In Search of the Trojan War

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Starring: Michael Wood
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Bill Lyons
Studio: BBC Warner
Release Date: 2004-04-27
Running Time: 345 minutes
Number of Items: 2
The tale of the Trojan War has fascinated and intrigued people for thousands of years. But is there any truth in Homer's epic poem? Charismatic historian Michael Wood brings to life the heroes and the romance of the Bronze Age in this award-winning archaeological detective story filmed in Greece, Turkey, Ireland and Berlin.

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I bought this documentary in hopes that it would intrigue my freshmen level English class and get them excited about reading The Iliad. Instead, this documentary bored them to tears. I was even having a difficult time staying awake. The interviews with different people were uninformed and they each said the same thing. The guy narrating it was so interested in hearing the sound of his own voice that it was difficult to remember why he was talking. The documentary was too long, uninformed and not worth the money.

manufacturing mystery where there is none
This is a BBC documentary that came out in 1985. It features British TV presenter Michael Wood tromping around Greece and Turkey attempting to unearth whatever factual roots may lie behind Homer's epic. It's long -- more than 3 hours.

I think this documentary is a loser for three reasons.

1. Forgive me, Michael, but it seems like the whole emphasis of this series was not so much in laying bare the historicity of the Trojan War, but on showcasing how romantic and adventurous YOU are. (Or were.) Was it really necessary for us to see you striding open-chested in a gale, poring over abstruse relics, climbing up craggy mountainsides, hobnobbing with Cambridge dons, mixing with the colorful locals, hopping about the European capitals, etc., etc.? Couldn't your chest-hairs and tight jeans have been a bit less obtrusive? Sheesh. We get it already: you're a sexy, well-educated, Indiana Jones-type. I'm surprised the DVD issue didn't come with bonus still shots of you in the buff!

2. I think the lion's share of the real work here had already been done by Schliemann, whose excavations in Asia Minor around 1870 largely revealed that, rather than having been wrought from whole cloth, Homer's war was evidently grounded on an actual siege - or at least battle - that occurred in about 1200 B.C.

Woods doesn't have much to add to his predecessors' work, yet he insists on elbowing in nonetheless, intent on saying something, anything. Thus the series sees him harassing one expert after another with a line of questioning that seems fruitless and even childish: "But WAS there an actual Helen? Did she ACTUALLY come from Mycenae? Is THIS her face? COULD a woman have caused a war? MIGHT she have worn this brooch? Did her mother REALLY do it with a duck? Etc.

Worse, Wood seems less than forthright about the fact that even if he were to miraculously stumble upon a primary source stating explicitly that the Trojan War had been caused by a prince of Ilium running off with a Mycenaean queen, that still doesn't mean it would be true. Ancient sources can get things wrong just as grossly as our modern media can.

And what whit of difference would it make one way or the other? Somebody please tell me that. It's as if Wood had been hired by Helen's family to settle a lawsuit or something. He does a very poor job of explaining how his "now really, seriously, really" line of inquiry is of general relevance, given the much more useful insights that could be made with this material anent the utility of archaeology, the hegemony of poetry, or birth of Western civilization, etc.

3. Most seriously, Wood's entire approach is outdated. You can see it in the computer models he uses. This entire thing needs to be re-done to incorporate new archaeological approaches that have been made possible by computers and DNA research. In the field of Trojan archaeology, there have arisen new methods, new revelations, and even new lines of theoretical emphasis that pass utterly without mention, even in the DVD's "bonus features," which are few.

This part isn't Wood's fault, of course, as he was using the best technology available at the time. Still, watching his clunky computer simulations only makes you hunger for a proper re-do.

A comprehensive let-down.

It is still relevant - a wonderful overview of the subject
I'm working on a Search Engine Optimization project for a new customer who sells reproduction 18K Gold jewelry from the ancient cultures of Anatolia, Greece and the Mediterranean basin. I found this DVD set when searching online for source material for a "Trojan War" category of her reproduction jewelry from Mycenaean Greece and the Hittite Empire of the period.

I've always suspected that many of history's myths and legends have their basis in fact, and Michael Wood makes a convincing case for the hard reality underlying the tales of Troy and the war to recapture the beautiful Helen. Watching the six hours of the production is easy to do, one segment leads effortlessly into the next.

Wood comes to the conclusion that Troy VI was probably the best candidate for the Troy of Homer...after watching this production I would say he's probably right. On the Internet many commentators make the argument that it "almost certainly" has to be Troy VIIa, but when you see the series and actually look at the evidence Michael Wood has so carefully assembled in months of filming, it would be difficult to come to any other conclusion, even today with the results of recent finds at Troy. Researchers going to Troy might want to watch this series before heading to Turkey, I think they'll find it very valuable.

I disagree with Wood in one area: he comes to the production assuming that the tales of Homer are but legends, and by careful examination of historical sites and the research available to him at the time, he arrives at a point that he becomes convinced that the fantastic stories of the Iliad are true, are historically tied to the Late Bronze Age, and have a basis in fact...save one. At the end of the production, he glosses over any discussion of the Trojan Horse and appears to dismiss this aspect of the tale as probably something that was left behind by the Greeks after they had penetrated Troy's walls, most likely a tribute to the god Poseidon for granting them victory.

Military ruses and tricks predate even Troy, and can be effective in any campaign. I'm of the opinion that if his assessment of the available research and science on Troy firms up Homer's tale, then the story of the Trojan Horse is probably just as Homer describes. After almost a decade of siege, it would have certainly been worth one last effort by the Greeks to gain entrance into Troy to win the battle, and at the low cost of only a few dozen Mycenaeans if the ruse failed.

Obviously something caused a sudden collapse in the Trojan's defense after successfully keeping the Greeks out for 10 hard years; a military trick like the hollow statue of the horse would be an effective explanation of the almost instantaneous failure of the Trojan's defense. I'm of the opinion that the Trojan Horse is not a myth, but a hard fact. Just because we can't see it, or touch it from our archaeologists' efforts, doesn't mean that it didn't exist.

If you are interested in the Trojan War, this DVD series is an excellent place to start with.

Love it!
The Trojan War is an historical fact...the Trojan Horse...I'm not sure about that but Michael Wood brings to life and validates Homer's account in the Illiad. A must-have for any Greek history buff! High quality DVD.

Great Historical Documentary - Terrific Story Telling
I watched this back in the 80s on Australian public television (SBS) and was immediately hooked on it. Missed a couple of the episodes and have since been trying (waiting) to get the whole set on VHS, DVD, whatever.

I bought the book (in lieu of the DVD) but found that quite heavy going (book contains a lot more detail). The DVD will actually help with the reading.

It was good to see that the material still holds up even after some 20 years since it aired. I found the follow-up interview with Michael Woods quite interesting as he reflects on his past effort. However, I was aghast when he mention the movie Troy (Pitt, Bana, et al)! Michael Woods, your documentary is kilometres better than that hollywood rip-off. It would be great to see a follow up documentary given there have been new and more recent site findings.

I thoroughly enjoyed this back in the 80s and am enjoying it again now. Even my children are showing interest in this (quite amazing in this age of PCs, Playstation, Xbox, Wii, etc.). This is a must have for those interested in Homer or ancient history. I have friends lining up to borrow this (DVD) and the book from me.

This is a great DVD set, terrific infotainment and good value for money. You will not be disappointed.