a little respect for a sincere film

Rating: 9/10 (8 January 2005)

Having seen this film almost a month ago i wouldn't have bothered to add my comments here if i weren't extremely offended by the continuing critics'(filthy?) attack on it.I was naive enough to believe that the really nasty criticism should be kept for the film rubbish.Awfully bad or silly films have been treated mildly by the critics whereas in "Alexander"'s case we have a definitely serious piece of work torn to pieces with inexplicable rage.
I don't claim that "Alexander" is a masterpiece of cinematography or that Oliver Stone is Eisenstein's reincarnation but i feel that there was a peculiar rush to condemn this film and ridicule its intentions.
In Greece, where i come from, Alexander the Great is a part of our tradition,an everlasting legend,a symbol.Having grown with this legend,almost from the cradle, i have searched for him for many years through the primary historical sources and the most recent historical biographies.My conclusion is that ATG is one of the most elusive personalities in history.So i believe that there is enough space for any serious artist (or thinking person for that matter) to approach ATG from many different angles.Oliver Stone chose to look for the man behind the legend.To ponder on his dreams and his fears,his demons and his "divine" madness.O.S.'s Alexander isn't the mighty conqueror or the invincible son of Zeus not because his leading actor fails to fill the shoes of such a hero but because Stone isn't interested in making another epic about an ancient superman.
This film was made with a lot of love and respect towards its subject.It is passionate and strange and difficult to understand as Alexander himself is.It has many flaws that actually originate from its creator's obsession with Alexander the Great.Nevertheless it is an honest attempt to tell ATG's story with a lot of poetry and a lot of madness.
For my part i have to thank Oliver Stone for his descent approach on Alexander the Great and Colin Farrell for his passionate and extremely human personalization of my hero.
I believe that the critics have already lavished their praises on the next mediocre product of the film history that came along.As for "Alexander"? DREAMERS EXHAUST US.WE MUST KILL THEM!!!