A breathtaking and positive viewing experience.

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2007)

Oliver Stone's Alexander ***1/2
Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) was a painter who worked in the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Century. He was unconventional in the sense that he was a representational artist at a time when the art world was wrestling with the groundbreaking efforts of the Impressionist and the Post-Impressionists. His main area of concentration was the ancient world with particular emphasis on Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Experiencing Oliver Stone's Alexander is similar to experiencing an Alma-Tadema exhibit come to life. Immediately the viewer is swept away by the breathtaking landscapes as well as beautiful interiors. Surprisingly the level of visual impact does not lessen but increases throughout the film. At no point does the film deaden the senses through over stimulation. Landscapes of Alexandria and Babylon are just as breathtaking in the third hour as well as the first hour of the film.
Speaking of the performances at no point in the film do the performances deserve any harsh level of scrutiny. Val Kilmer was faced with the strongest challenge in that he portrayed a character engaged in a love/hate relationship with his son engendered by an ambivalent and deadly relationship with his wife played by Angelina Jolie. These irreconcilable differences are eventually resolved through assassination. Kilmer's performance is commendable and consistent with the somewhat sad and touching character that he portrays.
Angelina Jolie's performance is as venomous as the snakes that are twined around her body throughout most of the film. Initially the film creates a certain sympathy for the Jolie character as we see her being raped by her rejected husband Philip. Jolie is excellent in portraying the mother using her hatred and poisonous energy to turn Alexander against his father. The scenes with Jolie and all the Alexanders of various ages are replete with force and passion.
Colin Farrell's Alexander is believable and the range of emotions that he is called upon to portray are not limited to histrionic outbursts although there is more than enough of that to go around. He is challenged most as an actor when called upon to portray the Alexander torn between his mother's hatred of his father and his love and admiration of him. He more than meets the challenge.
A word about the battle scenes. Not since Waterloo (1970) has there been such an appreciation and utilization of high altitude point of view drawing the viewer into an understanding of some of the strategic dynamics in the military scenes. Conversely, the close up military sequences are rapid and confusing. This is not surprising for Oliver Stone has shown us with Platoon(1986) that he is committed to making the viewer aware of the speed and confusion inherent in personal hand to hand conflict.
Concerning the minor characters Christopher Plummer is fun as Aristotle. It is interesting how Alexander grows beyond Aristotle in particular concerning his view of cultural diversity and racial inclusion and one could be tempted to regard this as a flight of contemporary fancy but such a point of view would be belied by history. (See J.B.Bury A History of Greece, pp770 to 771)
Anthony Hopkins has a much larger role as the narrator dictating the history of Alexander to a scribe. Hopkins acquits himself well but it is somewhat difficult to keep Hopkins in focus when your eyesight is constantly being besieged during his transcriptions by the films recreation of 4th Century B.C. Alexandrian interiors.
It is also a pleasure to see or rather hear Vangelis resurface again. His themes are distinctive and present but not overbearing.
It is my practice not to read reviews until after I've seen the film. I do this because I have found that I am rather easily influenced and seeing or hearing a review before the film runs the risk of contaminating the movie going experience.This rule is especially important in regards to films that have created a certain amount of anticipation and Alexander would certainly fall into that category. In the case of Alexander I had the misfortune to hear from friends and relatives that the film received really bad reviews. I pretended not to take notice but I was prepared for the worst. After all Oliver Stone is known for contemporary and not period pieces and for Stone to do a epic film about the ancient world seemed to be really going off the reservation. But let's not forget Scorcese did Last Temptation of Christ and that certainly was not about contemporary Little Italy. So I can not fully describe the relief that I felt when after no more then 10 minutes I realized that I was experiencing something new and breathtaking in film making. Bravo to Colin, Angelina, Val, Tony and the rest of the gang. Thanks for the memory. And to Oliver Stone, welcome back.
Joe Shannon November, 2004