The Trojan Women (1971)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Mihalis Kakogiannis

Writers:

Euripides (play)
Edith Hamilton (English translation)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The strength of mankind has always been its women.

Plot:

The women of Troy face enslavement after the fall of their city.

Plot Keywords:

Greek | Female Nudity | Trojan War | Queen | Place Name In Title

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Katharine Hepburn	...	Hecuba
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Andromache
Geneviève Bujold	...	Cassandra
Irene Papas	...	Helen
Patrick Magee	...	Menelaus
Brian Blessed	...	Talthybius
Alberto Sanz	...	Astyanax
Pauline Letts	...	Woman
Rosalie Shanks	...	Woman (as Rosalind Shanks)
Pat Beckett	...	Woman (as Pat Becket)
Anna Bentinck	...	Woman
Elsie Pittas	...	Woman (as Ersie Pittas)
Esmeralda Adam García	...	Woman (as Esmeralda Adam)
Esperanza Alonso	...	Woman
María García Alonso	...	Woman (as Maria G. Alonso)

Also Known As:

Troades (Greece)

Runtime:

Portugal:109 min | USA:105 min | Argentina:110 min | West Germany:105 min (TV)

Country:

UK | USA | Greece

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | USA:GP | Argentina:13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Atienza, Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Company:

Josef Shaftel Productions Inc.

Trivia:

The Edith Hamilton translation of "The Trojan Women", which is used in this film, premiered on the Broadway stage in 1938. It was immediately acclaimed as being superior to the antiquated Gilbert Murray translation, which was the standard version used then.

Quotes:

Hecuba: Count no one happy, however fortunate, before he dies.

Movie Connections:

Version of Las troyanas (1963)

An Excellent Effort with Great Performances

A greek tragedy is very hard to be made into a movie. In my opinion it is really almost impossible as there are often long monologues that can't be cut or improved in any way. Nevertheless Michael Cacoyannis tried, and succeded in filming the best anti-war work ever written. The film is a bit stagy but that is how it should be. Being the editor of his film too, he manages to create a unique atmosphere that in the beginning seems a bit akward but as the plot develops you understand that it is the ideal. The scenery is excellent. We see only the total destruction of the city and that's all we need to see as the narrations must "draw" the total picture of the inner part of the city in our minds. All the performances are first-rate. Katharine Hepburn is heart-breaking as Hecuba. She cries for her lost sons, husband and city. She loves the city and hates the Greeks who give her, the queen of Troy, as slave.

G.Bujold is also excellent as Cassandra. She seems crazy, but she is fully aware of the fate. She delivers a balanced performance avoiding exagerations. Irene Pappas is stunning. Looking more beautiful than ever, she manages to stand opposite Katharine Hepburn's Hecuba and deliver an excellent and utterly convincing performance. But the great performance of the picture is surely Vanessa Redgrave's. Her Adromache seems strange at the beginning but when her character is fully developed, you understand the genius of her performance. This picture is a must-see not only for the excellent performances delivered but four of the greatest actresses of their generation but also for the importance of Euripides play.