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Too much of everything

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Pretty Good

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

"The Trojan Women" is not so much an anti-war movie as it is a movie (play) on the effects of war on the women of Troy and by extension the effects of war on society in general. War is hell; the effects of war are hell. We need only wait for the next atrocity to realize how the atrocity affects the people who survive or who even hear news reports the debacle, of the tragedy; whether that tragedy is Auschwitz or Newtown--the affects to the victims are lifelong, the affects to society are long lasting. (The Newtown tragedy will see a far right swing in American politics in the guise of fewer gun restrictions, the 2nd Amendment viewed as an absolute--"...shall not be infringed..."--from right wing politicos who need only flash their Glock to assert their support of the 2nd Amendment; inevitably they will be a right wing element of the political party that will see that less government is better.) So the movie speaks to the effects of war on society. The stark blacks and browns of the robes matched with a stark grey scenery conveys the emotional overtone of the movie. It is a harsh movie to watch, and yet it is still resonates as modern as the Newtown tragedy-this despite being written by Euripides in 416 BC. Michael Cacoyannis based his screenplay on Edith Hamilton's 1937 translation. I saw the film via YouTube with Greek subtitles; I had just purchased Bantam Book 1971 edition of the play and the screenplay so I could follow the screenplay as it unfolded on the screen. The acting was superb in every way--what could have been toneless and tedious, ended up being a moving evocation of the profundity of the pain and anguish of war captured in the rhythm and idiom of modern English. Captured by actors regarded as giants in the profession: Katherine Hepburn as Hecuba, Vanessa Redgrave as Andromache, Genevieve Bujold as Cassandra, and Irene Papas as Helen. Miss Papas as Helen attempted a stirring defense of her role in the debacle as one ordained by the God Aphrodite--Helen sees herself as a victim; the chorus of women--the townspeople--will have none of it. And how Helen's defense struck the modern ear; as though the modern sociopath can find recourse in pathology from the 2nd Amendment or medication or mental illness. (And by association, how the supporters of the 2nd Amendment insist that the problem is the individual and the gun is only an inert object picked up and used demoniacally by a sociopath. Society sees the lunacy of that conclusion and will have none of it. The gun becomes both instrument and means for the demonic.) Like I say, the play speaks to the modern ear despite its antiquity.

If you have any interest whatsoever in Greek tragedy, this is a film not to miss. It's done in English (an Edith Hamilton translation), beautifully filmed and it has four major actresses in the principal roles: Katherine Hepburn as Hecuba, the widow of Priam, Troy's king, Vanessa Redgrave as Andromache, Hector's widow, Genevieve Bujold as Cassandra and Irene Papas as Helen, whose decision to leave King Menelaus for the visiting Paris precipitates the war. Hepburn has the dominant role and is always in the foreground or the background, but each of the other stars has a moment when she is at the center, and each of them acquits herself in great style. There's also a Greek chorus of women, each striking in appearance. Given the color of their eyes and the differences in their complexions, the members of the chorus are by no means all Greek unless pale skin and blue, green or hazel eyes has become an ethnic characteristic of Greeks when I wasn't looking. Papas, of course, is a classic Greek beauty, and she isn't pale skinned or blue eyed. Hepburn, Redgrave and Bujold don't look very Greek either. But when it comes to the classics, who cares? The dialog is mainly declamatory, as is the case with most Greek tragedies that I've seen, and the action is sparse. But Euripides was a great dramatist and the emotions run both high and deep. Hecuba has lost her husband and all her children except Cassandra who is mad and about to be taken as a slave. Andromache has lost her husband and is about to have her son taken from her and killed before she is forced into slavery. And, the beautiful, seductive Helen, hated by all the Trojan women, is trying to persuade Menelaus that "Aphrodite made me do it"while Hecuba urges him to kill her. Michael Cacoyannis (the way it's spelled on the DVD, though not on IMDb) directs the movie efficiently. Greek drama isn't very fashionable these days but The Trojan Women is a good introduction to a great body of work.

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 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.