Unlike the epic TROY, which spent much time and money recreating the spectacle of the Trojan War with CGI, the emphasis here is on the political ambitions and prophecies leading up to the start of the siege of Troy. Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon gives a performance (as the man who would conquer Troy) which eerily evokes Oliver Reed at his sinister best, as he makes it clear that the romance of Helen and Paris was merely a convenient excuse for the events that followed, and that the war came out of his own thirst for conquest. Sienna Guillory is attractive as Helen, but her role is rapidly reduced to that of a bystander in the great events that swirled around her. And the film makes clear its logic about this: how could a woman be responsible for a war in a time when even princesses were chattels of the royal houses to be auctioned off in marriage for political gain? As it deals more intimately with its characters and looks more closely at social power structures and gender roles of the period, this film is much more interesting as a human drama than the rather empty spectacle TROY.

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.

Last July 26 until the first week of August, we viewed the movie "Helen of Troy". This 175-minute version that was released in 2003 was produced by Adan Shapiro and was directed by John Kent Harrison. This movie of romance, adventure, drama and action was based on Homer's Iliad. It is a Greek epic that tackles on the Greek mythology, emphasizing on the war between the Greeks and the Trojans or the Trojan War wherein the great City of Troy fell. The war started when a lovely woman named Helen left of her Achaean husband, Menelaus, and ran away with a Trojan named Paris. This war lasted for ten years wherein mighty warriors fought, gods and goddesses participated, and lives were sacrificed and lost. In the film, I was stunned with the irony in the end of the story. Even from the beginning of the movie, I was eager to see the fall of the creepy Agamemnon. I always thought that he would be killed by another warrior or a god but I never saw it coming that Clytemnestra, his own wife whom he always looked down to, was the only person to kill him. It's so ironic that someone who was portrayed weak was the one to put down Agamemnon who has a strong personality.Overall, I love the movie but it's too morbid for me. I like the cast and how they portrayed their character except for a few. An example of which is Achilles. For me, he doesn't seem like an honored warrior but instead, more of a wrestler. Also, I was disappointed with the background. In some parts of the movie, it was unrealistic with the light colors. On the other hand, I like the part wherein everything stopped when Menelaus saw Helen in Troy. For me, it was a moving moment and I saw how Menelaus really perceives Helen. With this assessment, I say that it is a movie that is good enough to rent. I guess, it's just not my type of movie but it's worth seeing.

John Kent Harrison's Helen of Troy, a 3hour Action/Drama movie was released in 2003. It is based on the famous poem of Homer, The Iliad. It portrays the mysteries behind the Fall of Troy, told upon the point of view of Menelaus, King of Sparta. The story started when Helen, Menelaus' wife runs away with Paris, the Trojan Prince and because of this Sparta starts war between the Trojans. Women before are treated like "prizes of honor". They are not allowed to do what men do because women are not equal with men. They are treated like a thing that they can borrow and return or throw away after they got bored with it. Women before just follow what men ask them to do. Just like what happened to Helen when she walks naked in a room full of Kings to prove her love for Menelaus. Now women are respected. They are equal with men. They can do men's work too, and sometimes they are achieving more than men do.For me the movie in general is a 5. The actors did well on their parts. The viewers can easily relate with the actors' feelings and actions. They portrayed their roles perfectly. The well-crafted flow of scenes lets the viewers wanting for more of the action packed film. The cinematography, the lighting and special effects captured the essence of the Iliad making the story line be more like the text itself. Viewers who love drama, romance and action movies will surely want to watch it over and over again.