The stories of Troy have inspired poets, novelists, playwrights, artists - and movie makers. Two kinds of movies about Troy are available on DVD (or for download): versions of the legends, and factual documentaries.

Legends of Troy Factual Films

Many film makers have dived into legendary Troy. None so far have emerged with finished works of great artistic excellence. That doesn't mean the movies are not worth seeing, though. Film offers new dimensions to the legends: visual versions of characters and scenes, sound, and motion. And, the movies - like novels, paintings, and other ongoing forms - retell the stories in new ways, enriching our heritage from Troy and keeping it alive.

La Caduta di Troy (The Fall of Troy) - 1911

Not available on DVD

The very first movie about Troy was a silent film from Italy. Audiences thrilled to the scene of Paris and Helen being pulled by nymphs across the sea in a huge scallop shell. Later, they saw six hundred extras haul a large plywood cutout horse into Troy. The film benefited from a peak of popularity of the ancient world around the turn of the century.

Ulysses - 1955

Fox Lorber: directed by Mario Camerino. Starring Sylvia Mangano, Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Rosanna Podestà. Available on DVD.

Some critics call this Italian-made movie the best of the films made from Homer's tales. Kirk Douglas as Ulysses (Odysseus) remembers Troy and the war in an early flashback. While the film takes some liberties with the legend, it includes major features like the Cyclops and tells how the hero returned to Ithaca.

Helen of Troy - 1956

Warner Bros.; directed by Robert Wise. Starring Rosanna Podestà, Jacques Sernas, Cedric Hardwicke, and Stanley Baker. Available on DVD.

This Hollywood extravaganza concentrates on Helen's romance with Paris, rather than the heroic deeds of the war. It takes many ideas for Trojan architecture and decoration from archaeological finds at Knossos, the seat of King Minos in Crete. We now know that the Minoan styles are not the same as those of Troy. Even so, the large battle scenes are impressive, and some incidents come straight from Homer, including Achilles dragging the body of Hector behind his chariot.

The Trojan Horse - 1962

An Italian production, directed by Giorgio Ferroni. Starring Steve Reeves, Juliette Mayniel, John Drew Barrymore, and Arturo Dominici. Available on VHS, soon on DVD.

This Italian muscleman epic resembles a no longer available film, The Fury of Achilles (Italy, 1962) - interest in the Trojan story has remained strong in Italy. For the Italian audience, the director put the legendary founder of Rome, Aeneas, at the center of the story. There is full coverage of the funeral games for Patroclus, and a splendid wooden horse.

The Odyssey - 1997

Lion's Gate: directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (originally a TV miniseries). Starring Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Isabella Rossellini, Eric Roberts. Available on DVD.

This long adventure film begins with a half hour's worth of the Trojan War, including the horse of course. Art direction and special effects are notable, and this film is one of the very few which include the gods. Isabella Rossellini is in the role of Athena, guide to Odysseus through his journey home. Some scenes are violent.

Helen of Troy - 2003

Universal Studios: directed by John Kent Harrison (originally a TV miniseries).Starring Sienna Guillory, Matthew Marsden, Rufus Sewell, John Rhys-Davies, Maryam d'Abo. Available on DVD.

In four hours, originally stretched over a television schedule, this film covers many of the events of the Trojan legends - and some that are newly invented, such as the rape of Helen by Agamemnon. Helen is weakly played as a childlike figure.

Troy - 2004

Warner Home Video: directed by Wolfgang Petersen. Starring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Peter O'Toole. Available on DVD.

This Hollywood epic is an attempt to retell the Iliad, keeping the emphasis on war and honor rather than on Helen's romance. Missing entirely however are the gods and their part in the conflict. King Priam (Peter O'Toole) stands out, but most of the acting is not engaging. Many scenes are enhanced by computer techniques, which allow such vast views as the Greek armada sailing to Troy, and massed armies on the plains. A DVD "featurette" focuses on the archaeological finds at Troy, and how the film makers tried to incorporate them into the sets.

In Search of the Trojan War - 1985

BBC Warner: directed by Bill Lyons. Written and narrated by Michael Wood. Available on a 2004 DVD. Run time 345 mins.

In an outstanding series of six programs originally made for the BBC, Michael Wood tells the story of the rediscovery of Troy and delves into the question of how "true" the legends of Homer may be. Although Wood's book by the same name (see Resources) has been updated, these programs are well worth watching for the excitement they generate about the many threads of the Troy story. This series was exceptionally well researched.

Troy: Unearthing the Legend - 2004

A&E Home Video. Run time 319 mins

This two-disc set is a collection of programs: one, unrelated to Troy, is about Sparta. A second one, of interest, is about the "treasure" Heinrich Schliemann took from Troy, and what happened to it. A third program, The Odyssey of Troy, visits the archaeological site of Troy to explore fact versus fiction there (originally part of the Ancient Mysteries series and downloadable separately).

National Geographic-Beyond the Movie-Troy - 2004

National Geographic Video. Run time 60 mins.

This National Geographic show was put together just before the Brad Pitt movie Troy came out (see above). The makers tried to show the interplay of fact and fiction about Troy, but the result is slight.

Helen of Troy - 2005

PBS Home Video: written and narrated by Bettany Hughes. Run time 120 mins.

British historian Bettany Hughes presented this program in connection with her book publication (see Resources). Hughes shows the geographical and historical background for such a woman as Helen, had she existed. Excellent photography of sites in Greece and Turkey

The True Story of Troy - 2004 (re-released 2007)

The History Channel: written, directed and produced by Gary Glassman; Carl Lindahl, executive producer for the History Channel. Produced by Providence Pictures for The History Channel. Available on DVD.

According to Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times ''The True Story of Troy'' is the kind of documentary teachers and parents would want their children to view. There are numerous interviews with the scientists working at Troy and other experts.