Following Troy’s defeat and with her city in ruins, Hecuba, portrayed by Katharine Hepburn and the former queen to King Priam, is dressed in mourning while awaiting the Greek victors' decision regarding her future—and that of her daughter Cassandra (Geneviève Bujold), Hector’s widow Andromache (Vanessa Redgrave) and her child, and Helen (Irene Papas), who instigated these troubles with Menelaus (Patrick Magee) eager for vengeance. The film isn’t so much a historical account as it is a series of intense speeches, which occasionally disrupted the flow of the narrative but did help to concentrate attention on each individual character. Hepburn’s Hecuba functions as a connecting thread and she performs her role adequately, though Redgrave has a more substantial part as her survival—and that of her son—becomes one of the most sorrowful elements explored here. Bujold's appearances are limited, but her depiction of the unstable priestess devoted to an apparently uncaring Apollo is quite moving; similarly, Papas delivers a performance that diverges from typical Hollywood portrayals of beauty, ambition and even grief. Brian Blessed also restrains his usual energy for a largely sympathetic portrayal of Talthybius—the man tasked with gathering these women together and informing them where they will live out their days. Ultimately, this is about the struggle to survive after war, a situation that could apply to anyone left mourning or unsure of what lies ahead; although presented in a theatrical style, it could easily serve as a basis for contemporary discussions among people dealing with the devastation of conflict. I did find myself questioning the setting. The ruins where they await their fates appeared more like old caves than the remains of a once-great city, and unless the Greeks had access to explosives, the extent of the damage didn't seem believable. This film highlights not only the acting talent but also the writing, and despite its bleakness, it’s definitely worth watching.

Source on TMDB