Analysis of Symbiosis of Mythology and History in the Movie Troy (2004)
Precisely, Classical Ancient Literature has long been a research subject of many scientific fields. Many believe that Antiquity is the standard of human being, as many of the most famous works of art, philosophies, and world religions appeared at that time. Today, there are many different interpretations of classical mythology in the world. Most of the films, which are based on themes of mythology, have a close relationship with the ancient history. For example, a film can be shot on the basis of the myths' main ideas, but the historical aspect of the problem can be used as well. Since the cinema is one of the most common interpretive areas of mythology and history, any movie can be analyzed it in terms of the synthesis of myth and history. Film directors introduce a myth in the story deliberately, and vice versa, in order to create a desired effect for the intended audience.
In the film Troy (2004), director Wolfgang Petersen used the events described in the myth of Achilles and the Trojan War, however, the director made the story historical to make the picture more dramatic and plausible. Nevertheless, there are both similarities and differences between mythology and history. Historians still argue whether the Trojan War did happen, and if so, where it took place. Archaeological discoveries of the early 21th century show that the area of the supposed Trojan War witnessed some real battles, and they "coincide with the historical period when Greeks fought against Trojans" (Lowe and Shahabudin 47). Unfortunately, there are no accurate evidences mainly due to the current practice of a construction of the new cities in the place of the old ones.
According to Lowe and Shahabudin, Homer's The Iliad and other eposes on the Trojan War were written hundreds of years after the Trojan War (63). These products include a variety of mythological elements, which makes them a doubtful evidence of historical events. According to one hypothesis, an earthquake destroyed Troy in Homer's time, and his The Iliad indirectly confirms this because horse is a symbol of the ancient Greek deity of earthquakes (Lowe and Shahabudin 66). Thus, the viewer can notice that the movie producers have decided to dispense with mythology and give the film a historical authenticity, which is missing in the original sources. Therefore, there are several divergences in the text of Homer's The Iliad and the film. Olympian gods play an important role in the poem: some of them appear on the side of Greeks, while the others support Trojans. Gods even take the part of their favorites on the battlefield: e.g. "At that moment, Athena came down from heaven./ White-armed Hera sent her. She cherished both men,/ cared for them equally. Athena stood behind Achilles,/ grabbed him by his golden hair, invisible to all except Achilles" (Homer 1, 200-205). In the poem, Menelaus and Agamemnon survive and the death of Achilles is predicted, but the hero does not die and the Trojan War continues. Achilles' death is described in a variety of other sources. Telamonian Ajax remains alive too, while in other sources, he is killed at his own hand shortly after Achilles' death. The Trojan War lasted 10 years, while the event is shown in the film take place in the last few months of the war. After the death of Achilles, Philoctetes kills Paris (this is Homer's authorship, but the story of this event is found in Greek mythology). Hence, The Iliad is a story about the confrontation between Achilles and Agamemnon; however, the film producers decided to emphasize some romantic elements of the storyline more than Homer did in his epic poem, e.g. the love story of Paris and Helen, and Achilles and Briseis (Troy, 2004).
Despite the fact that the movie Troy is based on The Iliad, many actions and facts differ from each other. For instance, Hector calls Achilles to fight, and then Ajax responds to the challenge when he refuses. Their fight leads nowhere: they part and Hector gives Ajax his sword (with which he commits suicide), and Ajax gives Hector a belt (with which Achilles would drag the Trojan's body): "a sword with stars of silver graced,/ The baldrick studded, and the sheath enchased,/ He gave the Greek. The gen’rous Greek bestow’d/ A radiant belt that rich with purple glow’d" (Homer 7, 366-369). However, there is no fight in the film and Ajax is killed in battle (Troy, 2004). Homer's Ajax was Achilles' cousin, but in the film, they meet for the first time. In addition, Patroclus' death is changed in the movie too. In fact, Trojans wanted to set fire to the ships, when Patroclus took Achilles' armor (with his permission), and began to pursue Trojans and was killed by Hector. The film shows that Patroclus is not just a friend of Achilles - he is his younger brother (Troy, 2004). In mythology, Patroclus is older than Achilles, and "their friendship with the great warrior continues even in the realm of Hades" (Lowe and Shahabudin 218).
The Audience and Its Significance. Lowe and Shahabudin state that the audience is of great importance for creation of any product; whether it is a film industry, literature, or just any commercial activity (13). In most cases, a product's quality depends on what kind of audience would consume this product. If one talks about the film industry of the movie Troy, here all the elements are designed for the mass audience, i.e. on the average consumer. Therefore, if Petersen's picture was based only on the ancient Greek mythology, it would have been intended more for children's audience. Hence, to expand the product's range of use, the director decided to make the story historical, associated with everyday life: e.g. vivid scenes of the characters'' everyday life, love, and customs (Troy, 2004). This symbiosis of mythology and history makes the story more believable, and every spectator can find something from his/her private life in it. Mythology, which is also used in Homer's The Iliad, makes the historical events and personalities some kind of "archetypes, which are well lodged in consciousness", as people learn about them since childhood (Lowe and Shahabudin 139).
Thus, if one defines the audience of this film, it can be stated that it has been designed for an adult, average citizen of any country. In other words, the plot, the complexity, and the accuracy of this movie are universal, which also expands the audience. Consequently, the expansion of the audience leads to a higher box office and popularity.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis of symbiosis of mythology and history by the example of the movie Troy (2004), it can be concluded that the director used Homer's The Iliad to create his film. Many plot elements of the epic poem coincide with the film's plot elements, but there are also many differences. Rejecting many mythological details, Wolfgang Petersen made his film more "real" and historical. This strategy has also been selected in order to expand the audience. Since The Iliad by Homer is both historical and mythological product, it can be said that the symbiosis of myth and history is present in the film initially. Nevertheless, the majority of inconsistencies with the original text and the mythology do not influence the main point.
Works Cited
Homer, and Samuel Butler. The Iliad. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1995. Print.
Lowe, Dunstan, and Shahabudin, Kim. Classics For All: Reworking Antiquity in Mass Culture. Newcastle upon Tyne, GBR: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 13 February 2016.
Troy. Dir. Wolfgang Petersen. Perf. Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Orlando Bloom. Warner Bros., 2004. Film.
