I brought a copy of Homer's "Iliad" with me on a trip to Turkey back in 1996, reading along as I traveled from Istanbul to the ruins of ancient Troy, near the port city of Çanakkale, before making my way down to Bodrum (where I caught a ferry to Greece).
For years, I would return to the Iliad every June, whether through historical fiction ("The Firebrand" by Marion Zimmer Bradley"), graphic novels ("Age of Bronze" by Eric Shanower), or literary non-fiction ("The War that Killed Achilles" by Caroline Alexander).
My wife and I took my mother to see "Troy" at the Cineplex Cinemas on the Queensway in Etobicoke, shortly after it was released. (My wife was pregnant with our son, so it was kind of like his first movie, also).
I really enjoyed the film, and was annoyed by those who complained that it wasn't the Iliad. After all, the name of the movie is "Troy" not "The Iliad". The idea was to depict an imagined history that might have served as the basis for the epic poem.
Brad Pitt was perfect as Achilles (he attended the screening at Cannes with Jennifer Aniston), and there were so many memorable scenes (most notably the pivotal exchange between King Priam and Achilles, in which Priam begs for the body of his son).
Years later, I ordered the Director's Cut from Amazon. I liked both versions of the film, but then, I love anything dealing with Greek mythology. The Homeric epics in particular are timeless, and will resonate through the ages.
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