Helen of Troy [DVD] [1956]

Forget all the knockers. This is just about the best of the Hollywood "epics" and a great film by any standards. I saw this film the last time when I was 11 when it came out in England in 1957. (It was the start of a love affair with Brigitte Bardot which I never got over.) Right there I knew it was a great film and viewing it again has confirmed I was not wrong.Part of the appeal must be due to it being by Warner Bros. This ensures it has pace right from the beginning as Warners would never stand for the turgidity to which the genre is so often prone. It was Warner's sole venture into this territory and according to the add-in's they liked to compare it (with some justification) with their earlier pioneering of sound in movies. It was only the second of the Cinemascope era epics (after The Robe) and so for one thing was able to grab the best ancient story that was going.Max Steiner was Warner's composer (surely the greatest film composer) and he was on board for this film. The music may not have the memorable melodies of GWTW or Now Voyager but Steiner's rapidly shifting, stirring power and weird, squeaky orchestration is all there. This can be relished in full during a rare nostalgic treat that nicely dates the film -a seven minute Overture. This is thankfully included in full on the DVD but this brings me to my one complaint about this issue. The final credits have been chopped. This is a crime as we are surely being denied more fantastic orchestration by Steiner. What a let down when The End means the end. Don't the makers know that some of us never miss a second on ANY final credit sequence, but with Max Steiner in full flow. Really! Too much!Part of the appeal is also down to the date of the film. The fifties was a golden era in many ways. Designers then still understood the meaning of "classic" and that goes through everything in the look of the film. The colour systems of Warnercolor and Eastmancolor unaccountably got lost in the sixties but here the former can be appreciated in all its sumptuousness. (The garishness of early Technicolor tends to make us overlook the beauty of the alternative early systems.) The fifties, of course, was also high point of bra technology which admirably adorns the leading lady. (A less welcome period anachronism is her vaccination scars.)The studio is to be congratulated for eschewing big Hollywood stars particularly going with Rosanna Podesta, a decision that must have put out a few egos at home. Once you have seen this film she will forever be YOUR Helen to which all others are mere flibbertigibbets. And we are comfortable in this context with the thespian English of Stanley Baker, Harry Andrews and others. The nasal Brooklyn of a Victor Mature is mercifully absent.Now, a BIG point. I doubt that I am the only one who is through with computerized special effects. Mildly intrigued when they came along, just can't look at them any more. They have exactly the same effect as silicon implants, that is to say, the thing they are trying to enhance looses all its interest. Well, you are safe enough in a film from 1956 on either count. Yes, that army of thousands is real guys out there. OK, a lot of the boats are models, but it is seamlessly and artfully put together.A great part of the pleasure of the film is certainly the aesthetic, for in costumes, buildings, hairstyles (especially Helen's), beards, weaponry, chariots and boats it is beautiful, convincing and inventive in every detail. (For an example, just look at Paris's hat when he is disguised as a merchant.) A slight niggle is that the architecture of Troy is too closely based on Sir Arthur Evans' reconstructions of ancient Minoa - a good reference point to be sure but the designers might have done a bit more with it.Warner's "Helen of Troy" deserves to be better known and appreciated. It comfortably surpasses the 2004 "remake", "Troy", in every aspect. Rosanna Podesta's ravishing first appearance emerging from the water onto the beach preceded the copy by Ursula Andress in Dr No by five years. I know which I rate higher - the one that no one knows about.Finally, director, Robert Wise, is a figure of such stature that often people tend not to notice him. Maybe, The Sound of Music, is held against him, but really he was just doing his job and doing it superbly well as always. In his films, every scene works - and works completely. That is why you can view them over and over again. . That is why this DVD is such a bargain.

Long, long time ago, when I was still a child, I watched this film with my eyes wide-open and I simply adored it! It encouraged me to read the "Iliad" rather early in my life and therefore this film certainly had an influence on my destiny.Made in 1956 this is an old film and it certainly aged, but after watching it recently I still enjoyed it and it is definitely BETTER than the disastrous "Troy" with Brad Pitt. Many of the more spectacular moments still make considerable impression, as the scene of the first assault against walls of Troy, the entry of Trojan horse to the city or the festivities in Troy following the retreat of Greek armies.This being a Hollywood retelling of Iliad, the story is of course greatly changed, but at least the war still lasts 10 years (unlike in "Troy"). Paris (Jacques Sernas) is here shown in a light much more favourable than in the original text and both Menelaus (Niall MacGinnis) and Agamemnon (Robert Douglas) are much more despicable. Helen is played by the Italian sex-bomb Rossana Podesta and she is indeed a very pleasant sight, even if she is not exactly a very good actress. Other characters are shown very well: Achilles (Stanley Baker) is a snotty capricious primadonna, Hector (Harry Andrews) is a very noble prince, Odysseus (Torin Thatcher) is a weasely but rather charismatic scoundrel, Ajax (Maxwell Reed) is basically an ape and Cassandra (Janette Scott) is a particularly tragic character, so desperate that borderline insane. A very pleasant thing is the appearance of very young Brigitte Bardot as Andraste, Helen's slave and confidante.The one really disappointing thing in this film is the duel of Achilles and Hector, as it is very short and anti-climactic. On another hand, the final fate of Troy is a very strong scene, although we are at least spared the killing of little Astyanax, Hector's son (but not what happened to Cassandra...).In conclusion, I think that this film still deserves four stars, even if it was made in a different world and it aged a lot. As I said above, this film was one of my important viewings when I was a little boy. Also, I watched it recently with my 11 years old daughter (there is no foul language in it and no graphic violence) and she was fascinated - she asked me a lot of questions about Trojan War and then looked for more on internet. And that in itself justifies the buying of this film and the little shelf space which I gave to it. Enjoy!

It was better than expected, not least of all because it fills the TV screen, well it did on my 50", without those annoying black bars top and bottom.The actors and actresses seem to have a whale of a time and over act like mad on occasions, however it's always enjoyable. Plays about with history somewhat but nothing like as bad as I imagined. I think Stanley Baker took a better part as Achilles than Brad Pitt, more true to Homer's version I thought. Some of the casting was interesting though nothing really grated. An enjoyable romp through history I thought but probably not for anyone younger than about 8.

Short and to the point. Lovely film, but advertised as having subtitles, and the copy I was sent...Did not!!! But if that doesn't matter to you, you could do worse than this Dvd. Good quality and picture.

After a Holiday break in Spain, where we attended a re-enactment of the Romans taking on the Cartheanians (not sure on the spelling) I suddenly had a flashback to my youth when Rosanna Podesta marched across Troy sorting out those that needed sorting.I was surprised I was able to still obtain the Film and enjoyed it immensely.Still worth a watch and able to understand every word that was spoken.

Helen of Troy is one of my favourite epic films.I am a fan of epic films.This version is widescreen and with enhaced sound effects.

An underated epic that deserves a Blu Ray release

was ok but seller was excellant