Great movie for those who enjoyed the history

Rating: 8/10 (25 October 2005)

I thoroughly enjoyed Oliver Stone's epic.
I had first read about the story of Alexander The Great over 20 years ago, and as a history buff that I became, that story was never trumped by any other for its sheer achievement and amazement.
It's a big story, too big to fit all in one movie, so Stone had to cut out many elements, such as the Godian Knot, the siege of Tyre and Alexander's visit to Egypt with him being declared the son of a god by the priests of Amun'Ra. However, he captured enough for us to understand Alexander's motivations, and the complicated relationships between his mother and father that were at the heart of them.
I liked the way that Stone used Ptolemy to tell the tale, and in being reminded of Ptolemy, we were reminded of how much Alexander had achieved amongst other things - the creation of a new golden age in Egypt (that only ended with the death of Cleopatra).
The themes in the movie are still relevant today, with Stone touching upon Alexander's desire to unite east and west, something we are still trying to do today, and failing, just as Alexander's successors ultimately did.
I thought the film was beautifully set, and whilst the acting was not Oscar-winning, was not poor. You can't get Oscars for epics because the style of these movies is what it is, "epic", with a sense of melodrama always.
Telling the tale of Alexander is always a difficult task. Top marks to Stone for achieving what he did, of creating a moving, exciting and though-provoking re-enactment of history's greatest adventure story.
8/10