Friday, May 14, 2004
I have to get myself a much more concise version of The Iliad than the one I used to have. Caught Troy yesterday right after the chem paper with Sop, Denice and Shermain. It's been ages since we've all gone out together, heh, caught up on alot of laughing and talking with them. :) Shopped about and lamented the rate at which time seems to pass these days. Ahh. That's something we seem to do alot when we go out nowdays, lament. Haha. It's not a bad thing though. Really enjoyed talking to them like the old days in mg.
Anyway, Troy is a must-watch for Homerian-lovers and Greek buffs alike. Damn, it has battle scenes, love scenes and even frustratingly cowardly scenes - a la Paris (Orlando Bloom). I swear, I felt like kicking Paris in the head more than a thousand times during the course of the movie. He doesn't fight his own battles, and as a result, his brother, Hector, one of the most honorable characters in the movie, dies whilst fighting on his behalf. Hell, I bet practically three-quarters of Troy died on his behalf. All because of his Romanticist ideals, which were sorely out of place in an era where battles were started over the smallest of things. It was no place for Romantics then. The show only gives the gist of the actual epic poem of Homer's and misses out some interesting scenes, but I guess that's what happens to all works that get rewritten into the movie context. The main part of the epic that they missed out however, was the extent of the role at which the Gods played in the entire story.
If memory serves me right, this whole Paris-meeting-Helen-and-falling-in-love-with-her business started long before, when all except Eris, the goddess of discord, were invited to the matrimonial ceremony of Thetis (goddess of the sea) and Peleus (king of Myrmidons). Note: If you watch the show carefully, you'll notice that Thetis is Achilles' mother and Peleus is his father. In one of the scenes at the beginning, she picks seashells from the sea to make a necklace for him. Anyway. Eris got mad and sowed discord amongst the guests by throwing a golden apple to them and claiming that only 'the fairest' was allowed to have it. Seeing how the immortals of Homer's description are mostly of petty and vain characters, the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite each stake a claim for it. Zeus, trying to settle the problem, brought the goddesses to Paris, leaving the choice as to who would get the apple with him. The goddesses each offered him something of great value in a bid to get him to choose her - Hera offered him some continent or something, I can't recall, Athena offered him glory in war and Aphrodite as usual, offered him the fairest of all maidens for his wife. As expected, the self-professed romantic, Paris, chose Aphrodite, the goddess of love, which led to him earning the wrath of Athena and Hera as a result. So Paris sets off for Sparta at Aphrodite's bidding and meets Helen, wife of Menelaus, and the fairest of all maidens. From there onwards, you know what happens.
That's a brief background of Greek mythology for you, heh. Anyway, what I described was only a small part of the entire role the Gods played in the whole story - they interferred in the Greek-Trojan battles too and what not. Which is why, if you want the full story, you should get yourself a copy of The Iliad. :) It's really lengthy though. Oh well, go watch Troy instead, it's lighter. Although it makes you feel like hitting Orlando Bloom a hundred times over. Especially at the last few scenes. Brad Pitt's acting was superb as usual in the touching scenes he had, not forgetting the battle scenes. And look out for Eudoras, his second-in-command of the Myrmidons or something, his eyes are just a beautifully intense shade of blue.
Mann, this is the longest entry I've written since the studying started, haha. Guess it's what happens when you watch Troy twice in a day. Gosh. I caught it again that night with Tris and Bert, only because Tris was being uncharacteristically generous by treating (haha, jk la.) AND the fact that the show was great. Next show to catch - Elephant.
Shu at 11:56 AM
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