Classical Fury: or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Classics Related Movies

First things first, apologies for not updating the blog for a while. ICT coursework is rather time consuming, ysee, and I just haven't got round to it. However, the coursework is done, thank the Lord. So I shall now return to the wondrous world of blogging. Oh the pure, unadulterated joy.

To be honest though, I don't have that much to talk about. One thing has occurred to me recently though. Classics folk (among whom I count myself) often feel an inordinate amount of fury at inaccurate Classical references. Poor Latin grammar on television or using the wrong set of names for the gods can literally cause Classicists to become so angry that they will send several hundred e-mails to the person responsible, telling them they will rot in Tartarus under the lash of Tisaphone for eternity for such a transgression as appalling as saying "Jupiter" instead of "Zeus".

This brings me neatly on to the subject of the film "Troy". Normally, you would be instantly skinned alive, crucified and burnt for even mentioning Troy in front of Classicists, such is their hatred of it. This stems from the fact that it has numerous changes from the Classical text on which it based, Homer's Iliad. These range from the deaths of several characters in the film who didn't actually die in the epic, most notably Menelaus and Agamemnon, through changes to the plot, like Ajax (the Greater, of course) being killed by Hector, to a complete lack of divine intervention throughout the whole film, something that was a major theme in the book. Those who are Classical inclined absolutely refuse to watch it, and sometimes even to speak its name. But, having just finished watching it, I thought, is it really so bad that its different from the Iliad?

For a start, the film is called "Troy", not "The Iliad: The Motion Picture". It never claims to have done anything more than take its inspiration from Homer's account of a war that even the Romans considered ancient. It certainly doesn't claim to be an exact replica of that epic, so why are some people so insistent that it should be exactly the same? Hollywood film makers need action to keep a modern audience interested, and the Iliad's description of duels between great heroes lacks the ability to captivate in the same way as a huge CGI generated battle, so why not let them have it?

Another thing that came to me is, as a Classicist, isn't re-interpreting old stories what its all about? Its what ancient playwrights did. The majority of the stories they told would have been familiar to their audience, but it was the way they interpreted it that made the audience like or dislike it. So, surely, we should judge the Hollywood telling of the story of Troy on its own merits, rather than dismissing it out of hand as a bad copy of the Iliad.

I spose the point I'm trying to make is, maybe people should try and just enjoy things for what they are, rather than complain about the things they aren't. I mean, Troy might lose some of the plot points of the Iliad, but it does gain some pretty cool battle scenes. So enjoy them, and stop complaining!

Peace and love