.
It's a novelty technique. Problems. There is a major problem filming such an enormous epic as the adventures of Alexander and his troops. The film-makers had to leave out much of the connecting ligaments and cartilage between giant battle episodes. If you tell about it, you run into the old story problem of telling too much instead of showing. So, there is a problem of underlying continuity. It would have taken weeks of film to begin to capture all of the complete story of Alexander. The film makers had to eliminate three major battles in western Asia when Alexander and his Macedonians first commenced hacking their way across the mideast. They also didn't have the Gordian Knot episode where Alexander just cut the knot without trying to untie it (one story). Aristobulus, one of his generals said that he took out the pin of the yoke to the chariot and just slipped it through the knot (Plutarch). Also, they didn't have Alexander founding Alexandria, Egypt.
They had a scene with Statira, beautiful daughter of Darius, but this was moved up to Babylon. They had to because they didn't show the earlier battle after which the episode really happened. Alexander and his men found Statira, her sister and her mother after the battle of the Issus (river). The mother and sister were beauties also. Speaking of beauties. I would say Roxanne, whom Alexander married later, was Aryan, instead of being dark complexioned.* (reader Omar corrects me on this - see the end).
Another technicality. Alexander really got hit with the arrow while leading the charge into a walled compound. He and his shield-bearer managed to get in, and there they were, trapped. It's a miracle that they lived.
King Porus, defeated by Alexander, wasn't shown much - perhaps once or twice in battle, but he was quite a character. Bucephelus, the great black war horse of Alexander died mostly of exhaustion as he and Alexander were going after stragglers. I am glad they showed the tameing of Bucephelus story earlier one of my favorites. And, they also showed Bucephelus' trick of kneeling to make it easier for Alexander to mount and dismount (one quick shot). I would have held that a little longer. Also, should note, Bucephelus wasn't always ridden into battle by Alexander. War horses were like strings of polo ponies - it was such violent strenuous business that they needed resting. One of his mounts was killed at the unshown battle of the Issus.
The elephants of the Indians drove the horses of Alexander mad. They just couldn't take elephants, although Bucephelus seemed to have done better than most, he was such a loyal, exceptional horse.
The producers may be stretching the homosexuality thing. According to Plutarch, Alexander was one tough stoic type. Alexander said that he needed to conquer himself first before the enemy. Not shown was an affair with Barsine, wife of Memnon (Darius' best general, who later died). That's probably another movie right there. Alexander also said "...pleasure is the natural effect of weakness." Also, he ate very sparsely and gave away many deserts. Again, he was one tough character. I also can't recall reading about Alexander almost killing Roxanne. They may have stretched things there also.
I should mention that the wise man Ariston wasn't shown (quite an awesome character), nor were the scribes recording the journey as they travelled along, and neither were there any shots of Alexander's captains writing in their journals (except Ptolemy at the beginning and end of movie). Aristobulus and Ptolemy for certain wrote journals; I think they kept them along the way, although probably Ptolemy and Aristobulus could very well have edited their journals later. At the beginning of the film, Ptolemy (Anthony Hopkins) was shown dictating to a scribe. These journals, unfortunately, were lost but used as sources by other writers. Some of the lost copies, and maybe originals, probably went up in smoke when the Library of Alexandria burned.
One copy that scholars would love to read right now, but lost, is the official rocord of the expedition recorded by the official scribe(s).
By and large there was much good about the movie. It's spectacular. They did a tremendous amount of historical research. I'm really impressed. I was very interested in the tactics of the Macedonian phalanx one of the most awesome, well-oiled, military machines in history. Yes, they shifted out of the way of the charging chariots of Darius at the battle of Guagamila (sometimes called "Battle of Arbella") avoiding the whirling blades on the wheel hubs. And, yes, Olympia had a fetish for snakes. Alexander had a classic Oedipus complex. Freud would have had fun reviewing the story. If you can stand the battle scenes and snakes it's worth going to. But you still need to read Plutarch and other sources to get a picture of the fact that the original adventure was even bigger and more sweeping than the movie! And the movie is very big and sweeping! But the film-makers did a tremendous job in many ways, and I hope they receive some awards. But there is still room for another Alexander the Great on film someday. The battle of Tyre alone (not shown) would make a movie, as would the battle of the Issus R. and many other episodes. Alexander laid seige to Tyre for seven months. It's amazing that he was able to conquer this stronghold. One way to film Alexander would be with the method used for Band of Brothers...a bunch of installments...and it would probably take more! What would be wrong with having such installments on the big screen? HBO did a series Rome.
By the way, that was very good and deserves a separate review.
Before concluding, it should be mentioned that the battle of Guagamila was fought just east of Mosul in present day northern Iraq where our troops are fighting right now. Thutmosis III and his army of Egypt made their way up this far too, over a thousand years earlier (that would make a great series also). As seen in the movie Alexander, the cause of Alexander's death remains a mystery. Lots of strange illnesses in that part of the world in antiquity and now. There is so much oil so close to the ground in many places of Iraq where he died, I have often wondered if there may be some connection? Maybe even wind blowing fumes about? Just working theories. RM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -* Reader of the review Omar corrects my thought in a recent e-mail that Roxanne was white. He has this to say: "I have just read your review on your website and would like to clarify that Roxana was not Aryan stated in your review. Roxane, correct pronunciation is Roohshan, is from northern Afghanistan and Bactria is populated by Afghanis and Azaris who are both dark skinned.'
It is a misconception that the population of Bactria were Aryans, there is no proof to this assertion. In fact, it was for this reason that she and her son were later assassinated."
Thanks Omar. I was basing my thought on ancient Indo-European Aryan incursion. Today one finds both white and dark in India (Max Muller, linguistic studies. Ron
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