Troy: Fall of a City Review: Netflix Version of Helen and Paris ...

After Helen forsakes her life in Sparta, the Greek city strikes back at their new adversaries, retaliating in various ways they deem appropriate ... × BacktoIndieWire ‘Troy:FallofaCity’Review:‘TheIliad’BecomesJustAnotherStoryinNetflixSeriesThatTellsGreekMythologybytheBook Theeight-partseriescoveringthefamousTroy/Spartafeudofmillenniapast,offersafewstrikingperformances,butnotmuchelsenewtoaclassictale. SteveGreene Apr8,20183:26pm @stevebruin ShareThisArticle Reddit LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Print Talk “Troy:FallOfACity” GrahamBartholomewViewGallery93Photos FewstoriesinhistoryhavesuchaclearstartingpointasthefeudofTroyandSparta,astoldbyHomerintheannalsofGreekmythology.Aliteralclassictaleofaffection,duty,honor,family,andbetrayalthatplaysoutonabloodystage,theaftermathofParisandHelen’slegendaryaffairisthestuffthatpoetryandmythologyaremadeof. Perhapsit’sbecausethestoryhasbeentoldsomanytimesbefore,orbecauseitscharactersseemdestinedtoafatealreadypredeterminedbythousandsofyearsofitstelling,butthenewNetflix/BBCco-production“Troy:FallofaCity”feelstimelessinpreciselythesamewaythatallotherincarnationsofthestoryhave.Withoutmuchreinvention,excepttomaybeappeasesomeofthespectaclethatguidesonethebiggestshowsontelevisionrightnow,it’snotsomuchanadaptationofthestoryforcurrenttimes,butanadaptationjustforTV’ssake. Asonemightexpect,thefirstepisodeof“Troy:FallofaCity”centersonthewaywardjourneysofParis,asecretprinceofTroy,testedandtemptedbythegodsafterlivinghislifeasanunassumingfarmer.OnhisfirstdiplomaticmissionasanofficialmemberoftheTrojanleadershiptothenearbycityofSparta,hefallsinlovewithHelen,thewomanhebelieveshasbeenchosenforhimbythelovegoddessAphrodite.Asfatewouldhaveit,HelenalsohappenstobethewifeofSparta’sKingMenelaus. AnyoneacquaintedwithaClassics101courseknowshowtherestofmostof“Troy:FallofaCity”playsout.AfterHelenforsakesherlifeinSparta,theGreekcitystrikesbackattheirnewadversaries,retaliatinginvariouswaystheydeemappropriateforsuddenlybeingshortonequeen.Thehonorofmenandtherelativevalueofwomenbecomethecenterpiecesinabloody,murkyconflictwithasteady-risingbodycount. Butit’sthattraditionalstarttothe“Iliad”storythatputsthisadaptationinaholeitcanneverfullyclimboutof.ThistorridloveaffairofParisandHelen,meanttobeoneofhistoryandliterature’sgreatcosmicconnectionsfeelslikethemostobligatorypartofthissaga. “Troy:FallofaCity”introducesParisasawhinyplayboy,butwantshimtobebothnobleromanticheroandtheposterchildforfailingupwardwithinTroy’sinnercircle.AndevenwhenHelenassertsherselfintinyways,astheropeinaviolentnation-statetug-of-war,sherarelyleavestheconfinesofthepalacewalls. Withtheluxuryofeightepisodestotelltheaftermathofthatincitingincident,what’smissingfromthatinitialsparkgetsrecoupedabitwhen“Troy:FallofaCity”returnstoitsomanytimes.Butthatcontinuous,unresolvedquestionofdutyandobligationinthefaceofthedangersofwarsetsacycleofrepetitionthatswallowstherestoftheshow’scharacters,too.Inromanceandinbattle,thisisacomplexsagabrokendownintointeractionsthat,evenhalfwaythroughtheserieshasbeguntoredoitself. “Troy:FallOfACity”GrahamBartholomew If“Troy:FallofaCity”isworthwatching,it’sfortheotherfiguresoutsideofthosetwomainlovers.ChiefamongthemisDavidGyasi,effortlessaslegendarywarriorAchilles.LikeOdysseus(JosephMawle,whoalsoelevateswhatcouldeasilybeaconventionalfigureinthisstory),Achillesiswithhelduntiltherumblingsofafightbegin.Gyasimakeshimworththewait.Hisperformanceistheclearestexampleofhowamoreprimalancientformofwarfareactuallybecomesmorepowerfulwhenitsmainplayersaremorereservedinhowtheyexpresstheirangerandthefuelforthefight.AllGyasineedstoinstillfearintheheartsofhisopponentsareasimplechuckleandacontrolled,menacingstare.Yes,heisprecededbyreputation,butit’sclearrightawaythatthoseunfamiliarwithhislegendwillstillrecognizethepivotalroleheplaysinhowthestoryunfolds. Becausetheindividualsinthestory,whetherinpalacediscussionsorstrategiesofwar,aresolargerthanlife,there’sarealchallengetofindingbitsofcharacterdevelopmentwithinthesagathataren’tjustmeanstogetfromoneplotpointtoanother.TheTroy-Spartastoryissuchadensewebthatitdoesn’tleavemuchroomforquietconversationthatdoesn’texplicitlymovethestoryforwardinonewayoranother.Indeed,someoftheviciousandbrutalchoicesmadebysomecentralfigures,changingthemfromdecent,compromisedmentofull-blownmonsters,ringfalsewhenthey’resotiedtotheburdenofhavingtoshepherdthestoryalongasit’sbeentoldsomanytimesbefore. Fromthebeginning,“Troy:FallofaCity”hintsathavingamoredistinctapproachwhenincorporatingthegods.Representedhereassomethingclosertomortalsinvisions,theysetinmotiontheeventsthatcometodominatethesetwowarringsocieties.Aphrodite(LexKing)isaghostofawomanwhopopsupinParis’subconscious.Athena(ShamillaMiller)isasymbol,walkingamongmenpreparingforbattle.Zeus(HakeemKae-Kazim)istheseatedrulerofall,asbrothers,mothers,andchildrenareallbrutallykilledinthenameofpreservingprophecies. Butthehumanstakethelion’sshareofattention,fromhamstrungrulerslikePriam(DavidThrelfall)tovengefulwarriorslikeAgamemnon(JohnnyHarris).Andforasdistinctasthissaganeedsthemtobe,TroyandSpartadon’tseemsodissimilar.MadeupofmenandwomenonbothsideslargelydrawnfromthetraditionalBritishcharacteractorcircles,“Troy:FallofaCity”ismostlyinstepwiththeepicsofold.Saveforsomestandard-lookinghallucinations(poorCassandraisn’tgivenmuchtodobesidesbeaconduitforominousnews),there’snotmuchtodifferentiateeithersideofthisconflictasidefromthepeoplewieldingshields. Inthewakeofaserieslike“Britannia”—whichalsotookonloreofitsownbyinfusingitwithacolorful,mysticalsenseofdanger—“Troy:FallofaCity”feelsmuchtamerbycomparison,evenafterchoppedappendages,pilum-skeweredskulls,andahorrificcycleofviolenceagainstwomenspinsonwithoutstopping.Animalsacrifice,hand-to-handcombat,andanendlessstringofbedroomtalkswrackedwithanxietyaboutthefutureallpopupmorethanonce,losingtheirpotencyeachtimethey’reusedtoheightentension. Theresultisaseriesmorecompetentthancompelling.Thetinydiversionsfromthenormseemthrillingbycomparison,butasidefromAchillesandOdysseus,mostoftheplayersinthestoryarefulfillingorders.Evenforashowhurtlingtoawell-knownendpoint,it’sfamiliarinitstelling.Thatmaybeacomforttosome,butforthoselookingforafreshmythicalspin,haveyourhorsesrideelsewhere. Grade:B- “Troy:FallofaCity”isavailabletostreamonNetflix. SignUp: StayontopofthelatestTVnews!SignupforourTVemailnewsletterhere. ThisArticleisrelatedto:TelevisionandtaggedNetflix,Troy:FallOfACity,TVReviews Loadingcomments... GetTheLatestIndieWireAlertsAndNewslettersDeliveredDirectlyToYourInbox Subscribe Podcasts ListentotheseIndieWirepodcasts. Oscars2022Fallout:AstheAcademyandProducersPlaytheBlameGame,BiggerQuestionsLoom OscarPredictions2022:ConsiderTheseQuestionsBeforeFillingOutYourOwnBallot HowtheFinalWeekofOscarCampaignsCouldDeterminetheWinners Craft InterviewswithleadingfilmandTVcreatorsabouttheirprocessandcraft. 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