Admirable attempt at capturing a turning point in history

Rating: 7/10 (11 February 2007)

After a lot of unnecessary disparaging remarks about the portrayal of a bisexual hero which I quickly discarded, I was able to concentrate on some of the outstanding qualities of this epic tale.
Firstly I admired the sweeping vistas of the lands that Alexander (Colin Farrell) conquered and enslaved. All credit to the set designers and the magic wrought by computerization. There was so much to watch in these crowd scenes.so many soldiers.so much action.
Secondly there were the costumes for men and women, warriors and soldiers, rich and poor and royal families of different lands. So much research was required here. After all 356 BC was a long time ago. If you are going for authenticity, you must not let the imagination roam too far. I thought the overall effect of the costume design was fantastic. Congratulations to those responsible. You did your job well.
Thirdly, the battle scenes were understandably chaotic. How else could you record hand to hand fighting? There were some graphic shots I will always remember. I am not sure why but the forest of spears in vertical position prior to the attack was a wonderful piece of cinema that sent shivers down my back. Also the elephants in India lunging forward through the tropical undergrowth like an unstoppable army was an inspiring sight.
Oliver Stone as the creator of this mammoth project must have dreamed for many years about the portrayal of Alexander. I imagine that he had many sleepless nights. The result which hit the movie screens around the world is a digest of Alexander's unique life. It shows us that Alexander was so much more than a soldier. He was also a man who had his fears too...was prone to explode in a violent temper... and again break down and cry when things went bad.
Colin Farrell in the title role had a gigantic task ( and did well) as the teenager who led an army (Can you imagine such an event today?) and went on to conquer the kingdoms of North Africa, Asia Minor and Persia. He made a striking figure on his favorite horse as he urged his men ever onward when all they really wanted was to go home to their wives and children. His eventual death at 33 still remains a mystery but wine spiked with arsenic is a likely cause. Alexander's mother with whom he quarreled frequently insisted he was the son of Zeus. While many mothers adore their sons even Alexander thought that this was going a bit too far.
The main criticism I have is that old Ptolemy prattles on a bit too much in the beginning of the film. We are not all students of classical literature and it is a bit upsetting to have all these classical names thrust at us. But eventually we become engrossed in Alexander's antics so what goes before hardly matters.
Just let this great epic flow over you and ask yourself has the world really changed that much!