SYNOPSIS.

As the story opens, 3,500 years ago, civilisations are being built, wars fought, alliances forged, across the cradle of the West. Legendary Greek warrior Achilles (Brad Pitt) fights with, but not for King Agamemnon's (Brian Cox) army. Half God, Achilles is faster, stronger, and more deadly than any man, as he shows defeating the giant Boagrius (Nathan Jones) in single combat, thereby binding Thessaly into Agammnon's growing nation. This establishes one wing of Homer's complex plot: Both Achilles and Agamemnon have their eye on immortality, of the kind that will see their names on our lips thousands of years hence. As King of Troy Priam (Peter O'Toole) seems to have begun a negotiated peace with King Menelaus of Sparta (Brendan Gleeson) and perhaps larger Greece, his son Prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) has become infatuated with Menelaus's the beautiful wife Helen (Diane Kruger). News that Trojan Paris has stolen away Spartan Helen unites all the Greek armies under Mycenaen Agamemnon. Thus, with a dispute between two men, begins the conflict of nations: The Trojan War. A total of 50,000 soldiers set sail to Troy in a thousand ships, and soon the walls of Troy, invincible to all previous invading armies will test this new alliance. The battle begins with Achilles and his Myrmidons forging a beachhead, and through discipline and skill taking the beach and the temple of Apollo almost singlehandedly. In a memorable scene, Achilles looses his spear several hundred meters, driving it through the head of Trojan warrior Tecton. Priam's brave and level headed son Prince Hector (Eric Bana) leads the force to hold the Greeks on their beach head and enters the temple. Here he meets Achilles, who lets him go free. Achilles is not wont to kill a fellow warrior, and yet knows and says that he will, but another day, perhaps when their tragedy can play to a better audience. Tensions build between Agamemnon and Achilles. As Agamemnon takes tribute from his fellow kinds for his "victory", Achilles is disdainful, and as Agamemnon takes the young priestess Briseis (Rose Byrne) from Achilles he curses Agamemnon. Achilles is not owned by Agamemnon but is his own man, and he and his men remain out of the next battle. The massed armies meet before the gates of Troy. Agamemnon demands the return of Helen to his brother and submission of Troy to the Greek empire. Rebuffed by Hector and with battle imminent, Paris then offers to fight Menelaus in single combat. But Paris, foolish romantic boy who stole Helen away, is not the man his brother is. Defeated, he crawls back to his brother's feet. Hector kills Menelaus. The die is cast: battle ensues Without the Myrmidons and Achilles tactical genius, the Greeks are beaten badly. Fighting beneath the walls of Troy, they fall by the thousands to massed Trojan archers who have all the advantages of height and distance. Odysseus (Sean Bean) advises Agamemnon: fall back; you won't have an army if you don't fall back. With Menelaus gone, the original purpose of the war is gone. Still Achilles will not rejoin the army, despite Odysseus' reasoned argument. Reunited with Briseis, Achilles engages her with a deeper intellect and reflective nature than she thought possible. Achilles' sense of individualistic

timelessness that all will begin and all will end, but that how we perform our hour on this stage is everything makes Briseis fall in love with him and Achilles determines to return home. All council a Greek retreat.

In the Trojan camp, religious leaders, who know nothing of battle, but everything of court politics argue for immediate attack. Hector now shows a break with human history: he is not impelled by the day's victory, nor by gods and omens, but councils that Troy not repeat the Greek's mistake of underestimating their enemy They have a proven strategy, the Greeks have failed to respond perhaps, as is the case, they might now return home in their hubris. Priam listens to the priests' omens over his son's reason, and the Trojan army prepares to attack, far from their defensible walls, driven to drive the Greeks into the sea. The Trojans attack with fire: tremendous straw balls burning like Napalm. The Apollonian force and Trojan army descend on the Greeks, their backs to the sea. But then Achilles appears, Mrymidons with him. The Greeks rally tremendously, Hector easily kills this ill-coordinated and weak "Achilles" in battle - only to find it is Achilles' young cousin and lover Patroclus (Garrett Hedlund), tired of being out of the fight and dreaming of glory. The battle ends: Hector knows that defeat has been snatched from jaws of victory and prepares his wife (Saffron Burrows) to escape should the Greeks now win the war. Vengence turns Achilles' mind from love to blood: He challenges Hector, and they fight to the death, a fabulous pitched battle of two men, ending in Achilles dragging the dead Hector's around Troy behind his chariot. Priam pleads for his son's body, and Hector is returned for a ceremonial funeral lasting during 12 days of truce. At the end of this time, the Greeks appear to have left: a large wooden horse (Odysseus' idea) their parting gift to Troy. The wooden horse is taken into the city, and the Greek soldiers inside of it open the gates of Troy to the Greek army: all is lost, all is won. Brave and wise Hector and his kind peaceful father Priam are dead. Menelaus, Patrcoclus, Achilles, all dead. Romantic Paris escapes to live in the wilds with Helen. The Greek victors begin their Odyssey.

SYNOPSIS. Throughout time, men have waged war. Some for power, some for glory, some for honor and some for love. In ancient Greece, the passion of two of history's most legendary lovers, Paris, Prince of Troy (ORLANDO BLOOM) and Helen (DIANE KRUGER), Queen of Sparta, ignites a war that will devastate a civilization. When Paris steals Helen away from her husband, King Menelaus (BRENDAN GLEESON), it is an insult that cannot be suffered. Familial pride dictates that an affront to Menelaus is an affront to his brother Agamemnon (BRIAN COX), powerful King of the Myceneans, who soon unites all the massive tribes of Greece to steal Helen back from Troy in defense of his brother's honor. In truth, Agamemnon's pursuit of honor is corrupted by his overwhelming greed he needs control of Troy to ensure the supremacy of his already vast empire. The walled city, under the leadership of King Prium (PETER O'TOOLE) and defended by mighty Prince Hector (ERIC BANA), is a citadel that no army has been able to breach. One man alone stands as the key to victory or defeat over Troy Achilles (BRAD PITT), believed to be the greatest warrior alive. Arrogant, rebellious and seemingly invincible, Achilles has no allegiance to anyone or anything, save his own glory. It is his insatiable hunger for eternal renown that leads him to attack the gates of Troy under Agamemnon's banner but it will be love that ultimately decides his fate. Two worlds will go to war for honor and power. Thousands will fall in pursuit of glory. And for love, a nation will burn to the ground.

SYNOPSIS. MSN Homer's sprawling tale of love and war in ancient Greece comes to the screen in all its grandeur in this epic-scale adventure. In 1193 B.C., Paris, Prince of Troy (Orlando Bloom), has fallen in love; however, the beautiful woman who has beguiled him is Helen, Queen of Sparta (Diane Kruger), who is wed to King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). While Helen is hardly immune to Paris' charms, this doesn't blunt Menelaus' fury when Paris steals her away from him. Menelaus' brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox), the power-hungry king of the Mycenaeans, is eager to expand his empire through Troy to the lands of the Aegean Sea, and he uses Paris' romantic slight against Menelaus as an excuse to wage an all-out war against the great walled city. Priam, King of Troy (Peter O'Toole), summons his armies, led by Prince Hector (Eric Bana), to meet the onslaught of Agamemnon's forces, but while the great city has yet to yield in a battle, Agamemnon has a formidable ally -- Achilles (Brad Pitt), a mighty and seemingly unstoppable warrior whose presence could tip the scales in Agamemnon's favor. Sean Bean, Julie Christie, Saffron Burrows, and Rose Byrne highlight the film's supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

SYNOPSIS. YAHOO!
Throughout time, men have waged war. Some for power, some for glory, some for honour and some for love. In ancient Greece, the passion of two of history's most legendary lovers - Paris, Prince of Troy and Helen, Queen of Sparta - ignites a war that will devastate a civilization. When Paris steals Helen away from her husband, King Menelaus, it is an insult that cannot be suffered. Familial pride dictates that an affront to Menelaus is an affront to his brother Agamemnon, powerful King of the Myceneans, who soon unites all the massive tribes of Greece to steal Helen back from Troy in defence of his brother's honour. In truth, Agamemnon's pursuit of honour is corrupted by his overwhelming greed--he needs control of Troy to ensure the supremacy of his already vast empire. The walled city, under the leadership of King Prium and defended by mighty Prince Hector, is a citadel that no army has been able to breach. One man alone stands as the key to victory or defeat over Troy--Achilles, believed to be the greatest warrior alive. Arrogant, rebellious and seemingly invincible, Achilles has no allegiance to anyone or anything, save his own glory. It is his insatiable hunger for eternal renown that leads him to attack the gates of Troy under Agamemnon's banner--but it will be love that ultimately decides his fate. Two worlds will go to war for honour and power. Thousands will fall in pursuit of glory. And for love, a nation will burn to the ground.

SYNOPSIS

Homer's sprawling tale of love and war in ancient Greece comes to the screen in all its grandeur in this epic-scale adventure. In 1193 B.C., Paris, Prince of Troy (Orlando_Bloom), has fallen in love; however, the beautiful woman who has beguiled him is Helen, Queen of Sparta (Diane_Kruger), who is wed to King Menelaus (Brendan_Gleeson). While Helen is hardly immune to Paris' charms, this doesn't blunt Menelaus' fury when Paris steals her away from him. Menelaus' brother Agamemnon (Brian_Cox), the power-hungry king of the Mycenaeans, is eager to expand his empire through Troy to the lands of the Aegean Sea, and he uses Paris' romantic slight against Menelaus as an excuse to wage an all-out war against the great walled city. Priam, King of Troy (Peter O'Toole), summons his armies, led by Prince Hector (Eric_Bana), to meet the onslaught of Agamemnon's forces, but while the great city has yet to yield in a battle, Agamemnon has a formidable ally -- Achilles (Brad_Pitt), a mighty and seemingly unstoppable warrior whose presence could tip the scales in Agamemnon's favor. Sean_Bean, Julie_Christie, Saffron_Burrows, and Rose_Byrne highlight the film's supporting cast. Mark Deming, Rovi