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Photo © Warner Brothers
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Alexander
Historical adventure, tragedy
2 hrs. 56min.
Nov 24th, wide
MPAA: R for violence and some sexuality, nudity
Warner Brothers
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Starring: Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Jared Leto, Anthony Hopkins
Directed By: OLiver Stone
Produced By: Moritz Borman, John Kilik, Iain Smith, Oliver Stone,with Thomas Schuhly
Screenplay By: Oliver Stone, Christopher Kyle, Laeta Kalogridis
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Reviewed
By: Wellington Lee
Rated 2.84/5
Combat Vietnam veteran Oliver Stone first caught critics' attention with a different tale of
an American's foreign crucible: the original screenplay "Midnight Express" . Since then he
has bio-pictured the gamut: from a serial killer, to a fallen president to a troubled ,cult
rock
musician. Maverick, visionary and resolute are some of the words that have buzzed around
Stone. So why Alexander? "I've wanted to do it for over two decades" says Stone. "He was the
all time warrior/leader, conquering nearly all(roughly 90%)of his known, third century B.C.
world." The trades peg the early movie development talks at about fifteen years.
Stone assembled hot Y generation leads with strong personalities. Supporting are award
showered heavy weights Anthony Hopkins and Christopher Plummer; and cutting edge crew. Among
my personal favorites: cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto(8 mile;21 Grams); Art director:Kevin
Phipps("Troy"!); Production design: Jan Roelfs (futuristic"Gattaca",pers.favorite). So, what
about this 2nd (1st:"Troy") Hellenistic era epic to be released this year.
Alexander is heavy on history through narration. The screenplay is structured so that first
Aristotle(Christopher Plummer), and mostly "Ptolemy"(Anthony Hopkins), inundate us with
players, regions and relationships through this three hours. Ptolemy dictates to three
trailing scribes. That device is good, but the all the details are distracting to what we
came
For: a visual and kinetic history with expected better combat and action scenes than
"Troy". Except for the assassination of Alexander's Dad, King Philip(Val Kilmer) of
Macedonia,
and the hook at the beginning, dir. Stone chooses a linear story telling approach.
That hot Irish actor with the cursing tongue, Colin Farrell, stars as adult Alexander. Stone
sets Alexander up for the classic Oedipal(its Greek mythology!)complex with obsessed and
hubby hating Mom Olympia(Angelina Jolie). In his first scene, crazed Olympia forces him to
handle one of her ubiquitous serpents, establishing her as the twisted motivator for his
later ambitions:"Don’t hesitate. They can turn on you like people." From this toddler to
teenager, we are shown his courage and competitiveness even with Dad Philip, urged onward by
ambitious Olympia. Several scenes show incestuous affection(Stone's view) between the two.
Dad Philip comes around once this bold teenager seasons and proves himself:"A King must know
how to hurt those that he loves". Stone lays out a political assassination of Philip by
Greeks, with the gold of rival Persian King Darius. Other era academics lay Alex's rivalry
with Pop, and his assassination, on Philip's widely known bisexuality(poss.assassin: jilted
lover) and mistresses.
When Alexander does jockey his way into becoming King of Macedonia, Stone's interpretation of
an act of revenge(against Persians) for his father, would appeal more to most
audiences . 3/4 hours in, we are moved out of family/historical drama, into what the
trailers promised: our first action battle. The assembled, attacking Macedonians face a much
larger, Persian force. Two of Alexander's key trademarks, are revealed. His willingness to
fight alongside his men; and his then innovative flanking tactics, causing the larger force
To panic, suffer and flee. He leads the Macedonians to victory and to the Persian capitol of
Babylon. There he shows his legendary post battle mercy. He allows the princess and court to
remain in the palace, versus the custom of making slaves out of them. Stone does not underscore Alexander's political savvy. Intertwined with his legendary mercy, he was able to occupy the major capitols(and move on!), with the
Cities' populaces, on his side. The countryside hunt for the fleeing King Darius, and then
the
Persian's mutinous commanders, took time and tons of shoe leather. Besides a lesson for his
few skeptical commanders, Alexander used the trek to create settlements, capture
cities and form alliances.
From Babylon to India, some of the most visually stunning scenes are of post victory nightly
entertainment, exotic music, and still more exotic belly and sensual dancing.
Cinematographer Prieto works with dir. Stone, to treat us to a veritable plethora of colors,
motion and sounds. Stone pushes most Americans' envelope, taunting us by filming Alexander,
flush with his triumph and goblet of wine always at hand, eyeing his sultry, beckoning man
servant. Mama Olympia's manipulation comes by courier now, torturing him with tales of court
rivalries. Just as the dancing and revelry turns darker, so does Alexander's mood by night,
and his judgment turns more impetuous by day. He defies the counsel of his commanders(rebels
against Mama), and takes the sensual, combative N.Indian Barbarian Roxane(Rosario Dawson),as
his wife. Then he truly angers them, decreeing that all 'Barbarian' children shall have a
Greek education and the young men, military training. This is notable and plausible as
possible reasons for someone poisoning Alexander and/or his death preceding best friend,
Hephaestion.
The promo trailer promising combat scenes of the Macedonians fighting Indian continent
warriors on Elephants, does not disappoint. There is a hilarious, true story of the nervous
Greek patrols fighting "..mad, hairy little warriors who come at you from the trees..".
Baboons that they had NEVER set eyes upon! Oliver Stone keeps returning to the theme of
political(Nixon), business("Wall Street's" Michael Douglas)and cultural leaders("The Doors"
Jim Morrison), who lose their power and coping abilities, and explores what that experience
is like for them. No
matter how much film time it takes. With Alexander he asked too much of audiences, and we
critics(I suspect). This work is too long, too much screen time on Alexander's mental and
loss of power, collapse; too many scenes of implied sexual identity struggles(we get it the
2nd time); and too much narration with historical ramblings. Though I cannot imagine another
actor embodying Stone's vision of Alexander's inner tumult, Farrell, Val Kilmer's and
Anthony Hopkins superb portrayals cannot save Stone's own relentless obsession to make us
sit through this melodramatic ordeal. Work with and listen to your Executive producers,
Oliver! Harness and give a palatable form to your unique genius.
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