Alexandre

Alexander is directed by Oliver Stone and Stone co-writes the screenplay with Christopher Kyle and Laeta Kalogridis. It stars Colin Farrell, Val Kilmer, Angelina Jolie, Jared Leto, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Christopher Plummer. Music is by Vangelis and cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto.

Alexander is an historical epic based on the life of Alexander the Great. Off the bat I have to say that this "Final Cut" version of the film is the only one I have seen. Upon its initial home format release - the first theatrical version - I lasted an hour and 15 minutes before growing restless and sought enjoyment elsewhere. Consequently as a massive fan of historical epics through the years, it has been a constant nagging itch for me to see Alexander in its entirety. So with Oliver Stone tinkering away with versions - convinced he has made a worthwhile epic - I finally delved in.

The Final Cut, as far as I'm aware, is a vast improvement on that savagely received theatrical release, well that is said by those who tried again instead of calling quits at the first production. Straight away I could see the difference, where once was a plodding first hour, now sits a vibrancy, with Stone seemingly saying that he can do great action and drama, just please hang around during all the historical chatter, sexual connotation, family strife and conquering machinations, and I will enthral you as a whole.

By his own admission, Stone reveals he took on a most complex historical character and in his eyes has made a film to befit such complexity. We get a splintered narrative, as we kick off with the crux of Alexander the Great, the leader, while Alexander's childhood and family forming is interspersed at various junctures. The battles are high in intensity and blood letting - exhilarating at times - but more crucially they let us engage with the tactical "ahead of their time" manoeuvres of Alexander the Great. This version mostly flows alright, and I got to feel how Alexander's mind was working in the process, even if come pics closure I didn't fully know the man.

Epically cast of course, some of them work, others not so much. Farrell's looked odd, in the way that Pitt's was in Troy (released this same year as Alexander), but apart from the accent issue he grows into the role and is fiercely committed. Jolie is just wrong for the role of domineering Olympias, worse still the scenes she does with Farrell are damp and threaten to derail the drama already built up. This latter point is more annoying given a great thread involving Dawson as Alexander's wife Roxanne is built up superbly, only to not be pulled until some drama very late in the play. The rest of the cast come through as ok for period flavours (expected for Hopkins, Plummer and Meyers, interesting as regards Leto).

This is not the life ambition masterpiece Stone wanted to make, even if he proclaims on the extras that he's happy and content with The Final Cut version. This cut still shows some cracks, but these are not seismic enough to hurt the film. For there's a lot of grandeur, blood stirring and thought gone into the production, and there's a lot to be said for that in this day and age of soulless cash making filmic exercises. Honourable failure then? Yes for sure, but a better film in this form than some may have thought possible back in 2004. 7/10

With such an epic story, you would think someone like Stone would produce an epic film. From the random accents of the characters (specifically, I have no idea what Jolie was trying to do), to some pretty atrocious acting from Farrell-he's capable of much better, but this was at the height of his grandiosity and ego. There are so many moments where it feels like the film is onto something, only to have it stop and spin off into another, pointless direction. Bottom line: a $155 mil film about Alexander the Great should have been iconic, but Alexander falls flat on its face from the weight of the egos involved.

Saw Alexander last night and loved it. Would I recommend it? Yes-BUT-be forewarned, this is not your classic historical epic so leave behind all ideas of what an historic epic film should be and bring along an open the mind for a wonderful ride. After all, one doesn't expect Ben-Hur or The Robe or The Ten Commandments from Oliver Stone. He uses jumpy camera shots and grainy filters as well as wonderful color filters that give the battle scenes a viscerally disturbing edge, taking the viewer out of their complacent acceptance of 21st century, violent battle scenes and making them squirm. I felt the desiccating heat at Gaugamel as well as the cloying humidity of the Indian forests. The grandeur of the CGI presentation of Babylon was awe inspiring as was the set for the Library at Alexandria.

The subtle presentation of the film in Greek Tragedy format worked well for me, from Pharoah Ptolomy representing the chorus through the Oedipal angst of Alexander's love/hate relationship with his parents. The costuming was perfection, as was the architecture. Not once was I jolted by an incorrect piece of art, jewelry, fabric or weapon. The use of a Gypsy Horse (or Irish Cob) for Bucephalus was a striking choice. They are a majestic breed and, although I am under-educated as to what his actual breed was, he was well cast.

Before seeing the film I was only aware of Messers Stone and Farrell and Ms. Jolie's involvement so I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of Brian Blessed as the wrestling master and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Cassander, and I was thrilled by the Vangelis score! I have not heard a Vangelis score since The Bounty.

As for the representation of love between Alexander and Hephaestion, my hat is off to Oliver Stone for his presentation of a love that transcended gender and was as true as that Paris held for Helen. Unlike the recent film of Troy, in which the lovers Achilles and Patroclus were made into platonic cousins, Oliver Stone has courageously represented an historic love to a culture wherein the attitude towards male/male pairings have become anethema. That the Great General Alexander had a male life companion is a simple fact of history as we know it. In my years at school it was not presented as either laudable or offensive, it was simply a researched fact. History as we know it tells us that the Greece of Alexander's time looked upon such pairings as Alexander's and Hephaestion's as something acceptable as long as they grew in knowledge and virtue. Christopher Plummer's Aristotle sums this up in one simple speech near the beginning of the film and, by taking Ganymede to his side, the greatest of all Greek Gods, Zeus, sanctioned such pairings. Like it as not, right or wrong, the *gender issue* and *gay issue* are a none other than a matter of popular opinion, and popular opinion at the time of Alexander was that men lay down with men as well as women. It simply was, and that is how Oliver Stone handled it-simply-without defense or apology and that took guts.

Even without the *controversial* relationship between Alexander and Hephaestion, this would have been a 9.5 out of 10 for me.

It took Oliver Stone four tries and ten years of edits to get this film right...but he finally does.

The Final Cut, released in 2014, shuffles the story elements around so the narrative is fast-paced and cohesive. Alexander's bisexuality is explored much more deeply. Those close to Alexander are further explored.

If you're going to watch Alexander, watch The Final Cut. It's far and away the best version.

The movie shows with excruciating detail the personal drama of one of the most influential characters in world history. Without Alexander there would be no western civilization since the Greeks liked keeping their culture for themselves only.

This picture is not for the faint of heart since it depicts the flaws of a real person and the way he really lived. As for those who expected to see a Gladiator movie... Well they are not Alexanders... But nations like the American nation were built by founding fathers who had the heart of Alexander the Great.

Kudos to Stone