Customer Reviews

Troy: Myth Or Reality?

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased this doccumentary to use as an introduction to The Odyssey in my High School English classes. It was a very good illustration of the art and the area in those times. The fact vs. reality aspect lent itself to some interesting discussions and activities, and overall it was an excellent addition to the classroom. You know it's a good show when the students talk about it and mull it over outside of class... and that is what happened with this DVD.

Several similar video pieces are used in my classroom to supplement the Trojan War taught in English 9, Latin 1, and Latin 3-4 Vergil. For example, we are able to take this DVD and show a clip of the Trojan horse and compare it to that scene in Bk 2 of Vergil's Aeneid. This DVD arrived in excellent condition on time.

Great question. This DVD has caused me to question what I regarded as fact. This DVD left such an impression I caught myself talking to others about it two days later. The story alone draws interest. The DVD causes you to remain interested long after viewing it.

I was excited to see this item as I am a Trojan war fan, and the majority of reviews were positive. The lone holdout for this item had an issue with the fact that Helen was called the daughter of the Spartan king (which she was) and also the wife of Spartan king Menelaus (which she was, as her 2 brothers had died and she was the heir, her sister Klytemnestra already being married to the Mycenae king Agamemnon). So I went ahead and purchased the items with a clear conscience. Several teachers touting this item as an introduction to The Iliad or The Odyssey?. Sign me up!

The information provided by the "Classical Historians" is spot-on, and I have seen several of these experts in other documentaries about the Trojan war. However, the narrative does have several glaring errors, which probably made those historians wince when they saw that they were part of this production. One is that they jumble up the story of Chryseis (not even mentioned) and Briseis, and then they declare that King Priam was murdered before his son, Prince Aeneas. Really? Then the narrative says that Apollo guided Paris' arrow to kill Achilles, and then that Apollo was on the side of the Greeks a few minutes later.

I did not loathe this item; there is a definite lack of material on this age, and there was new information provided that I had not learned from other articles (for instance, that archaeological digs had located a large lower town that could have swelled the town to Homeric proportions), but the omissions and errors were too much. It is a fair introduction to the period, but I fear that this information will just be ingested by the viewers and they will leave this piece having "learned" too much bad information.

Multiple levels of criticism. First, the talking heads are introduced with titles like "Classical Historian" -- as if that sweeping generalization means anything. Where do they work? What is their background and area of expertise? Second, one of these talking heads is Brian Blessed, described a "classical actor." Blessed is indeed a very good actor but what qualifications does he bring to the table to be able to summarily dismiss the Illiad's stated reason for the war (recover Helen) and substitute as a fact that it was really for money and other treasure? Third, the staggering superficiality of the presented "facts" - they state that there were four archeological expeditions to Hisarlik, but never actually says what they learned (other than that there was a city on the plain outside a small walled citadel the narrator summarily declares to have been Priam's palace). Fourth, the errors -- many many many. To cite just one example, at one point the narrator labels Helen as the daughter of the King of Sparta only to have Blessed state a few minutes later (correctly) that she was the wife of the Spartan king. Fifth, the fact that all it really does in the end is tell the story of the Illiad in a disjointed fashion by multiple narrators. And finally, the repeatitious use of the same visuals over and over and over and over and over and over and .....

Useless.

Excellent

This was very will don indeed It tells about the myth of Troy on How it mite have happen. Or did it Happen I'm very pleased with the DVD If you won't to know more about Legend about Troy then by this DVD and in-joy it

Cheers

James