Reverse Casting

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2006)

If they had cast Jared Leto (Hephaistion) as Alexander the film would have had a heart. Instead we get blood and guts.
It is difficult to understand the motivation of Alexander if you are going to be half hearted about his love for Hephaistion. You either need to be explicit or leave it to those in the know. A modern American audience might find the former hard to take in a macho battle epic, but it would not have shocked the ancient Greeks. The relationships that drive Alexander are those with his mother, father and Hephaistion. You can hear the Studio shouting at the Director - cut all that gay stuff the mainstream audience will find it a turn off. Unfortunately they are right. So Stone tries to fudge it and fails. Where he succeeds is in the battle scenes. The movie is wonderfully shot and scored. But without a heart you cannot be moved.