Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 6 wins & 19 nominations
Videos2
- Young Ptolemyas Young Ptolemy
- (as Robert Earley)
- Director
- Writers
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
- Taglines
- Warrior. King. Lover. Seeker. Conqueror. Savior.
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for violence and some sexuality/nudity
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe biography of Alexander by Oxford University professor Robin Lane Fox was an original inspiration and source of information for writer and director Oliver Stone. As a historical advisor, Professor Fox didn't get on-screen credit. His price for giving his advice was to be allowed to take a place at the head of what is one of the largest cavalry charges ever filmed. Professor Fox was used to riding around the English countryside, but gladly dressed up as a Macedonean cavalry officer to live his dream of charging for Alexander.
- GoofsIn Gaugamela Battle, we can clearly hear that the Persian army leaders are talking Arabic. But this battle was before Arabs invasion to Persia so there weren't Arabic words in Persian.
- Quotes
Old Ptolemy: The truth is never simple and yet it is. The truth is we did kill him. By silence we consented... because we couldn't go on. But by Ares, what did we have to look forward to but to be discarded in the end like Cleitus? After all this time, to give away our wealth to Asian sycophants we despised? Mixing the races? Harmony? Oh, he talked of these things. I never believe in his dream. None of us did. That's the truth of his life. The dreamers exhaust us. They must die before they kill us with their blasted dreams.
- Alternate versionsThe Director's Cut is 9 minutes shorter than the 175-minute theatrical version. It is a reworked version although seamless to many. 18 minutes were cut and 9 added. Many of the added or extended sequences involve Val Kilmer and Angelina Jolie's characters. The battle of Gaugamela now starts earlier. Taking a cue from classic movie epics, the opening reel now set up the basic themes with greater economy: Alexander's Oedipal relationship with his parents, Olympias' ambitions for her son, the boy's need to surpass his father, and the entirely natural way in which myth/religion is shown as integral to the ancients' behavior. Oliver Stone reworked the third act, too, juxtaposing events in India and Greece. Jolie's Olympias emerges now more as a genuinely pathetic figure in the whole tragedy. Ptolemy's final scene was edited. Stone also slightly reworked Alexander's death scene because of audience feedback, adding 17 seconds to the scene.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Charging for Alexander (2004)
Unfortunately, the performers do not come across as well as you have a right to expect, under Stone's direction; in particular, the title character lacks Alexander's certain je ne sais quoi. Anthony Hopkins (as Old Ptolemy) performs double duty, as a semi-omniscient narrator (which works better in the original, theatrical version). Films with too many "narrative" interruptions are not, in general, successfully telling their stories visually.
However, Mr. Stone more than earns an "E" for effort; his "Alexander" definitely evidences the many individual strengths of its cast and crew. The main battle scene is very well done; Stone successfully employs his great poetic violence, with an increasingly blood-red drenched infrared lens, marauding elephants, and slow motion. After this excitement, the remainder of the film moves along briskly, and effectively. Alexander's main relationship, with Jared Leto (as Hephaistion), is not fleshed out; he beds both genders, but is only allowed to hiss like a lion, on-screen, with wifely Rosario Dawson (as Roxane).
Who knew either Stone, or the Greeks could be so prudish?
****** Alexander (2004) Oliver Stone ~ Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer
Good grief! For his "Director's Cut", Stone took what bad about "Alexander" and made worse, for:
**** Alexander (2005) Oliver Stone ~ Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer (Director's Cut)
Good riddance? Stone throws up the kitchen sink for "Alexander - The Final Cut". If you've got the time, the excellence and beauty of the film is there. Also, you can make your own version, with:
******* Alexander (2007) Oliver Stone ~ Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer (Revisited - The Final Cut)
- wes-connors
- Oct 18, 2008
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $155,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $34,297,191
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $13,687,087
- Nov 28, 2004
- Gross worldwide
- $167,298,192
- Runtime2 hours 55 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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