Helen of Troy (1924)

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HELEN OF TROY - The Fall of Troy
A classic epic film in two parts


Emelka Group Munich, 1924

Part One:
THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
Act One

Before the Temple of Adonis on Cythera,
the island of Aphrodite, goddess of love,
the Greeks invoke the arrival of spring.

"Adonis, god of spring, awaken,
so that life can bloom once more."

"I place a myrtle crown
upon the holy dove of Aphrodite.

May she find
the most beautiful woman in Greece,

who with her naked beauty
shall awaken Adonis."

In Sparta, in the palace
of Menelaus, King of the Greeks,

Helen, the wife of the king,
sat playing the harp with her companions.

"The holy dove of Aphrodite
brings you the crown of myrtle.

Oh, Queen! You are the chosen one
for the festival of Adonis."

But Queen Helen was faithful
to her husband, and feared
the temptations of Aphrodite.

"Menelaus, spare me the shame of exposing
my nakedness to the eyes of strangers."

"You shall be the envy of the whole world.
You shall go to Cythera!"

"Through Agamemnon,
all of Greece shall pay homage to you."

Priam, King of Troy,
sought the protection of the gods as well.

"Athena, our protector!

Spring returns.

Bring a year of peace
to the sacred city of Troy."

"Priam, my King!
The oracle's answer is favourable!"

"Light the bonfires!

Let the entire population come at once
and, as a token of gratitude,

celebrate the festival of spring!"

And while Troy rejoiced
in the festivities...

...on the hills above Troy, the sounds of
a shepherd's flute also praised the spring.

"Agelaus, my good father,
why do you bring me this wreath?"

"My Paris,
why do you always seek solitude?

Accompany me
to the festival in Troy."

Agelaus had raised Paris,
the youngest son of Priam,

although he was supposed to
have sacrificed him to the gods

to prevent calamity from befalling Troy.

"Forgive me, oh gods!

Paris does not know that as son of a king,
he is entitled to glory and power.

Please help him
receive what is rightfully his."

In the twilight of that spring day,
Paris fell asleep on Mount Ida.

"I, Hermes, messenger of the gods,
say to you: Give this golden apple

to the most beautiful of the three
goddesses who appears to you."

"I am Hera, goddess among goddesses.
Choose me,

and I will make you the richest
and most powerful man on earth."

"Give the apple to me, Athena, goddess of
wisdom, and eternal glory shall be yours."

"I, Aphrodite, goddess of love,

will give you the love
of the most beautiful woman on earth,

and make you the happiest man alive."

"I choose you, Aphrodite! You are
the most beautiful of the goddesses."

"Follow my white dove, and it shall
guide you safely across the sea."

The break of day.

"Let us go to Troy,
to the festival of spring.

There I will sacrifice to Aphrodite
the best and strongest of my bulls."

King Menelaus received
a warning from the gods.

Hear what the oracle of Delphi has to say:

If you lose Queen Helen to another man,

all of Greece will be forced
to fight for her for many years."

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
End of Act One

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
Act Two

The festival of spring in Troy.

Furious that Paris favoured Aphrodite,

Hera took revenge on Troy
by sending a cyclone.

"Priam! Lord and shepherd over the people!"

"The goddess Hera seems to take
grave offense at some unknown iniquity.

Her statue lies in pieces,
shattered by her fury."

"Send me, your son Hector,
to Greece, to the sanctuary of Hera.

With our finest cattle as an offering,
I hope to appease her wrath."

"I, Aesacus, warn you, Priam!
Woe be to you

should one of your sons
sail for Greece."

"And so I ask the men of my people:
Who dares sail beyond the sea?"

"Prepare the sacrificial ship!"

In the dark of night,
Helen sought council from the oracle.

"You have the power
to invoke the dark future.

Tell me if I should
follow the call and go to Cythera."

"Your star shall tell you your fate."

Queen Hecuba, wife of Priam, wrapped holy
bands around the head of the Trojan envoy.

"Adorn the cattle for the sacrificial ship
with the garlands of holy Troy!"

Angered by the choice of envoy,
Athena revoked her protection

over the city
and hurled lightning upon her statue.

"Hurry! Call for the seer Aesacus!"

"Ask not, King! Seeing is knowing,
and knowing is suffering!"

"The ship bears doom!

In your death
you shall see the downfall of Troy!"

"Hector, may the sacrificial ship
placate the guardian goddess of Troy!"

Wearing the divine girdle of Aphrodite,
which she received from the priests,

Helen made her way
to the feast of Adonis on Cythera.

"The princes of Greece are gathered
to honour Aphrodite with a competition.

Take this wreath
and consecrate it at the altar of Adonis,

so that it may be awarded to the winner
of the chariot race at dawn."

Helen's entry into the arena of Cythera.

Menelaus prepared
for the chariot race.

Achilles,
the most noble of the Greek heroes.

"Thersites, you are cunning.

Since Helen will bestow the wreath,
I must not lose to Achilles in the race!"

"I will prevent proud Achilles
from partaking in the race."

"Since when does Achilles
fight for women's wreaths?"

"Unharness the horses, Patroclus!"

"I will not compete!"

Inflamed by Helen's beauty, Achilles desired
to receive the victory wreath from her hands.

"Hail Menelaus!"

"Quickly, get the horses!
They are one round ahead of us!"

"Helen!"

"Hail! Hail!
Achilles is passing Menelaus!"

"Hail! Hail! Achilles has caught up
in the second round!"

The last round.

"I, Achilles, have won!"

"Shall I throw you into the dust
at Helen's feet, Menelaus?"

"Stand together, princes of Greece!

The blood of the sacrificial animal has
stained the altar. The gods warn of blood."

"Do not fight over Helen!

Swear that we will defend her
together, against anyone who
dares do her the slightest harm."

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
End of Act Two

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
Act Three

On the sacrificial ship,
Paris fought against the raging sea.

"We must turn back!

The ship can no longer
withstand the raging storm."

"Let me take the rudder!
There is no turning back!"

After her ritual bath, Helen stepped out of
the bath and put the sacred girdle back on.

"Should he be alive
through whom you have awaked my yearning,

Aphrodite, then let him
overcome all perils to reach me!"

"Your prayer has calmed the sea, Paris!
We will follow you wherever you go."

"I fear that the oracle's prophecy
is starting to come true.

Let us flee and return home!"

"Too late. Already the victor
approaches to take me to the boat."

With melancholy in his heart,
Achilles watched Helen as she left

in the High Priest's boat
for the Temple of Adonis.

"Helen,
by the will of the goddess Aphrodite,

today you are the bride
of her divine son Adonis."

In the marble image of the god of
spring, Helen recognized the face
of her beloved from her dream.

"I have reached my destination!
Hurry now, to the island."

"Hear my love, Adonis,
I am yours!

Spring waits to be reawakened
by our kiss."

"Oh, you have awakened,
eternal creator of spring!"

"I am not who you hold me to be.

I am only a simple shepherd

guided by Aphrodite
to the fairest of the fair."

The morning after the night of love.

The lovers awake in dishonour,
though not of their own fault.

"Flee, the High Priest approaches!

The curse of all of Greece
shall be upon me, for you must know:

I am Helen, Queen of Sparta."

"I love you and cannot take another breath
without you. Come with me!"

"We are lost. The sail is useless!"

"Take the sacred shroud of Aphrodite
for a sail. Hurry!"

"Cursed are you, Helen,
you are unworthy to be queen!

Cursed by Aphrodite,
whose sanctity you defiled!"

"Cursed are you,
you wicked Trojan raider.

The Greeks will tear apart your
villainous band. A curse upon Troy!"

Meanwhile, the princes of Greece
dined until the break of dawn,

listening to the singer's songs
of heroic deeds.

"Achilles,
are you dreaming of the victory wreath

that Helen consecrated for you
at the Adonis statue? Take this one!"

"Wash your disgraceful mouth with wine

before you dare speak the name of Helen!"

"What do you care about my wife?"

"Do you still have a right to Helen?

You, who out of arrogance
exposed your wife to the eyes of others?"

"Listen, Helen has been abducted!"

"Greeks, remember your oath! Now is
the time to fight together for Helen!"

"At the Temple of Adonis we found
King Priam of Troy's sacrificial garland."

"To Troy!"

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
End of Act Three

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
Act Four

A mysterious plague
raged across Troy.

Children perished
and no remedy could be found.

"Have you still not seen
the sacrificial ship?"

"Enough of your wailing!

I will place a new divinity over Troy
and elevate it over all other gods."

Not knowing which of the gods
he should choose,

Priam waited for a sign.

"A new calamity, my Lord and King!
The lions have att*cked your herds.
They have k*lled two of my companions."

"We found this wreckage
of the sacrificial ship in the sea."

"Then you must be dead, Paris,
you solace of my old age!"

"Then hear, oh King,
the terrible secret."

"Fear of punishment
kept me from speaking.

Only now did Paris die. Against your will,
I could not k*ll your son at the time!"

"I raised him in secret and loved him.
He was as beautiful as a god."

"Aphrodite, goddess born of the sea foam,

cast this shroud through the sea
and upon the shore to us."

"Aphrodite, is this a sign you give to me?"

"Then Aphrodite is the new guardian goddess
of Troy. Call a lion hunt in her honour!"

Shipwrecked and dashed about by the waves,
only with great effort could Paris bring
his lover to safety on the rocky shore.

"Those are the walls
of the sacred city of Troy, my home!"

Preparations for the lion hunt.

While Hector arms himself for the hunt,
his mother Hecuba visits him.

"Have them show you to the mountain altar,

and there, sacrifice the blood of a lion
for the soul of my dead child Paris,

for whom I have shed more tears
than this bowl can hold."

Paris carried Helen
into the hut of Agelaus.

"I'm just a poor shepherd of these hills,
who would conquer kingdoms for you,
and yet has nothing but his love to offer!"

"Split up the hunting party. Lions have
been seen in the hills and in the valley!"

"Give me the bowl
for the sacrifice at the mountain altar!"

"Aphrodite, give me strength, so that
I may win a new kingdom for her
who gave up a kingdom for me.

I would rather lose her and die
than know that she spends
one day in distress and poverty."

"Never was your hunt better, Hector.
Look, here is your brother Paris!"

"Now you too know the long held secret.
You are Paris, son of King Priam,
and this is your brother Hector."

"Brother!"

"Aphrodite, help!"

"If you are looking for a sacrifice,
take me!"

"If you have called me here, Aphrodite,
to save these two,

then I will cease to be angry
about my misstep."

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
End of Act Four

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
Act Five

Troy celebrates the successful lion hunt.

"Protected and accompanied
by Helen, the envoy of Aphrodite,

your sons Paris and Hector return,
King Priam."

"Kneel and kiss her robes! This woman
has been granted wondrous powers!"

"My Paris,
my lost son who has now been found!"

"Thanks to you, who has released me
from the curse of the gods,

today I enjoy the happiest day of my life!"

"Woe to you, Priam!
This woman will bring doom!

Because of her, your sons will die,

and because of her,
Troy will be reduced to ashes."

"Doomsayer,
never have you spoken a word

which brought me prosperity!

Put him in shackles
in the deepest dungeon!"

A ship of the Greek fleet

brought the commanders Agamemnon
and Menelaus ashore to King Priam.

"I, Menelaus, demand Helen, my wife,
from you, King Priam!"

"And l, Agamemnon,

in the name of all Greeks,
demand the release of the Queen of Sparta!"

"Here begs an aged King,
here beg his sons, and a grateful people:

Remain with us, oh guardian goddess,
and do not take from us your blessing,

which you have bestowed upon Troy."

"You once laughed at my distress,
and drove me to do

what I was afraid to do.

Now I must stay
where fate has brought me.

Because, you see,
I am the only hope these people have."

"Then I seek protection at this altar.

Troy is my new home."

"Greece, so offended, will not rest
until the flames sh**t as high from
Troy's walls as that arrow flew!"

King Priam sought help from the gods.

After the Greek delegation returned,
a battle broke out on the shores near Troy.

Hector led the way, in an attempt
to fight off the Greek landing.

Achilles challenged Hector to a duel.

"Call Paris and Helen!"

"Save Hector! Only divine intervention
can bring victory to us!"

"Aphrodite, do not let me do evil
against my own people!"

"It is not in my power
to perform a miracle, oh Priam."

"Who will fight with me for Helen?"

"Victory! Paris has triumphed!"

"I, Agamemnon, King of the Greeks,
place Helen under this sword.

We shall have our day of vengeance.
Then she shall pay for her offense!"

"I alone am called upon
to judge over Helen.

With this shield of mine, I will
protect her from the sword of vengeance!

For I still cannot believe
that she has done any wrong."

"You saved my life, my brother.
Who gave this shepherd such courage?"

With loving gratitude, Helen places
the victory wreath upon Paris' head.

"Now all my wishes have been fulfilled!

I have gained glory,
and a kingdom is at your feet, Helen!"

"I will not return home until
that wreath adorns my head,
for it belongs to me alone!"

THE ABDUCTION OF HELEN
The End