Alexander the Great (1956)

An epic film that follows the life of Alexander the Great, the macedonian king that united all ancient greek tribes and led them against the vast Persian Empire. Alexander conquered most of... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writer:

Robert Rossen

Stars:

Richard Burton, Fredric March, Claire Bloom

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Burton	...	Alexander
Fredric March	...	Philip of Macedonia
Claire Bloom	...	Barsine
Danielle Darrieux	...	Olympias
Barry Jones	...	Aristotle
Harry Andrews	...	Darius
Stanley Baker	...	Attalus
Niall MacGinnis	...	Parmenio (as Niall Macginnis)
Peter Cushing	...	General Memnon
Michael Hordern	...	Demosthenes
Marisa de Leza	...	Eurydice (as Marisa De Leza)
Gustavo Rojo	...	Cleitus
Rubén Rojo	...	Philotas (as Ruben Rojo)
Peter Wyngarde	...	Pausanias
Helmut Dantine	...	Nectenabus

Storyline

An epic film that follows the life of Alexander the Great, the macedonian king that united all ancient greek tribes and led them against the vast Persian Empire. Alexander conquered most of the then known world and created a greek empire that spanned all the way from the Balkans to India.

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Plot Keywords:

empire | persian | macedonian | king | epic | 

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Taglines:

Conqueror of conquerors! Spectacle of spectacles! The colossus of motion pictures!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1956 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Alexander den store

Filming Locations:

CEA Studios, Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

C.B. Films S.A., Rossen Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min 136 min (TCM print) 135 min (Turner Library Print)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Helmut Dantine's role is dubbed by Christopher Lee (uncredited).

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Goofs

When the soldiers find Darius' chariot, there are dual cutting blades attached to the wheels. Seconds later, when the chariot is driven away, the blades are gone. Not enough time elapsed for the blades to be removed.

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Quotes

Philip of Macedonia: Alexander. In your first act as regent, send your mother away.
Alexander: Exile my mother?
Philip of Macedonia: Back to her kinsman in Epirus, she'll be happy there.
Alexander: Is that the cost of my prove to you?
Philip of Macedonia: How do you think I came to power? My own two brothers...
Alexander: I know, you slew them, you want me to do that too?

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Connections

Edited into Film socialisme (2010)

User Reviews

A philosophical epic

I have always been fascinated by the short and violent life of Alexander of Macedonia, which of course makes me biased in reviewing this film. It has been said of this film that Robert Rossen, who produced, wrote and directed this film, was aiming for a masterpiece but failed honorably. While this is true in a way, I still enjoyed it more than that. This movie is not fast in pace, and the direction is not perfect either, but it feels authentic. I'm sure that not everything portrayed is true to history (does anyone really care?), but it is convincing, and the acting is solid. Richard Burton is a very good Alexander, and he adds a lot of subtle edges to this enigmatic figure from history (just ignore the silly blond wig...) All in all, Alexander the Great is a good film, perhaps too ambitious, and even though it is not very accessible to viewers not familiar with the territory, it is still quite dramatic, convincing and enjoyable if you like historical epics. And even though the film doesn't ask you to care too much about the characters, it is still an interesting, intellectual, and high minded story you probably will not forget. If you keep in mind that it is the events of history that are really on display here, and not so much the individual players, you may enjoy it as I did.