April 14, 2003
The Face that launched a thousand ships?
Diane Kruger (a.k.a. as Diane Heidkrueger), a German model-turned-actress has apparently been chosen to protray Helen in (fellow German) Woflgang Petersen's upcoming Troy. According to Petersen:
"She has to be believable as the face that launched 1,000 ships and caused the Greeks to go against Troy," Petersen said of whomever plays Helen. "She has to be that beautiful."
In my personal opinion, she's as far removed from the Greek esthetic norm as one could find. Helen of Troy was described as brown-haired, with large eyes, rich curly hair, concurrent eyebrows (!), and white as snow. Ancient Greeks prized the beauty of women with ovoid faces, and low foreheads. Ancient Greek women were also significantly narrower-faced than their male counterparts.
This isn't an insult to Diane Kruger who is obviously physically appealing, but she just does not seem as someone that would fit the role of Helen of Troy.
She might be appealing, but in a 21st century fashion model kind of sense, not in a 12th c. BC princess sense.
Irrespective of her appearance, she is simply wrong for the role. One would not cast a Greek-looking actress for a re-telling of Scandinavian sagas. Similarly, one should not cast German-looking people in a Greek epic.
Posted by: Dienekes at April 14, 2003 05:55 PMPeople tend to view important history through their own idealized image, so Westerners will often depict ancient Greeks as Scandinavian types.
Look at Jesus for instance. His greatness makes him everything to everybody: to Anglos he's Nordic, to Blacks he's dark, etc.
Posted by: paratiritis at April 15, 2003 12:22 AMGood points. Westerners view Greece as the foundation of their civilization, so they tend to project their ideological and esthetic ideals. E.g., that is why they adore the "white marbles" (which were colored in antiquity), because they are congenial to their Protestant mentality; that is why they admire Greek democracy (which was not held in high esteem by most Greek thinkers), because they see it as a predecessor of their so-called "liberal democracy" etc.
Posted by: Dienekes at April 15, 2003 01:16 AMCatherine Zeta-Jones is the only one beautiful enough to be Helen of Troy.
Posted by: tommy austin at November 14, 2003 11:53 AM