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Helen of Troy Movie Analysis

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Helen of Troy Movie Analysis
Title of the Movie: Helen of Troy

Directed By: John Kent Harrison

Produced By: Ted Kurdyla
Written By: Ronni Kern
Starring:
Sienna Guillory as Helen
Matthew Marsden as Paris
John Rhys-Davies as King Priam of Troy
Emilia Fox as Cassandra, Princess of Troy
Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon
Stellan Skarsgård as Theseus
Joe Montana as Achilles
Katie Blake as Clytemnestra
Craig Kelly as Pollux
Manuel Cauchi as Paris’ Father
Kristina Paris as Iphigenia

Music By: Joel Goldsmith
Cinematography: Edward J. Pai

Editing By: Michael D. Ornstein

Distributed By: Universal Home Entertainment

Release Date: April 20, 2003

Running Time: 177 minutes

Country: Canada

Language: English

Movie Classification: Miniseries

Prologue:

Helen of Troy is a 2003 television miniseries based upon Homer's story of the Trojan War, as recounted in the epic poem, Iliad. This TV miniseries also shares the name with a 1956 movie starring Stanley Baker. It stars Sienna Guillory as Helen, Matthew Marsden as Paris, Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon, James Callis as Menelaus, John Rhys-Davies as Priam, Mary am d'Abo as Hecuba, and Stellan Skarsgård as Theseus. The series was entirely shot on location in the islands of Malta.

The film is placed in the early classical period rather than the correct late Bronze Age; the Greeks are shown with Iron Age classical hoplite dress and arms. Made on a relatively low budget, Helen of Troy was released at a time when interest in the subject was high due to the soon-to-be-released Troy.

The film also focuses more on the life of Helen herself rather than simply the Trojan War. The entire first half deals with Helen's life before Troy, and includes a number of mythological facts that other versions either gloss over or omit, such as Helen's abduction by Theseus and the actual agreement of the Greek kings to use her marriage as their peace agreement.

In contrast to Troy (which was roughly based on the Iliad which itself only depicts some of the events of the final year of
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