Helen of Troy (2003)

I enjoyed this British made for TV movie. I heard from others who are more expert than me in history, that Homer's writing was not particularly respected. The actors were very good and their performance enjoyable. The one thing that i found striking, was Sienna Guillory. Her beauty is gamine, coltish, pure and innocent, and you can see how men would loose their heads over her with love or lust. After viewing a much bigger Hollywood production of the same story where the actress looked like a dolled up Hollywood trophy wife, it was very refreshing to see someone like Sienna Guillory in the title role. It just made sense.

Reasonably well-made, and quite an entertaining watch --- as long as you don't expect anything more from it! If you watch this movie for reasons other than for entertainment, chances are you'll be disappointed --- it has little to do with the "Iliad" and less to do with the history. It has numerous interpolations which are nowhere to be found in the mythology, but that is the privilege of the authors. With most of these I have no quarrels ---- they streamline the plot and give it a certain connectivity --- but I must protest at the idea that Agamemnon rapes Helen, which seems to me to be a particularly tasteless and unnecessary interpolation. Agamemnon has faults enough, but this is one act he has never ever been accused of. Besides, it is completely out of keeping with his character --- Agamemnon is, above all, an ambitious man, and ambitious men do not go to war over a woman, no matter how beautiful. Agamemnon wants Troy, so that he can control the whole Agaean, and that is why he goes to war; Helen is an excuse, a pretext. I was also disappointed with the characterization of the two great heroes, Achilles and Hector; the one comes across as a suicidal madman, the other as an arrogant wimp. However, the rest of the cast is quite acceptable, Cassandra is played very well, and Agamemnon superbly --- the film may be called "Helen of Troy", but Agamemnon is the real star of the show. Watch it when you have time, it's fun enough.

I love this movie/miniseries because of how beautifully accurate all the physical props and scenery are. It is incredibly accurate, especially when compared to the movie "Troy," which got a lot of it wrong. The armor, the buildings, the varied ethnicities of the extras... it's like my archaeology and art books have come to life on screen. Also, it's a nice summary of many myths from sources other than Homer, not just the Iliad. If you really want to get to know the Iliad, read it. In "Troy," the armor was not accurate, and neither were the women's costumes. There were plenty of anachronisms within the Greek attire, and it's frustrating for someone who studies this stuff. Also, they made the sets way too big, in an attempt to appear "epic" as they say in that DVD's extras. This movie, although sometimes cheesy and campy, at least is pretty much true to the age of Troy and Mycenae. It's a bit like watching a documentary for a student of Greek archaeology. Plus it really gives the viewer a taste of the rugged landscape of Greece. As a side note, as a natural blonde myself, I love that Helen is fair-haired (blondes were a commodity in ancient Greece. very rare to find one).

I wish they brought this in theaters because this was a LOT better than Troy with Bradd Pitt. "Helen of Troy" followed the real storyline and the war actually lasted 12 YEARS not 12 days. The actors were great and the talent of the actors really made you love them or hate them. Rufus did a great job playing Agammemnon. You watched and realized that he wasn't someone to mess with. They casted Achilles perfectly. In "Troy" Brad Pitt played Achilles but he was half good and half bad. In "Helen of Troy" they left him as the enemy and left it at that. I wish everyone saw this and I hope it comes out on DVD because this is the BETTER "troy" movie.