While Wolfgang Peterson’s Troy was a conspicuous commercial success, grossing nearly $500 million worldwide, it was by no means, the most charming adaptation of Homer’s epic. In light of the same, the film’s critical reception was lukewarm at best with people deeming it a feeble attempt in the name of a Greek mythology remake.
But critics weren’t the only ones displeased by the movie, even Brad Pitt himself was wholly nettled with his outing as Achilles.
Troy – Why Brad Pitt Was Dissatisfied With the War Epic
Directed by the German filmmaker Wolfgang Peterson, the historical war drama seemingly made a decent enough job of sticking to the source material, and yet, it failed to thaw critics. Starring Brad Pitt as Achilles opposite Eric Bana’s Hector, the WB production turned out to be a sub-par adaptation of Illiad, a fact that probably irked the film’s leading man more than it did the audience.
Many critics found the Oscar winner’s performance in the movie to be one of the very few things worth appreciating. Pitt, on the other hand, found it to be wholly mediocre and bereft of any depth. Not to mention, the Babylon star was also chagrined by the fact that Troy didn’t exactly do justice to the famous Greek mythology classic.
“It wasn’t painful, but I realized that the way that movie was being told was not how I wanted it to be. I made my own mistakes in it. What am I trying to say about ‘Troy’? I could not get out of the middle of the frame. It was driving me crazy.”
Following his seemingly lackluster delivery as the greatest warrior in the Trojan War, Pitt made a conscious decision of going ahead with very selective material to avoid the mistakes that he believed he made with Troy. And his movies thereafter stand testament to the same.
The Silver Lining
Contrary to how Pitt, 59 saw it, many agreed with the fact that his performance in Troy was certainly commendable. That’s not to say it was his best work, but it was good nonetheless. However, since the Bullet Train star refused to look at it as anything other than a disappointment, he decided to “invest” his time and effort in “quality stories” only.
“Somewhere in it, ‘Troy’ became a commercial kind of thing. Every shot was like, Here’s the hero! There was no mystery. So about that time I made a decision that I was only going to invest in quality stories, for lack of a better term. It was a distinct shift that led to the next decade of films.”
Irrespective of whether it was a flawed perspective on his part, the outcome of his decision did turn out in his favor and that of his fans; Pitt’s films after the 2004 war/adventure did indeed witness a shift and a positive one at that. From Mr. & Mrs. Smith to the Ocean’s sequels, he transformed his acting career with a repertoire of critically acclaimed and blockbuster projects.
Guess everything happens for a reason after all.
Troy can be streamed on Netflix.
Source: The New York Times
