Circa 1196 B.C. , in a decade in which a tribe of Achaeans from Greece commanded by Agamenon engagement war a prosperous and thriving city nearly the mouth of Hellespont , called Ilium of Troy . It was a big city with high walls and four gates , being destroyed by a violent war . The details on this war stayed in legend throughout Dark Ages of Micenic civilization . Four centuries later , they were immortalized by an illustrious Greek poet named Homer on his plays titled ¨Iliad¨ and ¨Odyssey¨. Later on , Euripides wrote powerful tragedies about these events , in which details appealing characters and dramatic happenings , focusing the women who remain after the fall of Troy and regarding the king Agamenon .The motion picture revolves around the Trojan survivor women , one time army is vanquished and relies heavily on four declamatory monologues starred by four greatest and unquestionable actresses . Awesome Katharine Hepburn as Queen Hecuba , widow of Priamo , King of Troy ; their daughter the virginal-nutty Cassandra , a prophetess-princess , well played by Genevieve Bujold who arises emotion of the tale ; magnificent Vanessa Redgrave as Andromaca , Hector's wife , who carries the armor dressed by her deceased husband ; and extraordinary Irene Papas as Helen , continuously asking her pardon and innocence on the facts who caused the oldest story of love and war . Besides , minor performances by Brian Blessed as a Greek messenger and Patrick McGee as Menelaus . The sacked city was filmed in Spain on the Sierra of Atienza , Guadalajara with not many scenarios.The film belongs to a trilogy faithfully based on playwright Euripides , a fine rendering directed by Michael Cacoyannis , including the musician Mikis Theodorakis and starred by Irene Papas , the grandest Greek actress . As ¨Ifginea¨ concerning the sacrifice by Agamenon of his daughter Ifginea because the winds to sail to Troy refuse to blow ; as ¨Elektra¨ in which Clymnestra and her lover Aesgisthes kill her husband Agamenon after his return from Troy and confrontation between mother Clymnestra , her daughter Elektra and brother Orestes . Rating : Notable, well worth watching for the acting of the four female actresses.

It's already a stretch to take a play by Euripides and translate it into a 1970's movie, but add in extremely overdone performances by Katherine Hepburn and Vanessa Redgrave and it only gets worse. I spent my time watching this movie either asleep or laughing at the ridiculous behavior on screen. The majority of the film is made up of rabid women who run around swinging torches and screaming constantly. Sound unrealistic? That's what you get from Hepburn and Redgrave. The film itself was also badly made. Clearly its makers thought they were making it a passionate and dramatic film, but their awful use of angles only made the movie look worse. When I wasn't laughing my head off at how bad "Trojan Women" was, I was asleep. The entire film takes place in the same setting, another reason why an ancient Greek play should not be made into a movie. It simply cannot hold viewers' attention. I would only recommend this movie if you are a die-hard fan of the classics or if you don't mind melodramatic and unrealistic behavior on screen.

You must understand the form of classical tragedy to appreciate truly this film. Then you will see that Cacoyannis does, his four major actresses do, and the rest of his cast do, right down to the boy who plays Redgrave's son.The four actresses have tragic arias -- there is no better word for it -- that they play magnificently. One always knows what is going on in this film because the text is translated so perfectly; the direction is so clear; and the actors play directly to that text. All are brilliant.Don't look for special effects; there are none. Greek tragedy needed none. There are no chariot chases, no blowing up of the Parthenon as two smart-assed "detectives" grin and compliment each other, no two heroines outwitting all the police in the district and end up driving their chariot into a handy canyon. Sorry, gang, the play's the thing here -- and what a play and how well it is produced and performed.If you love classics -- text, acting, and production, don't miss this one for any reason!

It's true that "The Trojan Women" is *very* demanding of our attention and focus. It has minimal sets and costumes, it's low on action, and consists almost entirely of actors reciting flowery monologues. The subject matter and the expert delivery of the actors are moving, but as another commenter suggested, most people may only get the gist of what is going on. But there's worthwhile stuff here for those patient and interested enough to give it a shot.As I mentioned, the look of the film is minimal, and it's mostly talk, but the filmmakers use some nifty, artistic camera work effectively. Mikis Theodorakis' musical score is atmospheric and intriguing. And some unrealistic theatrical effects -- e.g. the townswomen are all dressed in heavy black robes and occasionally sing in unison -- add novelty. Along with the dramatic recitals are a few "action" scenes of great tension -- when Tathybius tries to seize Andromache's son from her arms; a fall from a cliff that is gore-free but still stomach-turning in more ways than one; the fury that the thirsty and suffering peasant women, denied water by their Greek captors, express when Helen of Troy (the woman who brought on their destruction) is given a tub of water to bathe herself indulgently.All the actors, even the bit players, turn in respectable performances. Vanessa Redgrave achieves a convincing portrayal of a proud young aristocrat and mother whom events reduce to utter emotional desolation and violation. Brian Blessed does well too. (Patrick Magee also shows up for a small role). And I disagree with some other commenters' criticism of Katharine Hepburn for "overacting." She is on top of her game. She doesn't overact at all; most of the time she bears her great burden of defeat and desolation with subdued animosity. Then near the beginning, when her anger suddenly bursts out in one scene, it makes you sit up with full attention. ***Mild Spoiler*** And in the scene where she receives an executed relative and reflects over the body, her gestures and recitation really convey how much this hits home for her character. ***End of spoiler*** This film may not be well-known, but I think Hepburn's performance is in fact one of the highlights of her later career. Her two Oscar-winning, higher-profile roles from a few years before (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and The Lion in Winter) were overrated roles, and her performances weren't bad or anything but not what I'd put up there with her highest accomplishments. Here in "The Trojan Women," at the age of 64, she does classical tragedy and plays an interesting role that pretty much has to carry a film.