Helen of Troy (1956)

VHS CASE/ SIDE

Length of film:  118 Minutes

Rated: U

Genre: War, Romance, Drama

Director: Robert Wise, Raoul Walsh

Starring: Rossana Podestà, Jacques Sernas, Cedric Hardwicke, Stanley Baker, Niall MacGinnis, Nora Swinburne, Robert Douglas, Ronald Lewis

IMDB Rank: 6.1/ 10

Part 1 Time:  55 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  63 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Helen (Rossana Podestà) and Paris (Jacques Sernas) escape Sparta by boat. After much deliberation they decide to return to Troy.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “Captain… We have decided otherwise. Sail north… To Troy” states Helen.

First line of dialogue on the second part: The second part begins with Paris and Helen returning to Troy. In the throne room Lord Aeneas (Ronald Lewis) asks “What is it?”

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Somewhat, with Paris and Helen leaving Sparta together and returning to Troy they have single highhandedly begun the legendary conflict known as the Trojan War.

Which part is better? A big Hollywood epic for its time the two parts in the film are quite different from one another as part one is mostly composed of dialogue, whereas part two is predominantly fighting and action scenes. Part two’s intense action gives less attention to the unintentionally funny script, which was awkwardly delivered in the first half. As a result part two is better and is a pleasure to watch for the sword and sandals fan.

Academy Awards: None