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In anticipation of the upcoming Brad Pitt "Troy" movie, I dug out my wide screen laserdisc of this 1955 effort by film editor turned director Robert Wise. In his book, "Robert Wise and his Films" he comments that although the material was not top notch he took the project to show that traditional shots and editing could be used on the recently developed CinemaScope (now Panavision) process. Up until then the few films shot in CinemaScope were cut in a static fashion becuase of bellief that the new 2:55 aspect ratio (later changed to 2.35) was too big to use in traditional ways.After sitting through an unbelievabley unmemorable overture, I was astonished to learn from the credits that none other than Max Steiner did the music, surely one of his least successful efforts. Rosanna Podesta stars as Helen and her acting is as wooden as the rest of the cast of unknowns. Brigitte Bardot has a small part.
Follow Ups:
Actually, there was a recent made-for-TV version that was a little better than the Wise (who did some great things, by the way, VIZ DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL), although one wonders why a war would be fought over the little twist playing Helen. Of course any historian will tell you that it wasn't fought over Helen, I mean even if she were played by Elizibeth Taylor or J-Lo or whoever else turns you on, but rather control over the Black Sea, but why quibble. As for old Brad playing Achilles, ferget it. He should have played Paris. Russell Crow for Achilles. Haven't thought about the other cats. But in the TV movie, Ruffus Sewel was a good Agamemnon ... I'm sure I'll see the goddamned TROY thing and hate myself for it, or, as is often the case with these things, love the sets and the music and try to forget the rest.
Actually in the Wise film the Greeks are just about ready to attack Troy and coincidentally Paris arrives in court (after being washed ashore after a shipwreck and being found by Helen and her slave) to plead for peace bewteen Troy and the Greek city states.
Troy's Paris went to Greece and stole that Helen.
The Greeks they were convinced he was a felon,
A thousand ships set sail for that bad boy,
And ended up for nine years sieging Troy.But when the Trojans showed them who was boss,
The Greeks left, leaving a gift hoss,
The hoss was filled with soldiers, deadly, oy!
Who came out in the night and burned down Troy.The story became legend, often told,
Throughout our history, young from old,
And if you think this silly or I'm mad,
Just read that poet Homer's Illiad.
Cute poem, by the way. But I wonder why some fool doesn't go ahead and make an attempt on the old ILIAD itself and be done with it. Can't imagine who'd even want to try? Oh, whoops! Wait, wait. Please don't let this come to the attention of Mr. Gibson!!!!
...who would make it in three installments:1- "The Flight of the Queen" aka "The Judgement of Paris", in which weīd be presented with a New Age version of Greek Pantheon, with Viggo Mortensen playing as Paris, and Liv Tyler as Helen of Troy, plenty of Special FX and lots of makeup... followed by
2- "The walls of Troy" aka "The Iliad", with lots of Special FX and dumb looking New Age warriors, with Liv Tyler as Helen, Viggo Mortensen as Paris, and introducing Sean Connery as Odysseus (Ulysses). Harrison Ford could be the skilled carpenter who built the Horse..., followed by
3- "The Return of the Hero" aka "The Odyssey", with Sean Connery as Odysseus, Elijah Wood as Thelemacus, Julia Roberts as Penelope. Glenn Close could be a convincing Circe, and Penelope Cruz a fine Callypso. Arnold Schwarzenegger would make a credible Polyphemus, and Colin Powell would be fine as Mentor, since this film would be made after US elections...
The whole lot would be filmed in New Zealand.
Any suggestions?
Regards
BF
nt
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