Helen of Troy

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Starring: Sienna Guillory
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: John Kent Harrison
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: 2003-08-12
Running Time: 175 minutes
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.

Would Have Been Much Better With a Pretty Helen
This was a dazzling and beautiful film despite being too long-winded in some spots. Much of the beginning of the film needed to be cut and the action came in short spurts. Things needed to be sped up but overall, it's still a nice film. The main problem for me was the woman who played Helen. She was not at all believable and I will tell you why.

Helen of Troy is supposed to be Zeus' daughter and the most beautiful woman in the world! Who picked this lanky, awkward and only semi-attractive lady to play this role? With all the beautiful actresses and models (who you could have trained for this) why on earth would the casting crew pick this woman to be Helen? I couldn't get into the film more because of her! This woman isn't beautiful at all. She's attractive, but not close to being able to wear the title of Most Beautiful Woman. Please! I know people down the street that are prettier than her! She wasn't even prettier than the women on the movie! That is what lost me. I managed to get through the film but I could not believe that this lady was supposed to be the "face that launched a thousand ships". Please! I couldn't and did not buy it. On top of that she couldn't even act and was way too old for the part! Helen was a child! This lady was obviously in her mid-thirties trying to play young. She was pathetic and very boring. She was the worst person that could have been picked to be Helen.I laughed everytime someone said she was beautiful. Also, didn't Helen have dark hair?

This casting catastrophe killed most of the movie for me. Newsflash to filmmakers, when a character is supposed to be so breathtakingly beautiful, make sure that the actress who plays her is! I could name millions of actresses who would have made a better Helen. This actress was a huge casting mistake and did not help this movie!

educational standpoint
As a high-school teacher for English foundations, I try my best to expose my students to the literature their peers in regular English classes receive. I must utilize movies as a visual aide supplement to help them connect with the characters, setting, dialogue... I strongly recommend using this dvd to support your curriculum to teach on all levels of student learning (auditory, kinesthetic, visual).

Better than "Troy" with Brad and Orli
This is the best telling of the story of the downfall of Troy that I have ever watched... including that blockbuster "Troy" which starred Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. It may not be as visually stunning as that high-budget version, but it does an amazing job telling a lot more of the legend. It starts out with Paris's birth and continues all the way through to the end of the war (though, thankfully most of the war years are breazed over in a few minutes). :)

This is a great two part mini series. When it aired on TV a few years ago, I taped it on my VCR and I have since then worn it out watching it over and over again, so I am extatic that this DVD is available.

I highly recommend it!

Great Deal!
Im glad.it was just was i been wishing for since a long time!!! the delivery was great and everthg cool! thanks

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.