Director Oliver Stone chalks up an ambitious entry on his biopic resume (past entries include films about Jim Morrison, Richard Nixon, and JFK among others) with this cinematic treatise on the life of the mighty Alexander the Great. Despite his young death at 32, Alexander packed some unimaginable conquests into his limited years by ruling over a huge chunk of the globe. Stone draws on a voice-over narration provided by Anthony Hopkins, whose character is named Ptolemy, to aurally depict some of the battles. Thus, Stone shifts the weight of the film to focus on the personality of Alexander (Colin Farrell), a man who is stricken by overwhelming personal insecurities that come in direct contrast to his bold achievements. Complex dealings with his mother (Angelina Jolie) and father (Val Kilmer) plague him, as does his turbulent relationship with his wife, Roxane (Rosario Dawson). His connection with his best friend, Hephaestion (Jared Leto), is ambiguous, with Stone touching on their vaunted homosexuality via some shared tender moments. As these personal battles are played out, Ptolemy fills the historic gaps in the narrative by charting the incredible conflicts that raged at Alexander's behest. Eventually, Stone lets loose with an epic on-screen battle, which sees Alexander's troops rumble across India in another country-conquering quest. But while his minions struggle, and Alexander demands success, it becomes clear that he is his own worst enemy. With the only real threat to Alexander coming from a tempestuous struggle with his own ego, Stone's summation of the great historical leader paints a picture of an embittered and solitary figure who was able to rule everyone apart from himself.
Theatrical Release: November 24, 2004
DVD Features:
2-Disc Set
Region 1
Director's Cut
Widescreen - 2.39
Audio:
Closed Captioned - English - Optional
Dolby Digital Surround Sound 5.1 - English
Subtitles - French, Spanish - Optional
Disc 1:
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Oliver Stone - Director
Disc 2:
Additional Release Material:
Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
Featurette:
1. "Go Behind the Scenes of ALEXANDER with Sean Stone Via 3 Documentaries: 'Resurrecting Alexander,' 'Perfect is the Enemy of Good,' 'The Death of Alexander.'"
2. "Vangelis Scores ALEXANDER"
Interactive Features:
"DVD-ROM PC Web Link to the Online World of Alexander the Great"
Distributor Notes: Oliver Stone recreates the towering, true story of Alexander the Great (Colin Farrell), who in the 4th Century BC conquered Greece, Persia, Afghanistan and India- 90% of the known world. Against massive armies of chariots and elephants, he never lost a battle. Visionary, explorer, dreamer- he was also a tender son, torn by his mother's (Angelina Jolie) burning love and ambition and desperate for his father's (Val Kilmer) approval. His dream shaped the world we live in today.
Source: Warner Home Video
Director of Photography
Rodrigo Prieto: Director of Photography, AMORES PERROS (2001)
Review 1:
"[With] two huge, astonishing battles..."
Source: Uncut
p.149 09/01/2005
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