The Alexander Connection

Rating: Null/10 (28 November 2004)

After watching this film I sat for some time, trying to determine exactly why I hated it so much. Since my brain, in an act of self preservation, shut off during hour two this took a bit longer than it otherwise would have.
I decided to go back to the reason I went to the film in the first place. Before I watched this movie, I liked Alexander. I was intrigued with his life. There is this dichotomy to his character.
Alexander is considered great for two very different accomplishments: conquering most of the known world and promoting cultural and intellectual world communication. If we stop to think about it, he is really respected and revered for the latter much more than the former.
Stone's film falters in that it seems to focus almost entirely on Alexanders military exploits. One of the two only other diversions he pulls out to break the military monotony is a "perhaps" homosexual relationship? This was Greece! Of course, he had sex with men. Due to the very low estimation of humanity afforded women in Greek culture the ideal relationship was with another man. Stone, I believe, also attempts to draw the audience to Alexander by throwing in bizarre family dysfunction but really, when was the last time you fantasized about your mother? This is also used to try to explain why Alexander fancies men which seems to imply that Stone, at least, believes homosexuality to be a sort of mental disability.
There is nothing in this film with which we can connect and sympathize. This failure to connect with Alexander is infuriating because, before this brain eating zombie of a film, I admired him and identified with him. I can only hope that the other Alexander films reportedly in production will touch on the aspects of his life that connect him to all of us.
For example, Alexander was trained from infancy by his father to be a warrior. There are tales of how Phillip kept predatory animals on the grounds to promote fearlessness in Alexander. From the records, one does not get the feeling that Phillip was free with his praise and declarations of love. This, of course, seldom makes us love our father's any less and sometimes causes us to be consumed with winning their respect or love. We're starved for some sort of validation and the only person who can satiate us is the one who inspired that need.
How haunting is that image of Alexander? He conquered most of the known world in a futile attempt to win the admiration of a father long dead? It is pure speculation and perhaps even transference but that hasn't stopped historians in the past and certainly doesn't seem to be a problem for Stone.
At least it's something to which an audience can relate.
On the other hand, Alexander was a student of Aristotle. He was chosen to continue a school of thought which began with Socrates. He sat at the feet of one of the greatest philosophers in history and, it seems, developed an appreciation for knowledge. Not only the knowledge of the written word but also that which can be gleaned from the people and cultures that surround each an every one of us.
One could speculate that Alexander would have preferred to spend his life if quiet thought but, due to the aforementioned need to prove himself to his father, went out conquering as was expected. He could have been unifing cultures and building his library and temples to knowledge as a way of justifying that warrior existence to himself or perhaps his teacher.
The question would then be, did it balance out? Was Alexander the Great an egomaniac or frustrated with an addiction to gain power? He conquered and defeated but for what did he use the power he collected? Many would say, the enrichment of mankind. Was that enough? Was the greatest conquerer in western history, arguably the single most powerful man in western history, ever happy?
This is the character arch I wanted to see. This is the side of Alexander to which I can relate. Stone had three hours to convince me there was something about his Alexander I liked, something for which I wanted to cheer or cry. Instead I am left mourning the loss of my limited and precious time.