Starring: Sienna Guillory, Matthew Marsden, Rufus Sewell, John Rhys-Davies, Maryam d'Abo Directed By: John Kent Harrison Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Universal Studios Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: August 12, 2003 Running Time: 177 minutes Theatrical Release Date: April 20, 2003
Description: One of the most epic adventure stories of all time comes powerfully to life in this original four-hour epic-series. Filmed in exotic locales with an international cast and featuring state-of-the-art special effects, Helen of Troy depicts one of the greatest battles ever fought to win the love of the world's most beautiful woman. Though married to Menelaus, King of Sparta, Helen (Sienna Guillory) falls madly in love with Paris (Matthew Marsden) a handsome Trojan prince. Together, the lovers flee to Troy, where they are given safe haven by Paris' father, King Priam (John Rhys-Davies). Bent on bringing Helen back, the king's ruthless brother Agememnon (Rufus Sewell) leads the skilled Spartan army to the shores of the fabled city. There the Greeks lay siege to Troy, thus beginning one of history's most legendary wars which would ultimately decide the destinies of two empires.
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First part excellent, second part lacking. The first part of the party is beautiful, I think one gets a real sense of the story of Helen ( a very attractive) Sienna Guillory, a beautiful child bride, full of life and youthful passion, forced into marriage by an emotionally abusive father in a loveless marriage to King Menelaus of Sparta (James Callis), and the scene where she is paraded naked in front of Menelaus' cronies shows something of what she really was- a beautiful pawn of powerful and selfish, usually ruthless men, although Menelaus will later show to Helen the gentler more merciful side of his character. The prophecy of Cassandra (Emilia Fox) from the beginning is very powerful, Bettina Paris is also phenomenal in the beginning of the movie as the young Cassandra, and I cannot fault he elopement of Paris (Matthew Marsden) with Helen, indeed it is done in a powerfully romantic way. Agamemnon is portrayed perfectly by Rufus Sewell as the greedy, ruthless, scheming, power-hungry villain.
The portrayal of Helen and her fate is in my opinion faultless, but the story of the actual Trojan War is butchered beyond recognition. Achilles (Joe Montana) was not Agamemnon's mindless goon, and it actually quite ironic him killing Hector (Daniel Lapaine) as a tribute to Agamemnon. Achilles hated Agamemnon and had refused to fight for him, he killed Hector as revenge for Hector slaying in battle Achilles cousin Patroclus (not mentioned in this film). The entire characters of Achilles and Hector are completely warped, with Hector being reduced to a paltry minor entity. The movie is somewhat redeemed at the end by the slaying of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra (Katie Blake) at the end of the movie, in revenge for Agamemnon's sacrifice of their little daughter and his rape of Helen, as well as Menelaus' mercy and forgiveness of Helen. Like the Wolfgang Petersen 2004 version Troy, there are aspects that are both stunning and that take too many liberties. It is however a visual feast and has a good and compelling story flow.
Trojan Dream And what woman wouldn't dream to be the Helen of this Troy? This is the BEST of all the Troy movies out there. Superb! Every woman would take the leap she does in this movie. What a scene!
A complete abomination I'm not going to waste time specifying the reasons why all extant copies of this movie should be thrown into a gigantic crater and covered over with cement. Suffice it to say that "Helen of Troy" is garbage. In the casting, the special effects, the acting, the script, the lack of dramatic tension, the perversion of the original story, this movie was in every imaginable way a failure. Do not- I repeat- do NOT expend your money or precious moments watching this movie. Read the Iliad- the definitive Trojan War movie has not yet been made.
Entertaining Re-Telling Ronni Kern's 2003 re-write of Homer's epic "Iliad" is interesting and entertaining. Sienna Guilloy, in the title role, plays "Helen of Troy" very much like modern Americans want to see the ancient beauty queen... with compassion, concern, gallant heroism, and decorum. Helen's is an ancient love story retold here in a little over three hours. (The wretched length of this movie, with two DVDs!, keeps it from earning the fifth star.)
John Rhys-Davies and Maryam D'abo give great, if too brief, performances as Troy's King and Queen. Rufus Sewell is brilliant, and frightening, as the murderous Agamemnon. And one wants to stand and cheer with the demise of Joe Montana's Achilles at the hands of Matthew Marsden's Paris (both exceptional portrayals!).
The best parts of this flick are the beautiful out door settings and battle scenes. Dramatic rocky cliffs over blue oceans present the impressions of the ancient Aegean. One feels apart of the Grecian landscape with this movie.
In battle, the Greeks would have certainly jumped from their ships into the surf to charge ashore. The Trojans would have definitely rained down clouds of arrows upon their attackers. The fighting choreographies here are brilliant and instructive. The clash of these titans and the melee that follows reflect, from a distance of 4000 year ago, what probably happened. The Trojan Horse is also very imaginative and convincing (the Greeks would have built it from available materials, as this horse depicts).
Purists will correctly say that this screenplay does not present Homer accurately. But this film never makes that claim- its basic idea is not attributed to the Greek poet. This film is, rather, for 21st century amusement with an ancient novelistic flavor. It's worth the viewing.
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