Helen of Troy (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

John Kent Harrison

Writer:

Ronni Kern (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

20 April 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Desire is war.

Plot:

The abduction of beautiful Helen, wife of Spartan King Menelaus, by Paris of Troy triggers a long war. |

Plot Keywords:

Goddess | Princess | Queen | Myth | Premonition

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Sienna Guillory	...	Helen
Matthew Marsden	...	Paris
Rufus Sewell	...	Agamemnon
John Rhys-Davies	...	King Priam of Troy
Maryam d'Abo	...	Queen Hecuba
Emilia Fox	...	Cassandra, Princess of Troy
James Callis	...	Menelaus
Daniel Lapaine	...	Hector
Nigel Whitmey	...	Odysseus
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Theseus
Joe Montana	...	Achilles
Katie Blake	...	Clytemnestra
Craig Kelly	...	Pollux
Manuel Cauchi	...	Paris' Father
Kristina Paris	...	Iphigenia
Edward Mercieca	...	Atreus
Harry Borg	...	Greek King #1
John Marinelli	...	Greek King #2
Joe Quattromani	...	Greek King #3
Gary Kurdyla	...	Greek King #4
Paul Cilia	...	Bodyguard #1
Marc Spiteri	...	Bodyguard #2
Richard Durden	...	Tynadareus
Kevin Drake	...	Caller
Bettina Paris	...	Young Cassandra
Emily Kosloski	...	Aphrodite
Andreea Radutoiu	...	Hera
Gina Nalamlieng	...	Athena
Coryse Borg	...	Midwife
Michael Sciortino	...	Minister
John Montanaro	...	Shepherd Boy #1
Marc Cabourdin	...	Shepherd Boy #2
Wesley Ellul	...	Shepherd Boy #3
Jim Carter	...	Pirithous
Portelli Paul	...	Emissary (as Paul Porter)
Wolfgang Raach	...	Armed Guard "Pres Byterian"
Colin Willis	...	Scribe
Mat Fraser	...	Calchas
Christopher Dingli	...	Sailor at Tiller (as Chris Dingli)
Mikhail Basmadjian	...	Lookout / Tillerman
Michael Tabone	...	Herald
James Peter Barnden	...	Little Boy
Malcolm Galea	...	Sinon
Josephine Paris	...	Matron
Alex Mizzi	...	Ajax
Emanuel Cutajar	...	Dungeon Guard

Directed by
John Kent Harrison

Writing credits
Ronni Kern		(written by)
Homer		(poem) uncredited

Produced by
Ronni Kern	....	co-producer
Ted Kurdyla	....	producer
Judith Craig Marlin	....	associate producer
Sam Nicholson	....	co-producer
Dianna Oliva-Day	....	co-producer
Gianfranco Pierantoni	....	consulting producer
Adam Shapiro	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joel Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Edward J. Pei

Film Editing by
Michael D. Ornstein

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Daniel Hubbard
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
James Allen

Art Direction by
Ino Bonello
Bill Brownell
Masako Masuda
Adam O'Neill

Costume Design by
Van Broughton Ramsey

Makeup Department
Carlo Barucci	....	key hair stylist
Giancarlo Del Brocco	....	key makeup artist
Marcelle Genovese	....	hair stylist
Jackie Grima	....	assistant makeup artist
Federica Jacoponi	....	makeup artist
Cesare Paciotti	....	makeup artist
Alfredo Tiberi	....	makeup artist
Gino Zamprioli	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Dennis T. Benatar	....	production manager: US, Malta
Michele Greco	....	production manager
Brano Kollar	....	unit manager
Patrick Thomas McManus	....	unit manager: Malta
Judy Richter	....	production supervisor
Wendy Wallace	....	post-production supervisor (as Wendy Belt)
Mikey Pavia	....	assistant unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Adler	....	first assistant director
Dennis T. Benatar	....	first assistant director: second unit
David S. Cass Sr.	....	second unit director
Mark Inglis	....	second assistant director
Nathan Kimball	....	second second assistant director: second unit
Phillip Kurdyla	....	second second assistant director
Simon Sansone	....	third assistant director
Chris Shadley	....	second assistant director: second unit
Quentin Whitwell	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jim Allen	....	set designer
Andrew Barnden	....	storyboard artist
Kenneth Cassar	....	construction coordinator
Mark Anthony Ellul	....	stand-by prop
Matthew C. Kime	....	props: second unit, Malta
Aleksandar Sasha Matic	....	set designer
Michael Panevics	....	property master
Robert A. Sturtevant	....	associate construction manager
Ben Zeller	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Peter Austin	....	supervising sound editor
Alfonso Calvo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Edmond J. Coblentz Jr.	....	sound editor
Colin Cooper	....	adr recordist
Matt Dubin	....	mixing recordist
Nerses Gezalyan	....	foley mixer
Tim Kimmel	....	sound editor
Carrie Lisonbee	....	assistant sound editor (as Carrie Tippets)
Paul Longstaffe	....	dialog & adr editor
Hugh Murphy	....	assistant sound editor
Kelly Oxford	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Isabella Cassar	....	special effects crew
Kenneth Cassar	....	special effects assistant
Mario Cassar	....	special effects foreman
Michael Clifford	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Sean Afshar	....	visual effects editor
Zeth DuBois	....	3D artist
Karl Formander	....	digital artist
Spence Fuller	....	digital compositor
Jack Fulmer	....	CG artist
Eric Grenaudier	....	lead compositor
Martin Halle	....	visual effects
Josh Hatton	....	CG supervisor
Sid Jayakar	....	digital compositor
Kent Johnson	....	visual effects coordinator
Frank Lawas	....	visual effects I/O supervisor
Dan Lazarow	....	CGI supervisor
Sam Nicholson	....	visual effects supervisor
Anthony Ocampo	....	3D artist
Gordon Oscar	....	visual effects
Matthew Pullicino	....	visual effects coordinator
Victor Scalise	....	digital compositor
Charles Schwartz	....	matchmove and visual effects artist
Brendan Taylor	....	visual effects coordinator
Cedric Tomacruz	....	matte painter
Peter V. Ware	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Stanislav Adamickij	....	stunts
José Ignacio Álvarez	....	stunts
Andre Degabriele	....	stunts
Yannick Derrien	....	stunt coordinator
Vladimir 'Furdo' Furdik	....	stunts
Vladislavas Jacukevicius	....	stunts
Roman Jankovic	....	utility stunts
Branislav Martinak	....	stunts
Lubomir Misak	....	stunts
Slava Samuchov	....	stunts
Philippe Zone	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Feliksas Abrukauskas	....	second assistant camera
Alessio Bramucci	....	best boy electric
Patrick Bramucci	....	gaffer
Giancarlo Checchi	....	electrician
Alessandro Di Meo	....	assistant camera
Paolo Frasson	....	dolly grip
Rolandas Joneliukstis	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Ermanno Lubich	....	assistant camera
Andrea Quaglio	....	focus puller: second unit
Michael Rintoul	....	camera operator
Simone Scarozza	....	clapper loader: second unit
Scarozza Simone	....	assistant camera: second unit
Doriano Torriero	....	key grip
James W. Wrenn	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
Michelle Lewitt	....	casting associate
Jocelyn E. Thomas	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jeannie Flynn	....	costume supervisor
Sonny Merritt	....	key costumer
Irene M.S. Ortiz	....	key on-set costumer: second unit

Editorial Department
Joe Finley	....	digital colorist

Music Department
Neal Acree	....	composer: additional score
Nicholas Dodd	....	conductor
Nicholas Dodd	....	orchestrator
Tim Joy	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Marco Francescon	....	driver
Carlo Nevola	....	driver

Other crew
Winston Azzopardi	....	location scout
Tod Scott Brody	....	creative consultant
Maurizio Corridori	....	key weapons
Giampaolo Grassi	....	leather master
Ivana Kastratovic	....	production coordinator
Michael Kurdyla	....	assistant production coordinator
Lubomir Misak	....	horse master
Susan Morris-Bean	....	production coordinator: Malta
Charmaine Spiteri	....	accounting assistant
Brendan Taylor	....	assistant to director
Marketa Tom	....	assistant to director: second unit
Karen Xuereb	....	picture double: Sienna Guillory
Galea Yolanda	....	assistant accountant
Tracy Young	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Fuel Entertainment

Distributors

• USA Network (2003) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2008) (Finland) (TV)
• Net5 (2006) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Stargate Digital

Runtime:

175 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:16 | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba)

Filming Locations:

Greece

Company:

Fuel Entertainment

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Chinese men wearing Manchu clothing, something they would not wear until the Chin Dynasty.

Quotes:

Helen: Loving me kills people, destroys families, causes such grief you cannot imagine!

Remembered This Way

There are many different stories and interpretations of Homer's Iliad, or better known as the 'Trojan War.' 'Helen of Troy' is one movie that showed a different perspective of the events in the leading lady's point of view.

The Iliad written by Homer, from which this film was based on, talks about the 'greatest war story ever told': the infamous 'Trojan War.' This legendary epic began with the elopement of Helen, the fairest woman in the land, and Troy's cursed Prince Paris. Menelaus, her husband, mad with jealousy and broken pride, allied with his brother, Agamemnon, to wage a war against Troy. They put together a great army consisting of the greatest and bravest warriors of their land, Greece. When they arrived at Troy, a dispute rose between Agamemnon and Achilles because of their women prizes, Chryseis and Briseis. This resulted to Achilles' refusal to participate in the war for nine years. During that time, victory for each country wavered as the gods and goddesses in Olympus helped their favorite side. When Achilles decides to fight at last, it is in revenge for his best companion, Patroclus who was killed by Hector. He slew Hector and dragged his body to his camp. Despite Zeus' disagreement, Hector died because he was fated to do so. Odysseus came up with the idea of the Wooden Horse. He planned to get inside the gates of Troy so they could finally attack. The Trojans brought in the horse and when night fell, the Greeks attacked the Trojans, burnt their houses, killed their children and took their women as prizes.

The characters portrayed in the movie were fashioned in such a way that they appeared to be real and complex human beings. They gave in to their desires and to their human weaknesses such as pride, jealousy and anger but they also fought for justice, honor and love. Therefore you can easily sympathize and understand their actions and decisions since we all have the same human flaws and experiences. Most of the characters in 'Helen of Troy' were very much true to the original text in the Iliad. However, some key roles were fabricated to make the audience sympathize and admire characters like Paris, Helen and Menelaus as opposed to their selfish and arrogant personalities in the Iliad. They acted very well and very convincing such that they become distinct from the other characters in the story. Each person was unique to the other.

The script of the movie was true to the text to some extent. The beginning of 'Helen of Troy' started with the judgment of Paris in Mount Ida, which first introduced the prince to Helen. He was banished from Troy to the mountain as an infant because of Cassandra's prophecy that he will cause the end of their country. He finds out that he is a prince of Troy when he defeats Hector in a game and is finally accepted into the family despite his sister's constant protests. During her sister's wedding, Helen was abducted by Theseus and was brought to his country. They stayed together for a few years and Helen started falling in love with him until Pollux came to save her and was killed in the process. Theseus also died and Helen was brought back to Sparta where her father, Tyndareus, gave her away to the soldiers. The soldiers couldn't deny her beauty but decided to choose the husband by tossing rings. The one closest to the jar was Menelaus' and therefore, they married. Once, Paris went to Sparta to make peace with the city but when he sees Helen, they fall in love. They elope and when Menelaus found out about this, he associated with his brother, Agamemnon. Upon Reaching Troy, Menelaus first decides to talk to Priam, the country's king. Priam refuses to give Helen back and that's where the war began.

Overall, the movie, 'Helen of Troy', has been loyal to the original text in the Iliad except in some aspects. They both portray roughly the same roles and personalities of the characters. Although love was not a plausible theme in Homer's text as shown in the movie and the gods' influencing the waves of war weren't concretely depicted in the film, other themes like pride and honor coincided in both. The changes in the script didn't ruin the outcome of the movie. They just served as a form of exaggeration to further establish the uniqueness of the characters. The Iliad is classic, and it should be remembered this way.