It was decided that both the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” were to be presented on stage. I had no hand in doing the scripts, but I was tapped to play “Achilles”. I remember not welcoming that idea much since I have wanted to become “Hector”. The noble hero, the hero with the heart. And most of all, the character with the most speaking parts. Achilles never said much on the script!
He was arrogant that although he was a great warrior, he never had as much fight scenes as Hector! I have wanted to take center stage with more speaking parts and fight scenes! And I didn’t want to be the bad guy on stage for once. Oh but well, they wouldn’t hear any of that.
I played “Achilles” ---and grew to love him anyway as the rehearsals dragged on. I loved the part so much that I even won recognition for it. I remember feeling bad that he had to die a most unceremonious death though. A strike through the heel. I have always wanted to change that part, but Homer was the writer. I was only the actor. I got frustrated regardless of how many times I read the script.
I have done a lot of stage plays before, but the Iliad was the one I loved best. It was where I got to internalize my part well. For two hours of my life, I was “Achilles”. I was my fifth grade hero.
So yesterday, as I watched “Troy”, I couldn’t help but sense a bit of nostalgia. I was surprised to find that the emotions the story conjured from me then were the very same things it conjured from me now. What pleased me all the more was that the movie remained pretty loyal to the dialogues. It was the first time I saw the film, but already, I could move my mouth in unison with some of the characters. “There is no pact between men and wolves. Nor between you and me.”, my favorite Achilles line. In the movie though, it was "There is no pact between lions and men.". I remember Agamemnon's line from Iliad well enough to know that this is nearly verbatim, “Hector fights for his country, Achilles fights for himself!”
And yes, I also realized that the scriptwriter was not just trying to sabotage my acting career, Hector did have more speaking parts than Achilles. The stunts and fight scenes were good too. Inspired by oriental moves. They were somehow reminiscent of mortal combat. Brad Pitt was simply superb with the shield.
But what really made the movie great is Brad Pitt’s butt! Damn, never knew he had such sexy buns. And that chiseled torso and strong arms! Whew! ‘Twas too damn hot in the theater, I tell you! Baduy, but I do have a tremendous crush on him right now. Gawd, I swoon! I melt. I am stupefied. Shyet! I couldn’t have played a better Achilles but I just know I’d make a great Breseis opposite Brad Pitt! Gawd! Hahaha! And yeah, I still love Achilles, much more now that I have a concrete image in my head. More like fantasy actually.
