Apple PodcastsSpotifyApple PodcastsSpotify

Troy (2004) | The Rage of Achilles (1175 BCE)

What awaits you on this episode? GLORY! TAKE IT! ITS YOURS!

Yes, we are paraphrasing the awful dialogue delivered haplessly by Brad Pitt in the 2004 Wolfgang Petersen epic, Troy.

Loosely (very loosely) based on the Homeric poem, the Iliad, the movie explores the legendary Trojan War, a conflict sparked by the love affair between Paris, Prince of Troy, and Helen, Queen of Sparta. Starring Brad Pitt as the warrior Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector, and Orlando Bloom as Paris, the film boasts a star-studded cast. Which sounds great, right? Sigh.
The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the Bronze Age world, where the powerful Achaeans (Greeks) led by Brian Cox’s Agamemnon and Peter O’Toole’s Priam, King of Troy are on the brink of war. Agamemnon the ambitious king of Mycenae, seeks to expand his influence by conquering Troy. To achieve this, he manipulates the legendary warrior Achilles into joining the Greek forces. As the armies clash on the shores of Troy, the film portrays the brutal and visceral nature of ancient warfare.

Except not really.

But what is the Iliad actually about? What was life really like during the Bronze Age? Did Troy really exist? What about this horse you’ve heard about? Join us as we separate the REAL history from the REEL history!