Brilliance.

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2004)

Just came from seeing the movie with my little daughter. I was, considering the overall demographics of my town, surprised that the theater was full. I feel that although necessary Anthony Hopkins' narrative may have proved to be too long for folks not truly interested in ATG. This can tune folks out.
Hephaistion's character seemed too shadowed. The scenes between Alexander and Hephaistion were wonderfully portrayed. I have to agree Collin Farrel was not the best orator when it came to battle speeches but his depth was fleshed out in other aspects of his portrayal of such a difficult and tragic character.
The combining of battles and events was needed. ATG fans will just have to suck it up like the LOTR's folks did and the Lawrence of Arabia folks did...you can only fit so much in. Besides most of the viewers have no clue what's been compressed anyway. The battle scenes were well done. I only wish that "eagle eye" shots of Gaugamela had shown a closer view of Alexander's tactics since the battle was brilliantly executed. Oh well. The common movie goer wouldn't know anyway. I'm not trying to say that all this attention to detail should be replaced with absolute historical fabrication but in a movie time is limited.
I especially liked, and feel it may be the most poignant, the ending where the generals are actually fighting over Alexander's body, actually climbing on him. It gave such a picture of the complete collapse and degeneration of all that Alexander tried to build. In death he is being raped of his accomplishments by his own men. From "goat herders" as he referred to them, to rulers of Persia and beyond and back again to a group of "barbarians" fighting over the still warm corpse of their king.
No it is not "Lawrence of Arabia" but it is the tragic tale of brilliance run horrible amuck. Of genius burning so brightly that it can only in the end extinguish itself just as one would use dynamite to blow out a raging forest fire. Alexander didn't really make it home, Lawrence did but fled into virtual obscurity. Alexander's dream began to die with Hephaestion in the movie and possible in reality. Lawrence's may have died with the death of Dahoum and his refusal to play along with the politics of ruling.
There will of course be detractors both on the scholarly side and the average wanna see some nice battle scenes side but I enjoyed the movie for what it was and feel that with such a huge topic to cover it was overall pretty well done.