On the positive side this film features so truly amazing sets and the number of extras involved in the movie also give it the feel of having huge production values. Something about Hollywood in the 1950s and early 60s gave it the ability to produce these enormous epic movies that we just wouldn't see again during the 1970s and beyond. The film is not completely faithful to the source material though it roughly follows the story of the Trojan War as handed down. Despite the title it's actually Paris who feels like the main character, we follow him pretty much up to the last scene. Early on you notice that some of the music and cinematography hasn't aged that well, overall parts of it just lack a bit of energy, it's about an hour into the movie before Helen and Paris even leave together. Lots of other characters are just not developed at all, Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon. We also have some quite unnecessary narration. I don't think it completely gets Paris right either, he's just too heroic in this adaptation. I did like Helen though shown as a strong passionate young woman.
Review of Helen of Troy
