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Alexander:
Director's Cut
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U.S.A.
- U.K. - Germany / 2004
Directed by Oliver Stone
Starring
Colin Farrell
Angelina Jolie
Val Kilmer
Color / 167 Minutes / R
Format:
DVD (R1 - NTSC / 2-disc set)
Warner Home Video
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10
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Guest
Review by Troy
Howarth |
Military
genius Alexander (Colin Farrell) comes close to
ruling the world and dies by the age of 33...
You've
really got to hand it to Oliver Stone
in a business dominated by devotion to the almighty
dollar, he's not afraid to undertake controversial
projects. Even his worst films (Any
Given Sunday, anybody?) contain flashes
of inspiration, though few would ever accuse him
of being the subtlest of filmmakers. Still, the
man's got cajones
and he isn't afraid to put them on the line, either.
While many of his films have been met with some
degree of critical acclaim, his pet project Alexander
was met with little but derision when it was released
in 2004. Independently financed by European sources,
the film proved to be an expensive fiasco at the
American box office, though European moviegoers
(and indeed critics) proved more receptive to
it. It can really be said that when a major filmmaker
slips up (or at least is perceived to do so by
the majority), he or she catches hell in a way
that is truly astonishing
successes are welcomed with open arms, but failures
don't just fail
they become a gigantic joke. Such was the case
with Alexander, which
even found itself in the ignominious position
of being nominated for a couple of Razzie awards.
Now that
the dust has settled and Stone has unveiled his
preferred director's cut of the movie, the question
becomes, Was the backlash justified? Speaking
as one who saw the film theatrically and enjoyed
it, I can honestly say that I could never quite
fathom why the film went over as poorly as it
did. As released theatrically the film had its
fair share of problems
the pacing was frequently awkward and there were
a few issues with the script and casting, but
overall it was rousing, stylish and painted a
very interesting portrait of its legendary protagonist.
It may not have been on the same tier as Stone's
best work, but neither was it the turkey the majority
painted it to be. Now, with the release of Stone's
retooled director's cut, it is even more impressive.
Though the film inevitably loses scope on the
confines of a television screen (this is a rare
contemporary movie that really should be seen
at least once on the big screen), Stone has resolved
much of the pacing problems and in restructuring
the chronology of events has made the narrative
more gripping.
So, then,
why was the film such a colossal failure in the
first place? Stone has blamed some of the backlash
on the film's homoerotic content, though naturally
detractors will dismiss this theory as utter nonsense.
I would argue that the film was simply poorly
timed
a bloody, 3 hour historical epic released over
the Thanksgiving holiday didn't exactly have 'box
office gold' stamped all over it. As far as the
critical backlash is concerned, that's another
matter altogether. Perhaps part of the problem
is that the film doesn't really fit into the typical
mold of biographical portraits, especially where
a great military leader like Alexander is concerned.
The film offers some spectacular battle sequences,
but perhaps Stone's decision to focus more on
Alexander's psychological makeup than on his strategizing
was alienating for some. Ultimately, all the speculation
in the world doesn't do any good
it was, quite simply, a crashing failure that
surely didn't do any of its participants any favors
and, even now, it's difficult to find anybody
with a legitimately enthusiastic response to the
film.
Much
has been made of the film's depiction of Alexanders
sexual orientation. For some viewers, the homosexual
content was too much; for others, it was too little.
Stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place,
it seems that Stone's desire to present Alexander's
relationship with his beloved Hephastion (Jared
Leto) and other men may have been curbed in some
respects, but he does something very interesting
instead of the full-out graphic sexual material
some viewers may have been waiting for. Though
the film stops short of a graphic sex scene, Stone
very effectively conveys the profound love the
two men felt for each other
this is a rare, bold move in a mainstream Hollywood
movie, and one that, I would argue, shows far
more courage and understanding than simply going
for gratuitous flesh shots. This is not to suggest
that Stone shies away from homoerotic imagery
in a puritanical manner
the film contains no shortage of sexualized images
of Farrell, Leto and so forth, but what's remarkable
is the truly matter-of-fact way in which these
images are presented. Stone isn't looking to shock
the audience with 'edgy' sexual material but rather
to show life as it was for Alexander and the men
in his command. Critics who've accused Stone of
somehow copping out or somehow revealing a deep-seated
homophobia clearly were much too concerned with
graphic sexual material and neglected to notice
the depth of material that is there on the screen.
Alexander
is not a perfect film, even in its restructured
form. Colin Farrell (Daredevil)
gives a fine performance in the lead, but Stone's
script asks him to give too many speeches. It's
one thing to have a rousing monologue before a
key battle, but Farrell is required to do this
once too often, thus diluting the impact of what
he has to say. By the end of the film, this almost
verges on parody, which is clearly not Stone's
intention. Angelina Jolie, in reality only one
year older than Farrell, is very badly miscast
as his mother. A strikingly beautiful woman, she
is nevertheless a vapid performer and her fake
accented delivery is extremely campy and unbelievable.
The pluses, however, far outweigh the minuses.
In addition to Farrell's strong lead performance,
there are excellent supporting turns by Val Kilmer,
Anthony Hopkins and Christopher Plummer. Jared
Leto, normally a rather bland pretty boy performer,
acquits himself admirably as Hephastion, while
stunning Rosario Dawson makes a vivid impression
as Alexander's treacherous wife. Stone handles
the material with flair and confidence, effectively
finding the humanity within the epic canvas and
working in some marvelous stylistic touches along
the way. Rodrigo Perdido's cinematography is nothing
less than stunning, and the art direction and
set design are equally formidable. Vangelis (Chariots
Of Fire) contributes a rousing score.
A
solid work from a brave filmmaker, Alexander
deserves to be reevaluated.
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Warner Bros.' DVD release of Alexander:
Director's Cut is terrific. The 2.35/16x9
image looks absolutely incredible. Colors are
bold, sometimes startlingly so, and detail is
razor sharp. There are no deficiencies to complain
of. The 5.1 sound mix is similarly impressive,
serving up the quietest dialogue exchange and
the most rousing battle scene with equal aplomb.
Extras include a fascinating commentary by Stone,
an even better behind the scenes featurette by
Stone's son, a teaser trailer, theatrical trailer,
and some DVD-ROM material. The commentary features
Stone flying solo for almost three hours, with
few lulls and dead spots. He enthuses over his
cast, his decisions on how to recut the movie,
his problems with the distributors and fills one
in on where the film differs from what little
is known about Alexander's life. The featurette,
which is divided into three sections, provides
a massively entertaining portrait of the shoot
we can see Stone clearly overwhelmed by the demands
of the project, his sometimes tactless method
of dealing with the actors, and some priceless
footage of Farrell rehearsing his sword play while
smoking like a chimney and showing off his tattoos.
It's a frank and revealing piece, not at all like
the typical puff pieces prepared by the studios.
(Warner Bros. have also released the theatrical
cut on a separate DVD release, with different
extras.)
8/15/05
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