Tailkinker

22nd Jan 2010

Troy (2004)

Question: Why is it that when the Trojans invade the shores at daybreak to initiate the second battle, it is quite obvious that Brad Pitt was playing the role of Patroclus only until his throat was cut? First, you can see Pitt's face in Achilles' helmet in the close-up shots when he is about to start fighting with Hector. Second, you can see the significant change in Patroclus' physique before and after Hector cut his throat.

Ivan-sama

Chosen answer: Watching the scene carefully, I would say that Garrett Hedlund plays the character throughout. Hedlund does bear a notable resemblence to Pitt - he was undoubtedly cast as Patroclus for that reason, both because their characters are cousins and because of the requirement to successfully pull off the masquerade as Achilles during the scene - and thus could readily be mistaken for him, given that his face is rarely seen clearly throughout the scene. However, it's not unreasonable that they might have used Pitt in a couple of key shots, in order to preserve the illusion that this really is Achilles fighting, to bring the audience along in making the same mistake that the Greek army have. As for the physique, it can be seen in their introductory sword-fighting scene that Hedlund and Pitt have roughly similar builds - any perceived change in physique is most likely an illusion caused by the shift between standing in a fighting stance and lying limply on the ground.

Tailkinker

20th Jan 2010

Troy (2004)

Question: Where did Agamemnon get the horses for his chariot? Did he bring them with the ship? Because I can't imagine having a horse on a ship.

Ivan-sama

Chosen answer: Difficult as it might be to imagine, they did indeed transport the horses by ship. Historical evidence indicates that ships of the period could have specific modifications made to their decks in order to carry horses safely. As such, while Agamemnon would not have had them on board his personal ship that we see in the film, it's reasonable to assume that he had a modified "horse carrier" among his fleet.

Tailkinker

Answer: According to me, it's possible that they stole the horses from Trojans after the first battle on the beach, where only Hector left alive and took his own horse, whereas the other horses were held by Achilles' men.

24th May 2004

Troy (2004)

Question: Can anyone tell me what other things did Odysseus contribute during his time besides the Trojan Horse and ultimately the fall of Troy.

Answer: Odysseus was, in a way, responsible for the whole thing. He originally courted Helen, then, when Menelaus won her hand, Odysseus advised him to persuade all the other suitors to swear an oath to defend him against any slight to his marriage. It was this oath that gathered together the alliance that struck at Troy. According to the Iliad, Odysseus was one of the ambassadors sent into Troy to negotiate Helen's peaceful return. It was also he who persuaded Achilles to join the fight. He served in the war as one of the finest military commanders, known for his cunning strategies. Check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus.

Tailkinker

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