Vox populi=scaltera

Rating: 2/10 (24 August 2005)

I guess one can be proud being a Greek, or proud being bi-sexual or gay, or whatever, to have Alexander epically treated on the screen. The question still remains: how is the subject treated? When errors are made in the script that any European 10-year old could have avoided is this not insulting rather flattering?
No, Achilles did not withdraw from battle because his (gay) lover had been killed. Rather he withdrew from battle because he had been deprived of a female sex toy originally given to him as a spoil of war (sorry, gay guys). Then he withdrew from battle, and Patrochlus donned his armor to impersonate him and got killed. Achilles went back into battle to avenge him. If the king of Macedonia (his father, Philip) can't get that straight I would be insulted as a Greek.
This is the major flaw in the movie. It appears to be mired in male same-sex orientation while paying little attention to why Alexander may have been "Great." The founding of Alexandria (actually the entire conquest of Egypt) is completely omitted and there is not even a mention of Persepolis which replaced Babylon as the main city of what had been the Persian Empire. The battles are covered through a cloud of dust often with mere indications that this is the "left," or this is the "right" as if that really gives us any idea as to what is going on. Often the action seems to indicate a completely different winner from the actual who is inevitably Alexander. Alexander may be a Macedonian but he is still the leader of a united Greek force. The fact that he addresses, and the movie refers to this great army, alternately as "Macedonian" or "Greek" apparently at random is quite sloppy.
Time lines are continuously being jumbled in order to accommodate Jolie's appearance throughout the movie. After all, historically Alexander never sees his mother again once he leaves on his campaign. The role properly belonged to an adequate supporting actress who disappears from the scene after twenty minutes or so. Instead, we go 3 years before, nine years later, etc. until we literally can't tell whether Alexander is coming or going.
Alexander's inner demons, or whatever his problems were, are often mumbled throughout, though usually unintelligibly, both because of his accent and the loud background noise. All we know is that Alexander just isn't happy and about this time neither are we.
By the time he gets to India and he encounters, of all things, Neanderthals (slow down the action , even freeze frame if you don't believe me)-it becomes apparent this is truly one of the worst done Epic movies of all time. Recognizing either the Greeks or the gaily oriented through such a vehicle is merely insulting. And the average movie-goer who is neither Greek nor gay cannot help but see this movie for what it is. A terrible mistake even as a High School production.