Screenwriters for historical epics should read Dalton Trumbo

Rating: Null/10 (21 November 2004)

I am an Oliver Stone fan(atic), and this is, indeed, his worst film ever. What was he thinking? I agree with the majority of other comments. There are only TWO rather static battle scenes in almost three hours - vs. so many sequences, well-staged, directed and edited in "Troy." (And that Trojan Horse looked spectacular. Is there anything equally memorable in "Troy"?)
In both cases, however, the scripts the dialogue, were abominable, and easily on a par with those dubbed old "Hercules" imports during the 1960s.
In the future, anyone scripting an historical period piece like this should be required to read - or watch and listen - to Dalton Trumbo's adaptation of "Spartacus." The storyline was direct, fast-paced, and provided for several dynamic actions sequences. Most important, however, was the intelligent dialogue, especially that given to the educated Roman Senate, and the earthy slaves in revolt.
And regarding the earlier post about The "Tomatometer" at rottentomatoes.com, there are now 11 reviews, 4 are divided equally with a "red ripe" or a "green splat." "Slantmagazine" has yet to receive one of these icons, and the review tries to sound impartial, butit portents bad news for Stone's "Alexander." It doesn't bode well when current newspaper ads drawn on little known reviewers who hail the film as "a masterpiece." Compare the print reviews for "Kinsey," that use recognized and respected critics (Roger Ebert, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, the NY Times, etc.) for "legitimate" promotional advertising.
With a promising cast, but a script that wreaks of deplorable clichés and dialogue, director Stone has dropped a megaton H-bomb in theaters centuries before the real one was developed.