Visitors Review

lwalsh (2012-05-25 19:47)

Good action sequences highlight an acceptable take on Homer

CinemaScope was first seen by many directors as getting rid of the needforcertain kinds of editing, since it allowed so much more of the action tobeseen at once. Robert Wise ("Odds Against Tomorrow," "Star Trek: The MotionPicture", etc.) decided otherwise, and became perhaps the first directortoedit a CinemaScope picture as if it were a regular Academy Ratio film. Theresults, primitive though they are by modern Steadicam and CGI standards,are more fluid than many early wide-screen epics, and, more importantly,remain quite enjoyable.The screenplay is nothing to write about. Leads Rossana Podesta (Helen)andJack Sernas (Paris) are never less than adequate, but their passion islessthan convincingly written, and the result leaves something of a hole atthefilm's dramatic center. Cedric Hardwicke is appropriately dignified asPriam, Niall MacGinnis a standout as Menelaus, and there are good bitsfromother actors, but the most impressive parts of the film are concerned withthe spectacle of the assaults on Troy.Wise lets out all the stops for the battles, which achieve a genuinepower,despite being rather tame by modern standards (though watch for a fewsurprising parallels with some of the assault on Minas Tirith in "Returnofthe King"). The matte and process work isn't perfect, but neither is itdistracting enough to derail the flow of the action. The Trojan repulseofthe Greeks develops a frenetic pace which is still exciting, and theTrojanrevelries following the victory, though rather chaste by comparison withmore recent on-screen orgies, are a highly effective foil to thesubsequentsilent Greek exit from the horse, and the ensuing destruction of Troy istinged with at least a touch of Homeric tragedy. Throughout the mainactionsequences, Wise's direction is immeasurably aided by Max Steiner's music,which is positively operatic at times.Anyone expecting fidelity to Homer had better look elsewhere than abig-budget Hollywood spectacle (the famous horse, for example, comes fromVirgil, not Homer). Those wanting a generally well made adaptation withsome good performances and at least a half hour's worth of excitingbattlescould do far worse than looking here. Robert Wise's films are never lessthan interesting, and here as always he demonstrates his ability to keeptheaudience's interest alive, even after almost fifty further years of swordand sandal epics.

(2012-05-25 10:22)

Pomp and circumstance

This review is from: Helen of Troy (DVD) Warner Bros.' Cinemascope rendition of the events of the Trojan War has been pretty much forgotten now, thanks in large part to its cast of mostly unknowns: though Sir Cedric Hardwicke is here (inevitably), the rest of the cast was pretty unknown to movie audiences then as it still is today. The Italian actress Rossana Podestá is Helen, and the French actor Jack (Jacques) Sernas is her lover Paris, who somehow is turned into the movie's hero. Both Podestá and Sernas were probably chosen for the extreme beauty of their chests, but they're both exceptionally likeable in their roles. There are a lot of British stage actors in the other familiar parts: Stanley Baker is Achilles, Robert Douglas is Agamemnon, Niall MacGinnis is Menelaus, and Nora Swinburne is Hecuba. (The latter's particularly exquisite enunciation affords many of the film's unintentional comic highlights.)It all could have been fairly disastrous, and the familiar events of legend are collapsed as much as possible so as all to be fitted into two hours. But it helps immensely that Robert Wise is the director and keeps things moving at a fair clip, and that the studio went pretty much all out on the sets and extras. Troy is made to look much like the reconstruction of the Palace at Knossos in Crete, with tapered red columns and bull-horn decorations (the latter more appropriate to the palace of King Minos than that of Priam, but what the heck). It's all every bit as silly as TROY, the 2004 telling of the same basic story, but this version is much more compulsively watchable.

(2012-05-24 12:12)

Ordered as a gift, did not view

This review is from: Helen of Troy (DVD) Received the DVD very promptly but did not view, as it was a gift to a friend

pgeo2286 (2012-05-24 00:16)

Doesn't do the Illiad justice

No movie does the Illiad justice, and this one is included. I'm silly forhoping that Troy will do this, but I know it won't either. Despite mydisappointment with the movie, it is quite entertaining and doesn't do badforan epic movie. But as a Greek scholar, it upsets me that no movie has everbeen created that really depicts what the Illiad is all about- the wrathofAchilles. Oh well, thats up to me I guess.This movie gets:B-or 5 stars on this websites scaleIs it on DVD?

Melvin M. Carter (2012-05-22 16:58)

As suggested by Homer

An adequate attempt at portraying Homer's Iliad which suffers frommiscast leads and a biased viewpoint. Ms. Podesta and Monsieur Sernasas the instigators of the ensuing carnage don't give off themelodramatic lust of doomed lovers,while some of the other actors lookas if holding their weapons and armor for any length of time would havebeen a strain. Torin Thatcher is a good cynical Ulyssees,but isovershadowed by Kirk Douglas and Armand Assante portrayal of the toughand wily king of Ithaca. Robert Douglas does capture Agamemnon though aproud,ambitious overlord with over arching delusions of his ownimportance while Stanley Baker though not physically my image ofAchilles the greatest warrior of that far off age,does bring out hiseasily stung sense of honor and his bloodthirstiness. Also in scenethere is a hint of a "relationship" between he and Patroclus that hascaused gossip since Virgil's day. Only Menelaus in this film isportrayed as a complete chump The intervention of Aphrodite/Venus intohis his marriage and the fact that in Homer, though not as skilled andrenowned a warrior as Achilles, Ajax,Ulysses and others on the Greekside he is brave and noble unlike the weasel Paris in the story who isconstantly berated by family and Helen for his less than stellarparticipation in the war. The first assault on the walls of Troy, theduel between an enraged Achilles and a in over his head Hector, and thesacking of the city are the highlights of this Wise effort. If onlySteve Reeves and Sophia Loren had been available.

Jonathan Farrugia (2012-05-22 08:01)

Classic Greek Saga given Hollywood treatment

The first thing I read about this movie was that it was terrible and thatthe first lady even though very gifted as far as bust is concerned was anightmare when it comes to acting. However when I saw this film I had todisagree with those critics who tried to ruin a good movie. Even though thesets are nothing to those of "Ben-Hur", "Cleopatra" and other screen giantsthe sets of Cinecitta are stupendous. The colour is magnificent and theacting is quite good. It is true that the part of the heroine could haveportrayed some more fragility, still Ms. Podesta' was quite satisfying. Thecinematography is very good and the story never lingers. It isaction-packed and is bound to marvel anyone who likes thisgenre.

Poseidon-3 (2012-05-22 07:38)

Attractive coating on the outside, but the filling isn't tremendous.

Noted (and versatile) director Wise amassed a considerable team ofbehind the scenes personnel and an impressive array of actors for thislarge-scale epic rendition of the legendary story of the titlecharacter. Unfortunately, the production suffers somewhat from thecasting of the leads, primarily stemming from the fact that neither onewas able to use his or her own voice. Sernas plays a prince of Troy whojourneys to Sparta to attempt to establish peace between them and hisown people. Shipwrecked before he can even get there, he is greeted onthe shore by Podesta, to him the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.After recovering from his close call, he heads to the palace to speakto king MacGinnis and is sorely mistreated and disbelieved. He thendiscovers that his object of affection is, in actuality, MacGinnis'queen! Circumstances lead him to spirit her back to Troy where she isskeptically received by his unhappy family. MacGinnis pulls together amassive army of men from various Greek states and proceeds to attackTroy. When things look almost impossible, one of his men oversees theconstruction of the famed Trojan Horse, which makes things look awfullybleak for Sernas and Podesta who are, by now, deeply in love. Podestais curvaceous and attractive, but not necessarily what one might expectas the woman whose face launched a 1000 ships. Having learned her linesphonetically just to get through the shoot, she was then dubbed by anAmerican actress. This, along with the fact that her platinum wigsdon't really compliment her dark coloring, prevents her from reallyregistering very heavily in the role. Sernas (who is caressed by thecamera almost every bit as much as Podesta is, frequently shirtless) islikewise dubbed and, though he gives it a good shot, winds up not beingable to craft a character that audiences could really care a great dealabout. (Some of this stems from the fact that the character reallywasn't written as heroic or particularly likable in the original Homerstory to begin with!) Fortunately, a host of fine character actors ison hand to help out. Hardwicke plays Sernas' father, Swinburne is hismother, Andrews is his brother and a nearly unrecognizable Scott is hissoothsaying sister. MacGinnis is strong in his part and is ably matchedby Thatcher, Baker and Douglas as his associates. Reed appears brieflyas the hulking Ajax, who takes on Sernas in a fairly savage grudgematch. Also popping up to good effect is an ebullient Bardot in anearly role as one of Podesta's servants. She, too, is dubbed by anEnglish-speaking actress. There is a lot going for the film, includinga splendid Max Steiner score, a vast collection of extras, impressivesets and moments of genuinely good drama. On the flip side, thecostumes often lean towards the pedestrian, the script lacks zest andsome of the model work is a tad poor. This film includes references tothe Greek Gods, but eliminates them as actual characters and does notattribute any of their own actions to them directly. Rather, thingstake place as if they are occurring without the interference or directinfluence or aid of the deities. Though it's certainly not blatant,there is the opportunity to read Baker and his chief aid Longdon'srelationship as more than platonic. Fans of epic films ought toappreciate the pageantry and scope of it, but may find themselveswishing for a little more meat in the story and, perhaps, moresignificant acting from the leads.

(2012-05-21 21:01)

Saga Of The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships

The Robert Wise 1956 production of "Helen of Troy", despite its many great qualities in regard to production and historical recreation could never be accused of following religiously its main literary source in Homer's Iliad. That said, by no means could it be said to detract from it still being a top flight entry in the 1950's cycle of big screen epics based around historical events. Being a passionate reader of all things to do with ancient Troy I still find this film, despite its many critics, to be first class entertainment and a wonderful introduction to both the period of the Trojan wars and especially to the great historical romance between Paris, Prince of Troy and Queen Helen of Sparta, the face that launched a thousand ships. "Helen of Troy", is a epic movie lovers delight and combines all the right elements in breathtaking on location photography, vivid colour, great set pieces and with enough battles, romance and intrigue to hold the interest. Warner Bros Studios planned "Helen of Troy", as one of their biggest releases for 1956 and continuing their battle against the encroaching power of television spent a staggering 6 million dollars on the film which shows in every frame of this truly epic production. Highly romanticised it may be in parts but it still does make a serious attempt to show both sides in the famous Trojan war and what really motivated some of the involved parties to go to war. With such a gigantic tale as the fall of the legendary city of Troy to relate the film makers essentially had to simplify the story but the overall facts as most people know them are kept largely intact. The action begins with the handsome young Prince of Troy Paris, (Jacques "Jack" Sernas), travelling to Sparta to offer a treaty of peace with the main Greek states headed by king Menelaus ( Niall MacGinnis), and his brother Agamemnon (Robert Douglas). However on the journey his boat is wrecked in a storm and when he is washed ashore he is nursed back to health by an unknown young girl who in fact is Helen , Queen of Sparta (Rossana Podesta). At the Spartan Court Paris is amazed to be introduced to his earlier nurse who is the Queen and the pair promptly fall in love. However they come into conflict with Menelaus and when Paris is forced to flee for his life he impulsively takes Helen with him and returns to a disapproving Trojan court headed by his father King Priam (Cedric Hardwicke). Helen's abduction is an open declaration of war, but the Greek Kings joining forces to march against Troy have their own selfish motives for doing so and are largely driven by the chance to share in Troy's rich treasures. Combining with Odysseus (Torin Thatcher) and the legendary Achilles (Stanley Baker), the Greek fleet sails and lays seige to Troy. The assaults on the city are firstly repulsed however as the years of siege wear the people of Troy start to demand that Helen leave with the invaders so that they can return to their earlier prosperous life. After an abortive attempt by Helen to offer herself back to the Greeks and an unsuccessful fight to the death between Achilles and Paris' brother Hector (Harry Andrews) the Greeks hatch a scheme to fool the Trojans into believing that they have retreated . Constructing a huge hollow wooden horse and leaving it on the plain in front of Troy after they withdraw their ships the unsuspecting Trojans drag it into the city unaware that it is full of Greek soldiers who under cover of darkness climb out and open the city gates to the returning Greek army. The sack of Troy then occurs causing tragedy for the city and young lovers Paris and Helen. Helen is taken back to Sparta but the great love she has for Paris endures even after his death. Obviously dealing with one of the greatest romances of the ancient world a film like "Helen of Troy", will undoubtedly have a high romantic content never once however does that detract from the overall action of the piece. The cast for this film contains some of the acting giants of British cinema in Sir Cedric Hardwicke excellent as King Priam, Nora Swinburne as the loving Queen Hecuba, Stanley Baker as the arrogant strong man Achilles who has only one minor weakness and especially Torin Thatcher as the wily Odysseus who is responsible for the idea of building the wooden horse which proves to be Troy's undoing. The two lead roles are played by unknowns at the time in Italian actress Rossana Podesta as Helen and french actor Jacques Sernas as Paris. Both of these young performers with their blonde good looks certainly fit the part of the young lovers however the dubbing of their voices does at times create a bit of a jarring effect. Even after the release of the recent blockbuster "Troy", Rossana Podesta and Jacques Sernas still for me are the immediate visual images that come to mind when Paris and Helen are mentioned. Production values on this epic are first rate and the recreation of the city of Troy with its Minoan style architecture and high defensive walls is one of the greatest set pieces constructed for an epic film during the 1950's. The battle sequences involving hundreds of extras and the actual sack of Troy done with no computer assistance are also first rate and the historical costumes created by Roger Furse for both the lead actors and the general military scenes are the result of a huge amount of historical research into clothing of that time. The superb production values of "Helen of Troy", are topped off with a sublime musical score courtesy of Max Steiner which I feel is one of his best for this type of film and lingers in your mind long after viewing the film.Being an epic film lover from way back "Helen of Troy", is fairly high on my list of big budget efforts (for those times of course), that still entertain nearly 50 years after they were produced. While not totally adhering to its source material in the Iliad I view it now as an exciting action adventure romance filled with visually stunning set pieces and played with an appealing earnest quality by all that was typical of this era of filmmaking. "Helen of Troy", is old style movie making from the closing days of Hollywood's golden age and still makes memorable viewing for movie buffs and action adventure lovers alike. Enjoy.

dbdumonteil (2012-05-21 05:25)

Tribute to a bad girl

This is an impersonal movie,coming from someone as talented as RobertWise ,who seems less comfortable in the sword and sandal genre than heis in the musicals ("West Side Story" ),the fantasy and horror movies("The haunting" 1963!)or mainly the film noir ("odd against tomorrow""I want To live" "the set up").He is not helped by an heterogeneouscast including Italian Rossana Podesta (Wise found her in Fernandez's"La Red"(1954) in which she played half-naked most of the time:so thepart was tailor made for her),French Jacques Sernas (and a brunetteBrigitte Bardot in the priceless part of a devoted slave),EnglishStanley Baker as Achilles ,as tradition as it,as far co-productions areconcerned.That said,Wise's Troy is certainly smarter than the 2003 version whichhad Achilles die during the storming of the city,just because star BradPit needed a longer part.The judgment of Pâris,which was passed over inthe modern version,is also absent ,but the screenwriters found aninteresting counterpart with the statues of the goddesses.Generally theSpartians look nasty,sinister-looking whereas the Troyans aregood-looking,loyal,brave and virtuous.Best performance,IMHO,comes fromJanette Scott as Cassandra who plays her game well in an underwrittenpart.Lavish film sets , good battles scenes and a story closer to Homerthan the 2003 version .

(2012-05-20 19:31)

Remembering the Memory

I remember seeing this movie back in the fifties and being completely in awe of it. I read where Warner Bros. searched all over for the face that could launch a 1000 ships. I thought they succeeded with their choice of Rosanna Podesta. I remember seeing this movie many times and thinking it was as great as I remembered it. As I boy I sent a letter to Warner Bros. in Hollywood for a picture of Rosanna Podesta along with a lot of stamps for sending the picture back. I didn,t receive the picture then, but 7 years later I received a picture of Rosanna along with inscription in Italian " to my little boy". When I watched this movie again in latter life, I realize it wasn,t as great as I thought it to be but the memory still is. P.S. The review above was for the VHS version. I purchased the DVD of this movie and once again -IT WAS GREAT!!! Rosanna Podesta was truly tremendously feminine and beautiful whilst still being a bit of young girl whom we all fell in love with in our youth.

(2012-05-20 17:58)

Homer's Greek heroes stride onto the screen in epic glory!

The Greek heroes of Homer's Iliad are gloriously portrayed in this great classic epic. The impossibly beautiful lovers Helen and Paris find themselves trapped in the Greek siege of Troy and eventually victimized by their cunning ruse to destroy the city. Authentic sets, period costumes, an intelligent script and a great cast. Don't miss this one, the best of epics!

(2012-05-20 09:14)

All the romance and adventure of "The Iliad" comes alive!

A very exciting and convincingly acted version of the Trojan War. An impossibly beautiful Paris and Helen are the epitome of romance as the doomed lovers trapped in the fall of Troy. Authentic period costumes and sets, and a rousing music score make this one of the best epics ever made, shouldn't be missed by history buffs. Homer would doubtless approve.

(2012-05-19 00:47)

GREAT!

I saw the movie in Germany in 1956. It was a great movie then and it is still a great movie. I received the product in just a few days and it was in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and would buy from this seller again.

Benoît A. Racine (2012-05-18 06:21)

One of the greatest epics ever made!

Basically, this movie is criticized because, being one of the veryfirst big international co-productions, its main players were Eurocelebrities who never caught on in the US, and because Jacques Sernas'and Rossana Podesta's voices were voiced-over. That is a pretty shallowapproach to movie criticism. This film is well-scripted (it's based onHomer and neither substracts nor adds to his basic plot - except forthe Gods, which are mentioned but never seen, which makes it a modernsecular version of the Iliad), well-acted by some very impressiveBritish actors, superbly constructed (art direction, photography,costumes, period research, choreography) and creates a lastingimpression. I own it on laser disc and just had to buy a widescreen TVwith home theatre sound to do it justice. I can watch this movie asoften as I crave substantial food, which is very often. Robert Wise,besides being the director of The Day the Earth Stood Still, West SideStory and The Sound of Music started his career as the editor ofCitizen Kane and it is his input in the editing (vibrant, energetic,kinetic, masculine) that makes this movie a real winner and actuallybrings life to the giant vistas of this classic and tragic fairytale/war movie/love story. Max Steiner's beautiful score adds severalother dimensions to this masterpiece and its interplay with the editingis always fascinating to watch. The general impression is a beautifuldream of the paintings on a Greek urn coming to magical, inspiring,colourful life. It is also fascinating to watch how the fight sceneswere a sort of preliminary study to the ones in West Side Story, whichis basically on the same subject. I had better stop while I'm ahead.One word of advice: Don't believe the nay-sayers (i.e. Leonard Maltin)until you have experienced it for yourself in all its CinemaScope,Warnercolor and Stereophonic glory. A must-have at any price andalready overdue on DVD.

(2012-05-17 13:21)

Long before there was "Troy," there was "Helen of Troy"

After watching the current big budget film "Troy" and complaining bitterly about what the screenplay did to Homer, Euripides, and other ancient writers it seemed time to finally check out the 1956 Hollywood version of "Helen of Troy," which stared Rossana Podestà in the title role and Jack Sernas as Paris. Podestà was an Italian sex siren her had to learn her lines by rote in English and who was picked over established stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Rhonda Fleming, Ava Gardner and Yvonne DeCarlo for the part of Helen. Of course, it is hard to say she is the most beautiful woman in the film let alone the world since Brigitte Bardot is playing Andraste.The script by Hugh Gray, N. Richard Nash, and John Twist, does a good job of including the goddesses Aphrodite and Athena without having them literally appear. The idea of the pact among the princes of Greece to decide who would win Helen's hand and the promise to defend anyone who violated the pact is ignored. Helen's father, the king of Sparta, just married her off to Menelaus (Niall MacGinnis), who, along with his brother, Agamemnon (Robert Douglas), is interested in attacking Troy to take its riches. The kings of Greece have gathered in Sparta to plan the attack when Paris comes along, falls in love with Helen, and steals her away to Troy. Once there, nobody is happy to see this development. King Praimus (Cedric Hardwicke) and Hector (Harry Andrews) are upset over the fact the Greeks are going to come to attack Troy and the priestess Kassandra (Janette Scott) is crying gloom and doom, but, of course, nobody is listening to her. The people even come to throw things at Paris and his woman but he sways them with a short speech. Of course, nothing is going to stop the Greeks, because Helen is just an excuse for conquering the rich city that controls the Dardanelles (the importance of which is explained in the prologue), and we are treated to the spectacle of 30,000 men fighting it out on the plains of Troy in glorious Warnercolor.In terms of Homer's "Iliad," the wrath of Achilles (Stanley Baker) has to do with the fact that he flat out does not like Agamemnon, which is made clear the first time we see them together in Sparta. At some point he starts pouting in his tent. The death of Patroclus (Terence Longdon) still sets into motion the chain of deaths that defined the end of the Trojan War, but the context is different and reinforces the idea that the Trojans are the good guys. The extension of that is that our young lovers deserve to live happily ever after. But will the screenplay violate the classical story that far? Wily Odysseus (Torin Thatcher) comes up with the stratagem of a rather impressive looking Trojan Horse and the end game of the ten year war is played out.Like "Troy," this version also avoids the worst part of "The Trojan Women" by Euripides, allowing Andromache (Patricia Marmont) to flee with Aeneas (Ronald Lewis) instead of having her endure her baby boy being tossed off the walls of Troy (which reminds me: for future reference, finish looting a city before you start burning it). But once again Hollywood proves that when it comes to adapting Homer and the rest of the story of the Trojan War they always think they can improve on the original. Yet despite the spectacle there are no transcendent moments in this film, let along the dramatic highpoints of the epic poem by Homer. The battle sequences are certainly spectacular and much better than the individual combat sequences, so it is hard not to favor the marching formations of the thousands of extras with their spears and shields over the CGI tens of thousands we saw in "Troy." Director Robert Wise gives the action a sense of classical splendor while Max Steiner's rousing score standing out a lot more than the dialogue. There is an interesting feel to that dialogue and the performance of actors, most of whom are British and classically trained. They are not doing Shakespeare, but they give the drama a certain weight. There is no real passion between Helen and Paris, but at least he has the virtue this time around of being a real prince of Troy, capable of going toe to toe with Ajax (Maxwell Reed). The DVD contains the original trailer, with its hyperbolic titles, and a trio of black & white featurettes by Gig Young for some sort of 1950s television movie show in which he promotes "Helen of Troy." Ultimately this is a respectable version of the classical story and if it is not great at least it does not have any of those transcendantly bad moments found in so many of the European sandal-and-spear spectacles.

(2012-05-17 07:48)

Beware of Greeks Etc.

This review is from: Helen of Troy (DVD) I see that this 50s spectacle, "Helen of Troy", has attracted a number of favourable reviews--although a couple of these reviews seem to be as "epic' as the story in the film ! Very loosely based on Homer's "Iliad", and released on DVD no doubt to coincide with the new version of this tale in theatres, "Troy", "Helen of Troy" remains an enjoyable experience. It has fine production values--sets, costumes, cinematography--and an experienced director in Robert Wise. The plot is not too complicated, at least in this "Coles Notes" adaption of Homer's work. The Trojan prince, Paris, visits Greece on a peace mission and meets Helen, the wife of the Greek king, Menelaus. Paris and Helen fall for each other, and run off back to Troy. Of course, " this means war "--besides, the Greeks wanted war anyway ! The second half of the film is taken up with the siege of Troy, and there are some spectacular battle scenes here, with real people ! No digital effects in those days ! There is also a large, wooden horse--but you knew that, didn't you ? The supporting cast is mostly British--Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Harry Andrews, Janette Scott, Niall McGuinness, Torin Thatcher, Ronald Lewis and, as a perpetually-glowering Achilles, Stanley Baker, are all solid and professional. The two leads, however, went to unknown non-Brits, and perhaps this is what interests me the most about "Helen of Troy". This must have been an expensive production--why did the lead roles not be given to big names ? The beautiful, curvaceous Italian actress, Rossana Podesta, is Helen--while not a great actress, it is not difficult to imagine grown men fighting over her ! As Paris, we have French actor, Jacques Sernas, billed of course as "Jack". While he has a striking appearance, his acting skills--at least in this film--appear to be zero. If I had Rossana Podesta throwing herself at me ( yes--I know--sweet dreams ! ), I think I would be a little more animated than Mr. Sernas. While he continued to enjoy a long career in European productions, it's easy to see why Hollywood did not come calling again ! Speaking of France, a young French actress plays Helen's handmaiden--within a year, Brigitte Bardot would become more famous than any actor in "Helen of Troy". The colour, wide-screen DVD is gorgeous. There is also a trailer, and some black and white promotional material released at the time, featuring actor, Gig Young. Overall, I would give "Helen of Troy" three and a half stars--it is not as grand as say " The Ten Commandments", also released in 1956--but if you like old-fashioned historical spectacles, where entertainment takes precedent over authenticity or literary merit, you will find this DVD an enjoyable addition to your collection.

(2012-05-17 03:04)

Jack Sernas whom you may have never seen

This review is from: Helen of Troy (DVD) Jacques Sernas was featured in LA DOLCE VITA. His looks stood out as he was very handsome. I saw him in person in Hollywood at a fund raiser for the widow of the owner of the Mocambo. Frank Sinatra was performing that night.Jack was with his wife?Anyway, I had missed the theatrical run of HELEN OF TROY. Rossana Podesta was the female lead and Brigitte Bardot had a small part in the beginning.This was made in the '50's or '60's. It cannot compare with the new TROY starring Brad Pitt. But the actions scenes are spectacular. No computerized imaging (CPI) in those days. Real cast members and hundreds in the battle scenes. Jack is extremely handsone as is Rossana.It is truly a collectible and one you can watch over and over. Beautiful transfer. I bought it on Amazon too. Doubtful if this is in any rental store.

(2012-05-16 11:30)

Entertainment Minded

This review is from: Helen of Troy (1956) [All Region, Import] (DVD) Helen of TroyGreat portrayal by actress. Beautiful scenery and wardrobes. Well worth the price; would recommend that dvd be shown to all students interested in history.

(2012-05-16 07:01)

Homer's Iliad

Outstanding film of Homers tale about the Trojan War and the city of Troy's eventual fall to Greek cunning through the use of a giant wooden horse.The leads go to relative unknowns who do a credible job ,surrounded by a excellant supporting cast,the acting is uniformally good.This big budget film features tremendous action scenes and exceptional photography,this film should hold the interest of young and old alike.The incredibly beautiful Rossana Podesta is believabe as the "face that launched a thousand ships" .Look for Brigitte Bardot in a small role.

(2012-05-15 10:57)

Helen of Troy

This review is from: Helen of Troy (DVD) Although this is an "older" version of the story, it truly sticks to the original mythology better than some of the newer versions such as Troy with Brad Pitt.