March to Your Local Video Rental Place and Get This DVD

Rating: 9/10 (5 August 2005)

"Alexander" is a triumph in film-making on several levels. It is visually stunning, beautifully scored, and wonderfully paced. The movie opens with a prologue by Ptolemy, the first pharaoh to rule following the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great. Ptolemy was one of Alexander's closest friends.
We are then introduced to Olympias, Alexander's foreign-born mother, whose fierce ambition for her son is driven by her belief that the Greek god Zeus, rather than her husband King Phillip, is the father of Alexander. She teaches her son courage at an early age, encouraging him to touch a poisonous snake without hesitation.
From the first time we meet him, it is clear that Alexander is indeed courageous, as well as a sensitive and scholarly young man, who questions his great teacher Aristotle about everything. His is both resented and admired by his father, a drunken and lecherous man. Nevertheless, Alexander proves himself early in life to his father by taming a seemingly wild horse, who along with his best friend, Hephaistion, becomes his greatest love.
Oliver Stone's portrayal is honest, showing those aspects of Alexander that are more controversial, such as Alexander's bisexuality, and mental decline after the death of Hephaistion.
At the same time, we see a man who embraced diversity, respected women, and had a vision for a united world that modern audiences can appreciate. A brilliant military strategist who tempered his drive for power and conquest with a profound ability to love. All in all, a well rounded portrait of Alexander emerges.
The musical score is haunting, and the closing credits are some of the best that I have seen. The costumes are spectacular, the scenery breathtaking. Furthermore, the movie has an authentic old-world feel in spite of its Hollywood cast, making it closer to "The Passion of the Christ" than a big Hollywood production like "Troy." Indeed, listening to Stone' commentary on his film, you appreciate how hard he worked on it, and it shows.
"Alexander" is a stirring timeless epic that leaves one moved and inspired.