buiger A very ambitious project for a made-for-TV-movie, also rather well crafted I might add.It's a pity it takes so many liberties with the 'official' storyline, the one told by Homer and recanted for generations thereafter, it would have been a much better movie if it was 'historically' (or better said, mythologically) accurate. The Greeks will definitely not be pleased...Unfortunately, the film also has far too many flaws, and among others I believe it is an understatement to say that Achilles is ridiculous... With some small adjustments in the script and casting, this could have been a much better film. In this way, it is just below average.

marimba428 I love this movie/miniseries because of how beautifully accurate all the physical props and scenery are. It is incredibly accurate, especially when compared to the movie "Troy," which got a lot of it wrong. The armor, the buildings, the varied ethnicities of the extras... it's like my archaeology and art books have come to life on screen. Also, it's a nice summary of many myths from sources other than Homer, not just the Iliad. If you really want to get to know the Iliad, read it. In "Troy," the armor was not accurate, and neither were the women's costumes. There were plenty of anachronisms within the Greek attire, and it's frustrating for someone who studies this stuff. Also, they made the sets way too big, in an attempt to appear "epic" as they say in that DVD's extras. This movie, although sometimes cheesy and campy, at least is pretty much true to the age of Troy and Mycenae. It's a bit like watching a documentary for a student of Greek archaeology. Plus it really gives the viewer a taste of the rugged landscape of Greece. As a side note, as a natural blonde myself, I love that Helen is fair-haired (blondes were a commodity in ancient Greece. very rare to find one).

prakash_brahaspat This is the most inaccurate film on the Trojan war. Achilles and Agamemnon were never on the same page. This movie makes it seem as if they were friends when they really hated each other. In the real story there was never a conversation between Paris and Menalaus. Achilles was shot in the heel when Troy was burned. Furthermore the whole Trojan war was about the glorification of Achilles this movie barely mentions Achilles. This is the worst version of The Illiad ever told, for accuracy watch Troy. In Troy it truly makes you feel as if you are reading The Illiad this movie does such a bad job that Homer is probably turning in his grave as we speak. Don't watch this movie it is horrendous and a joke of the true story.

ginny_135 The film "Helen of Troy" is based on the fictional epic novel, "The Iliad", which has been viewed by many to be the greatest war story ever told. It begins with Paris, a young Trojan Prince who was visited by three goddesses asking him to decide on who of them was the fairest. He chose Aphrodite, the goddess of Love and Beauty, when she offered to make the most beautiful woman in the Aegean fall in love with him. She showed him Helen, and from then on, Paris and Helen were destined to meet. Some time later, the Prince was sent by his father, King Priam of Troy, to make peace with the Greeks. Helen was married to King Menelaus of Sparta then, but that didn't stop her from sailing away with the man she truly loved. That started the war between the Trojans and the Greeks, and it lasted even longer because of the men's selfish pride. Agamemnon, Menelaus' older brother, was High Chief of the Greeks and also the most ruthless. In the end, his wife Clytemnestra killed him for causing her sister, Helen, so much pain.I really enjoyed the movie and I found the scenes highly interesting. But even then, once compared to the modern film "TROY", it does not excel much in the battle scenes. For me this is understandable considering the low efficiency of productions during that time as opposed to the outstanding technology we have now. The acting was also commendable, but still also with less emotion than of the actors in "TROY". I think that over-all, the film was good and it covered all the details that were necessary to maintain the quality of the book. Out of a rating of 5 to 1, 1 being the highest, I would give "Helen of Troy" a 2. This is not only because of the great entertainment and information it provided me but also because that's the rating it deserves.