Le troiane

Euripides has always been regarded as the most 'modern' of Greek dramatists and although, for a man of his time, he took little part in either politics or war, it is surely no coincidence that his Trojan War trilogy was written during the protracted war between the Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues which would eventually subjugate Athens and bring its Golden Age to an inglorious end.

As a pacifist, director Michael Cacoyannis felt a deep affinity with 'The Trojan Women', the first play in the trilogy and had staged it in the 1960's. Having previously filmed a magnificent version of Euripides' 'Electra' in stark black and white with Greek actors, he has here a larger budget, glorious colour and a starry international cast but it is not nearly as effective.

Hecuba is one of those 'woe is me' characters. Granted, she has a great deal to be woeful about but the playing of her presents a daunting challenge to any actress brave enough to take it on. Katherine Hepburn varies the moans and groans well enough and her gritty professionalism sees her through. Her lament over the corpse of her grandson Astyanax is great film acting. The character of Andromache represents fidelity and virtue and this is captured very well by Vanessa Redgrave but she is played as a symbol rather than a flesh and blood character and this dimishes ones sympathy for her. Genevieve Bujold plays 'mad' Cassandra and has an excellent duologue with Hecuba before being carted off. Ironically if Cassandra's prophecies had been heeded and not dismissed as mere ravings the Greeks would not have been able to pull the Trojan Horse trick! The one who comes out best is the Helen of Irene Papas. This stunning artiste had already excelled as Electra for this director and as Antigone for Jorgos Tzavellas and her casting here is inspired as she is the complete antithesis of what we expect the character to be. She is strong, manipulative and sexually confident. If any face could 'launch a thousand ships' this is it! Her betrayed husband Menelaus, intends killing her but she knows and we know that of course he won't!

Cacoyannis has made a noble attempt to bring this powerful and poignant material to a wider audience but the film alas is weakened by poor editing, an intrusive score by Mikis Theodorakis and a female chorus that simply gets in the way. Ah, woe!

This is a remarkably ineffectual filming of Euripides' magnificent examination of the effects of war on women. Euripides embarrassed Athens with his realism and blatant theatricality, neither of which is on view here. The four-star cast intone their limes reverently, as if reading holy scripture, never becoming real women watching their city burn and awaiting slavery and rape. The staging is stiff and posey,farther distancing a viewer from emotional involvement. The translation is stiff and respectful. One might say that this great play is here respected to death. In short, the film shows astonishingly little invention or imagination. And how is it that all the women of Troy managed to dress in identical matching rags? This is the only film of this immortal play. Someone with feeling and passion, film it again, please.

It's all over now, the Greeks have taken Troy and have killed every male in the place. The wooden horse idea worked beautifully and now it's to divide up the spoils which in this case is the women of Troy, both high and low born.

Highest born of the lot is Hecuba, widow of the late King Priam and mother of Hector and Paris, both dead now. Imagine Eleanor of Aquitaine if her husband and all those loving sons had been slain in a cataclysm. Then you have some idea of what Katharine Hepburn's performance as Hecuba is all about.

Hepburn is aided and abetted in this film by three other international stars and each of their stories is told in relation to Hecuba. As Cassandra, Hepburn's daughter, Genevieve Bujold takes refuge in madness. The Gods gave her the gift of prophecy with the caveat that no one would believe her prophecies and it's all come too true. Vanessa Redgrave is Andromache, widow of Hector who has her little son killed by order of the Greeks to make the triumph complete before becoming part of the Spartan king's harem.

Then there's the one whose hormones started it all. Fair Helen, older and not terribly wiser, played by Irene Papas. Her scenes with Hepburn have some real bite to them, the best in the film. And Irene Papas is the only Greek in this Greek tragedy.

It's a powerful film, an anti-war film made at the time Vietnam was still a war zone. It only had limited release at the time it was out, it wasn't exactly box office material.

But it's a good film adaption of a classic and nice that one of Euripedes plays is preserved for us by four of the best players around of the female genders.

In the years labeled BC good woman's parts were actually being written.

This is a film of truly Great Actresses. Without a doubt, Hepburn, Boujold, and Redgrave make this film worth seeing. Hepburn, as always, carries the show with ease. Redgrave and Boujold both claim smaller roles, but with a lasting impact. Boujold in particular delivers a haunting interpretation of Cassandra. The script its self is a decent adaptation of a first-class play, and by its self would rank at around a C in my books, but the incredible performances of the actresses bring the movie to life and raise my opinion of the movie to a B. Their performances along with the moving story they tell makes it easy enough to look over the one or two poorly directed scenes or the occasional overly dramatic moment.

You must understand the form of classical tragedy to appreciate truly this film. Then you will see that Cacoyannis does, his four major actresses do, and the rest of his cast do, right down to the boy who plays Redgrave's son.

The four actresses have tragic arias -- there is no better word for it -- that they play magnificently. One always knows what is going on in this film because the text is translated so perfectly; the direction is so clear; and the actors play directly to that text. All are brilliant.

Don't look for special effects; there are none. Greek tragedy needed none. There are no chariot chases, no blowing up of the Parthenon as two smart-assed "detectives" grin and compliment each other, no two heroines outwitting all the police in the district and end up driving their chariot into a handy canyon. Sorry, gang, the play's the thing here -- and what a play and how well it is produced and performed.

If you love classics -- text, acting, and production, don't miss this one for any reason!