Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy is an epic film directed by Robert Wise and distributed by Warner Bros, that was originally released in 1956. It is based on the Homeric epics Iliad and Odyssey. The cast includes actors such as Rossana Podesta, Stanley Baker, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Harry Andrews.

The plot has many differences with the original storylines. The film starts with Paris, prince of Troy, going to Sparta in order to sign a peace treaty. When he arrived in Sparta, he saw Helen, queen of the city and wife of King Menelaus, and fell in love with her. In the palace, the kings of Greece, including Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Achilles, were summoned to discuss whether  to go to war with Troy or not. Menelaus realised that there was a spark between his wife and the Trojan prince, and secretly plotted to kill Paris. However, Helen warned him and helped him escape, following him to Troy.

The Greek kings now had the opportunity and the pretense to wage war against Troy by uniting to defend Menelaus' honour. They sailed to Troy and the war started. The Trojans initially blamed Paris and Helen for this, but soon they realised that the real reason the Greeks started the war was the riches and treasures of the city. In the end, the Greeks won the war by using the Trojan Horse. After the battle, Helen and Paris were confronted by Menelaus, who duelled with the Trojan prince. Although in the duel Paris had the upper hand, he was stabbed in the back and died. Helen returned to Sparta with Menelaus, but she was content knowing she would be reunited with her love in the afterlife.

The plot of the film has major differences from the storyline that Homer created in his epics; Paris is depicted as a hero and a leader, while the Greeks are seen as treacherous and opportunistic.

See Also: Paris, Helen, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, Trojan War, Trojan Horse