Visible crew/equipment: As Achilles' ship nears the Trojan shores, Agamemnon snidely asks, "What's the fool doing? He's going to take the beach of Troy with fifty men?" At the start of the next shot, as the camera begins to pan down, on the far right, just beside a person's (who is dressed in blue) head is a metal bullhorn (ie. used to give instructions to cast/crew, and which definitely doesn't belong in this time period). (00:36:35)
Visible crew/equipment: As the Trojans let loose their arrows on the Myrmidons, there is a close-up of a fiery arrow in a man's thigh. Two shots later, in a close-up of a Myrmidon stuntguy when he slams onto the sand, he clutches in his right hand a wired remote with a white trigger button, presumably to set off the little dramatic sand explosions as he lands. (00:39:50)
Visible crew/equipment: As the 'Trojan' horse is being pulled into the city of Troy, in the cable-cam shot, just after the camera passes over the last of the riders on horseback, it passes a wood structure on the left, beside the large columns. Inside is a man in a black tee shirt, standing beside another man who holds an HT (handie-talkie - a two-way radio) up to his mouth with his right hand, as he points with his left hand. Then when the cable-cam spins around, they and a white tee shirt guy are visible down below. As a side note, there are some in the crowd that make eye contact with the camera and follow it as it passes (the cable-cam is not the POV of anyone - it sails over people's heads in the opposite direction than the 'Trojan' horse is being brought). Before it nears the wood structure, a woman on the ground below raises both her arms to wave and smile directly at the camera as it passes over. (02:17:10)
Visible crew/equipment: After Achilles, Odysseus and the rest exit the 'Trojan' horse, Odysseus signals the soldier at the top of the city's wall. When this soldier waves the torch in the wide shot, crane equipment leans over the interior wall, above the huge doors. It is obviously gone in the next wide shot of the wall, as the soldier continues to wave the torch. (Only visible on widescreen version.) (02:19:50)
Visible crew/equipment: After the Trojans let loose their arrows on the Myrmidons who have just reached their shores, there is a close-up of a Myrmidon stuntguy as he slams onto the sand, beside the ship. At the start of this shot a crew member (who is stooping) is visible on deck, at the bow of the ship. (Use slo-mo if necessary.) (00:39:50)
Visible crew/equipment: When Achilles and the Myrmidons are being hit with the Trojan's fiery arrows on the beach, there is a close-up of Achilles falling onto his knees on the sand. Three shots later, there is a particularly enjoyable close-up of a Myrmidon extra being hit by a fiery arrow in the chest, as his helmet with the long curly black wig falls off his head, to reveal his short light brown hair underneath. (00:40:15)
Visible crew/equipment: After Paris says goodbye to Helen, Odysseus leads the Greek soldiers up the stairs. As Odysseus reaches the second set of stairs, he swings his sword at a Trojan in the close-up, to his left a soldier swings a bulb shaped weapon on a Trojan's head and blood flies out, but before he makes that swing the large 'blood sac' attached to the weapon is actually visible. (02:24:50)
Visible crew/equipment: As Hector and Achilles duel, Achilles slices Hector's spear with his shield. Two shots later, just as Hector throws the remaining spear to the ground, the large distinctive shadow of equipment, which leans or stands beside the wall, is visible on the gate behind Hector. (01:59:15)
Visible crew/equipment: While Hector and Achilles duel, there is a wide shot just before Hector breaks Achilles' spear. At the start of this shot, as Achilles begins to thrust the spear towards Hector, an equipment shadow (an upside down V) is visible on the ground behind Hector's feet. (The equipment that casts this shadow is seen on DVD 2, it glides above the camera on a suspended wire.) (01:59:20)
Visible crew/equipment: In Sparta, when Paris enters Helen's room he stands behind her, as she sits in front of a stone wall and they are alone. When he puts his hands on her shoulders and then pulls her hair back, the reflections of crew members are visible in the circular medallions of his upper arms' armor, first on his right then on his left (use slo-mo if necessary). As a matter of fact, there are other instances throughout the film that set lights, etc., are reflected on the men's armor. (00:11:55)
Visible crew/equipment: When the horse gallops down the corridor in the first shot, just after Achilles shouts for Briseis, equipment with a green light on top is visible, as it rolls in and out of shot on the left side of the screen, in front of the horse. (02:23:20)
Visible crew/equipment: While Troy burns, after Paris says goodbye to Helen, Odysseus runs up the stairs toward the palace gate. When he and the Greeks reach the second set of stairs, at the very start of the shot equipment is visible at the bottom stair (use slo-motion if necessary). (02:24:55)
Visible crew/equipment: When Hector is on his knees, at the start of the first shot as Achilles leans forward to plunge the sword into Hector, there are shadows on Achilles' skirt, knee, etc., that are not caused by either Achilles or Hector, but are obviously cast by crew and equipment. (02:01:30)
Visible crew/equipment: When the Greeks start to burn Troy, at one point in a close-up a pretty Trojan stuntwoman falls from a landing to the ground and her knee pads are visible as she falls. (01:21:15)
Visible crew/equipment: When Achilles mounts his horse, the boy hands him his helmet and then his shield. After he says, "The Thessalonian you're fighting..." at the start of the close-up when the boy has his hands up as he gives him the shield, the grey mic is visible right under the neckline of his outfit. (00:06:25)
Visible crew/equipment: In the shot of Hector as he lies dying, there are shadows on his chest plate that are not his own, nor do they belong to Achilles - must be the camera. (02:01:35)
Visible crew/equipment: Having just killed Boagrius, Achilles walks toward the Thessalian soldiers as his name is being shouted by the Greeks behind him. In this wide shot facing the soldiers, there is a center mark evenly spaced between two precisely positioned diagonal marks on the ground, in front of the soldiers. Achilles first walks toward the right mark to shout the question, two shots later he walks to the left mark to shout again and two shots later Triopas walks to the right mark and holds out his scepter at the center mark. (Visible on VHS.) (00:08:30)
Visible crew/equipment: Paris releases the first arrow, after the Greeks break through the palace gate, and when the Greek soldier turns around, a piece of equipment is visible on the floor, as the Trojans move forward in this shot, (similar to the equipment at the stairs in the earlier shot). (02:25:35)
Answer: They didn't know the Greeks weren't bringing cavalry. The Greeks did use them and sometimes brought them by sea. It was there to stop a cavalry charge and to break up fighting formations.
LorgSkyegon