Alexander (2004)

Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest military leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers:

Oliver Stone, Christopher Kyle,

Stars:

Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson

2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Hopkins	...	Old Ptolemy
David Bedella	...	Scribe
Jessie Kamm	...	Child Alexander
Angelina Jolie	...	Olympias
Val Kilmer	...	Philip
Fiona O'Shaughnessy	...	Nurse
Connor Paolo	...	Young Alexander
Patrick Carroll	...	Young Hephaistion
Brian Blessed	...	Wrestling Trainer
Peter Williamson	...	Young Nearchus
Morgan Christopher Ferris	...	Young Cassander
Robert Earley	...	Young Ptolemy
Aleczander Gordon	...	Young Perdiccas
Christopher Plummer	...	Aristotle
Gary Stretch	...	Cleitus

Storyline

Alexander, the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians he leads his Army across the then known world venturing further than any Westerner had ever gone all the way to India.

---

Plot Keywords:

king | india | army | macedonia | battle | 

---

Taglines:

Fortune favors the bold

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | Romance | War

---

Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Constantin Film [Germany] Monolith [Poland]

Country:

Germany USA Netherlands France UK Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 2004 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Alexander

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Morocco

Box Office

Budget:

$155,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$665,444 (Japan) (4 February 2005)

Gross:

$3,530,064 (Japan) (25 February 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Intermedia Films, Pacifica Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

175 min 167 min (director's cut) 214 min (final cut) 206 min (Ultimate Cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Near the end of the film, Ptolemy mentions that one of the influential generals in the east of Asia after Alexander's death was Seleucus. While he is barely mentioned in the film, Seleucus and his dynasty would go on to take almost all of Alexander's Asian territories.

---

Goofs

Antigonus addresses his troops just before the jungle battle against the Indians. In a flipped shot, his right eye is missing, not his left.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Old Ptolemy: Our world is gone now. Smashed by the wars. Now I am the keeper of his body, embalmed here in the Egyptian ways. I followed him as Pharaoh, and have now ruled 40 years. I am the victor. But what does it all mean when there is not one left to remember - the great cavalry charge at Gaugamela, or the mountains of the Hindu Kush when we crossed a 100,000-man army into India? He was a god, Cadmos. Or as close as anything I've ever seen.

---

Connections

Referenced in 'Kingdom of Heaven': Interactive Production Grid (2005)

User Reviews

For What It's Worth, I Loved It

I read the negative reviews just like everyone else, and I went to see it with slightly lower expectations than I had about a month ago. Having said that, however, I still loved the movie. I didn't find it boring in the least, and I was truly engrossed in every scene. The two battles featured in this movie carry more tension than anything "Troy" could have ever hoped to show. The performances in this movie are all right on the money. Colin Farrell has a scene in the film shortly before the second battle where he argues with Crateros that is just amazing. Also, a quick word about Val Kilmer, he has a wonderful human moment in the scene where Alexander tames the horse where he demands to be able to buy the horse half price if Alexander can tame it. Here is a man who is willing to risk his son's life, and then use it to get a discount.

The time structure didn't really bother me at all. It may not have been completely necessary, but it didn't confuse me at all. Since I could still follow the narrative fine, I let it go. Some critics say a flashback to Philip's murder is unnecessary, and they should have handled that in the flashback at the beginning of the story, but I thought it placed an extra amount of importance on Cleitus, after seeing him murdered. Also, the scene where Alexander confronts Olympias concerning the murder of Philip was, in my opinion, very emotionally powerful, and it would have been ill advised to have that scene so early in the film, since it carried so much weight.

Several people criticized the scenes with Anthony Hopkins, saying the grinded the film to a hault. What everyone seems to be missing, in those observations, is that Hopkins still plays the role as perfectly as it could be played. Can't we just sit back and enjoy watching this great actor perform admirably, even if the scenes aren't the most exciting in the world? Look into his eyes during his final speech in the film, where he weighs his responsibility in Alexander's death, and, now, tell me the film would have been better off without him.

Stone has, in my humble opinion, crafted a great film that will be appreciated by those with an open mind and patience. I have always had a high tolerance for long movies, and I think many films would be better if they were willing to add another half-hour. Is the movie boring??? Yes. But you know what, pacing is over-rated. Pacing is important to people who have trouble keeping awake at the movies. If you have the ability to remain focused on one thing for three hours, than you just might love "Alexander". "2001" is a poorly-paced, boring movie, but it's still one of the greatest films ever made.

It's a great film for those who will let it be.

9/10