The Trojan Women (1971)

The women of Troy face enslavement after the fall of their city.

Director:

Mihalis Kakogiannis (as Michael Cacoyannis)

Writers:

Euripides (play), Edith Hamilton (English translation)

Stars:

Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Geneviève Bujold

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Katharine Hepburn	...	Hecuba
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Andromache
Geneviève Bujold	...	Cassandra
Irene Papas	...	Helen
Patrick Magee	...	Menelaus
Brian Blessed	...	Talthybius
Alberto Sanz	...	Astyanax
Pauline Letts	...	Woman
Rosalind Shanks	...	Woman
Pat Beckett	...	Woman (as Pat Becket)
Anna Bentinck	...	Woman
Elsie Pittas	...	Woman (as Ersie Pittas)
Esmeralda Adam García	...	Woman (as Esmeralda Adam)
Esperanza Alonso	...	Woman
María García Alonso	...	Woman (as Maria G. Alonso)

Storyline

Hecuba and the other women of Troy rise to find their city in ruins and their cause lost. The city has fallen into Greek hands and it is likely their lot to become slaves of Greek soldiers. A messenger approaches to inform them that the lots have been drawn and each woman will be taken to the man who drew for her. Of particular interest is Hecuba's daughter, Cassandra, who is chosen for the Greek kings bedchamber. She has received word of this news already and is in hiding because she has sworn an oath to the gods that she will live as a virgin. When she is found she has some particularly nasty things to say about treatment at Greek hands.

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Plot Keywords:

greek | troy | greek mythology | greece | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

The strength of mankind has always been its women.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

UK USA Greece

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 1977 (Japan)

Also Known As:

As Troianas

Filming Locations:

Atienza, Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Josef Shaftel Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Edith Hamilton translation of "The Trojan Women", which is used in this film, premiered on the Broadway stage in 1938. It was immediately acclaimed as being superior to the antiquated Gilbert Murray translation, which was the standard version used then.

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Quotes

Andromache: [on learning of Astyanax's fate] O Greeks, you have found ways to torture that are not Greek!

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Connections

Version of The Trojan Women (2004)

User Reviews

Tell Ya 'Bout Them Trojan Women Who Lived In The Olden Days

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.