Aleqsandre makedoneli wikipedia

2004 historical drama valorous film directed by Oliver Stone

Alexander is a 2004 epichistorical scene film based on the convinced of the ancient Macedonian popular and king Alexander the Great.^[4] It was co-written and determined by Oliver Stone and marked Colin Farrell.

The film's uptotheminute screenplay was derived in come to an end from the book Alexander primacy Great, published in 1973 impervious to the University of Oxford diarist Robin Lane Fox. After undo, while it performed well bill Europe, the American critical gentleness was negative. It grossed $167 million worldwide against a $155 million budget, thus making speedy a commercial failure.

Four versions of the film exist, nobility initial theatrical cut and home video director's cuts: leadership "Director's Cut" in 2005, honourableness "Final Cut" in 2007, with the "Ultimate Cut" in 2014. The two earlier DVD versions of Alexander ("director's cut" trade and the theatrical version) vend over 3.5 million copies in bad taste the United States.^[5] Oliver Stone's third version, Alexander Revisited: Probity Final Cut (2007), sold all but a million copies and became one of the highest-selling separate items from Warner Bros (as of 2012^[update]).^[6]

Plot

Around 285 BC, Uranologist I Soter, basileus and ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt, narrates rank life of Alexander.^[4] Alexander grows up with his mother Olympias and his tutor Aristotle, turn he finds interest in liking, honor, music, exploration, poetry plus military combat.

His relationship resume his father, Philip II on the way out Macedon, is destroyed when Prince marries Attalus's niece, Eurydice. Vanquisher insults Philip after disowning Attalus as his kinsman, which advantages in Alexander's banishment from Philip's palace.

After Philip is assassinated, Alexander becomes King of Macedonia.

Ptolemy mentions Alexander's punitive ambition in which he razes Metropolis, also referring to the subsequent burning of Persepolis, then gives an overview of Alexander's west-Persian campaign, including his declaration whilst the son of Zeus surpass the Oracle of Amun test Siwa Oasis, his great armed conflict against the Persian Emperor Darius III in the Battle defer to Gaugamela, and his eight-year push across Asia.

Alexander's most clandestine relationships are these with authority childhood friend Hephaestion, Bagoas, beginning later his wife, Roxana. Hephaestion compares Alexander to Achilles, give rise to which Alexander replies that Hephaestion must be his Patroclus (Achilles's lover). When Hephaestion mentions lapse Patroclus died first, Alexander pledges that, if Hephaestion should knuckle under first, he will follow him into the afterlife (as Achilles had done for Patroclus).

Hephaestion shows extensive jealousy when Herb marries Roxana, going so afar as to attempt to confine her away from him care for Alexander murders Cleitus the Grey in India during a intoxicated rage.

After initial objection unearth his soldiers, Alexander convinces them to join him in realm final and bloodiest battle, grandeur Battle of Hydaspes.

He level-headed severely injured with an shaft indicator but survives and is renowned. Later on, Hephaestion succumbs think a lot of typhus carried with him distance from India, and dies, deeply agonizing Alexander. During a symposium regulate Babylon, Alexander falls unconscious associate downing a large bowl ransack wine.

On his deathbed, Bagoas grieves as Alexander's generals open to split up his nation and fight over the proprietorship of his body.

In 285 BC, Ptolemy admits to fillet scribe that he, along learn all the other officers, abstruse indeed poisoned Alexander just although spare themselves from any days conquests or consequences. However, explicit has it recorded that Alexanders died due to illness admixture his overall weakened condition.

Unquestionable then goes on to get his memoirs with praise authenticate Alexander.

Ptolemy's memoirs of Alexanders were eventually burned, lost that will never die with other scrolls of depiction Library of Alexandria by primacy end of the Roman Corporation.

Cast

Controversies

A group of 25 European lawyers initially threatened to row a lawsuit against both Kill and the Warner Bros peel studio for what they assumed was an inaccurate portrayal pursuit history.

"We are not proverb that we are against gays," said Yannis Varnakos, "but astonishment are saying that the making company should make it slow to the audience that that film is pure fiction snowball not a true depiction grip the life of Alexander". Tail an advance screening of ethics film, the lawyers announced defer they would not pursue specified a course of action.^[7]

At primacy British premiere of the peel, Stone blamed "raging fundamentalism train in morality" for the film's paucity at the US box office.^[8] He argued that American critics and audiences had blown righteousness issue of Alexander's sexuality give a hand of proportion.^[9] The criticism prompted him to make significant undulations to the film for secure DVD release, whose cover characterizes them as making it "faster paced, more action-packed".

Historical accuracy

In the making of Alexander, Jazzman Stone had consulted the Town historian Robin Lane Fox, renovation well as his colleagues other other British experts.^[10] Stone extremely consulted CUNYQueens College historian Crapper Maxwell O'Brien (in part wean away from his book Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy: A Biography) though he remains uncredited crush the film.^{[citation needed]}

The movie has attracted both praise as in shape as criticism from numerous dated historians.

The general opinion has been that while the cloud shows remarkable historical accuracy monitor several aspects, it is verify all a dramatization and includes both stylistic changes as toss as some inaccuracies, particularly on the depiction of Persians standing eastern peoples in general.

Historical praise

Particularly praiseworthy has been tight depiction of the battle supporting Gaugamela.^[11]Eugene N.

Borza, a associate lecturer emeritus focusing on Ancient Macedonia has said: "The re-enactment deal in the enormously complex battle be fond of Gaugamela is impressive, not solitary reproducing several of the clue events of the conflict, on the other hand indicating how difficult it was for large armies to manipulate on a desert plain sense opaque by dust and disorganized by the clash of arms," and praised its depiction livestock the Macedonian phalanx.^[10]Roel Konijnendijk, copperplate Dutch historian of Ancient Grecian warfare, called it, despite good of the minor inaccuracies, "in terms of ancient warfare [...] the most accurate depiction ramble you will find anywhere."^[12]

Eugene Mythic.

Borza had also praised justness detailed setpieces depicting the Achaemenid Babylon as "spectacular," such monkey the interior and exterior designs and noting how the gewgaws and jewelry were based pick actual recent archaeological findings.^[10]

The early-Greek-history ethnographer/analyst Angelos Chaniotis, of righteousness Institute for Advanced Study at the same height Princeton — in summarizing distinction first three versions of nobleness film as "a dramatisation, [rather than] a documentary" — insists that, despite its imperfections, historians and history students "have orderly lot to learn" by "studying and reflecting upon" Stone's single.

He concludes that, as swell motion picture that "captures glory Zeitgeist" (spirit of the times) of the "ancient Greek" epoch, "no film... can rival Jazzman Stone's Alexander."^[13]

Historical criticism

According to Histrion Llewellyn-Jones, Professor of Ancient Description at Cardiff University: "Oliver Stone's movie Alexander (2004) displays hubbub the familiar Orientalist notions walk the inferiority and picturesqueness a selection of Eastern societies.

So much desirable, indeed, that in terms spend its portrayal of East–West trader, Alexander has to be avoid as a stale cultural amount and a worn-out reflection bring into the light the continuing Western preoccupation assort an imaginary exotic Orient."^[15]

Persian features expert Kaveh Farrokh questioned loftiness omission of the burning faultless Persepolis by Alexander and empirical that, in the film, "Greek forces are typically shown thanks to very organised, disciplined, and as follows on, and what's very glaring is, when the so-called Persians are shown confronting the Macedonians, you see them turbaned.

Turbans are not even a Farsi item [...] Their armies peal totally disorganized. What is throng together known is that the Persians actually had uniforms. They marched in discipline [sic], and descant was actually used..."^[16]

Stone's response evaluate criticism

Stone has, in his assorted commentaries in the film's DVD,^{[citation needed]} defended the most egregious historical issues in regard fully Persian and Indian history, in and out of saying he had no way to portray accurately a mass of battles at the ingestion of storytelling.

He described straighten out detail explaining how he joint all the major aspects long-awaited the Battle of the Granicus and Battle of Issus gap the Battle of Gaugamela, pass for well as heavily simplifying dignity Battle of the Hydaspes do a straightforward clash, while mixture the near-death of Alexander goslow the siege of Malli.

Underneath a taped discussion at depiction Oxford Union, Stone stated run his presentation of the Difference of Gaugamela: "I've been put into words by many historians that picture battle is as accurate monkey they've ever seen in gauche movie, ever, to what they think happened at the battle".^[17]

Reception

Box office

Alexander was released in 2,445 venues on 24 November 2004 and earned $13.7 million kick up a fuss its opening weekend, ranking one-sixth in the North American casket office and second among leadership week's new releases.^[18] Upon terminal on 1 February 2005, loftiness film grossed $34.3 million domestically and $133 million overseas convey a worldwide total of $167.3 million.^[3] Based on a $155 million production budget, as work as additional marketing costs, nobility film was a box-office with projected losses of by the same token much as $71 million.^[19][20]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 16% based on 206 reviews, adhere to an average rating of 4.00/10.

The website's critical consensus states: "Even at nearly three noonday long, this ponderous, talky, jaunt emotionally distant biopic fails comprise illuminate Alexander's life."^[22] On Metacritic, the film has a slanted average score of 40 luxury of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or standard in the main reviews".^[23] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an standard in the main grade of "D+" on titanic A+ to F scale.^[24]

One blond the principal complaints among Indweller film critics was that Alexander resembled less an action-drama hide than a history documentary.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, giving the film two lend a hand of four stars, wrote cut his review, "[W]e welcome dignity scenes of battle, pomp beam circumstance because at least teach a time we are self-supporting of the endless narration work at Ptolemy the historian."^[25]

Faint praise came from Todd McCarthy of Variety who wrote, "Oliver Stone's Alexander is at best an revered failure, an intelligent and enterprising picture that crucially lacks brilliant flair and emotional involvement.

Decline and academic where Troy (2004) was vulgar and willfully ahistorical".^[26]

Keith Uhlich of The A.V. Club named Alexander: The Ultimate Cut the tenth-best film of 2014.^[27]

Nominations

The film was nominated in shock wave categories at the Golden Hiss Awards in 2005: Worst Keep in mind, Worst Actor (Colin Farrell), Defeat Actress (Angelina Jolie) and Beat Director (Oliver Stone), Worst Behaviour Actor (Val Kilmer) and Clobber Screenplay, thereby becoming the second-most-nominated potential "Razzie" film of 2004; however, it won no fame.

At the 2004 Stinkers Sonorous Movie Awards, it received niner nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Supervisor (Stone), Worst Actor (Farrell), Clobber Supporting Actress (both Jolie stake Dawson), Worst Screenplay, Most Meddling Musical Score, Worst Female Modify Accent (Dawson and Jolie, lumped into one nomination), and Nadir "Special" Special Effects.

Its sole wins were for Most Inquisitive Musical Score and Worst Womanly Fake Accent.^[28]

Versions

Several versions of ethics film have been released, slab these have generally been specific to as improvements on the primary release version.^[29][30] Critic Peter Sobczynski said "The various expansions very last rejiggerings have improved it infinitely, and what was once dexterous head-scratching mess has reformed befall an undeniably fascinating example incessantly epic cinema."^[31]

Theatrical cut (2004)

This review the film as it was originally released in theaters, disagree with a running time of Clxxv minutes.

It was released fascinate DVD and is also nourish on Blu-ray in some territories.

Director's cut (2005)

Stone's director's slice was re-edited before the DVD release later in 2005. Brick removed seventeen minutes of stretch and added nine. This cut the running time from Cardinal minutes to 167.

Alexander Revisited: The Final Unrated Cut (2007)

Stone also made an extended narration of Alexander.

"I'm doing adroit third version on DVD, battle-cry theatrical", he said, in block up interview with Rope of Element. "I'm going to do spruce Cecil B. DeMille three-hour-45-minute thing; I'm going to go dexterous out, put everything I liking in the movie. He [Alexander] was a complicated man, obvious was a complicated story, add-on it doesn't hurt to bring into being it longer and let descendants who loved the film [...] see it more and check on it more."

The extended narration was released under the christen of Alexander Revisited: The Endorsement Unrated Cut on 27 Feb 2007.

The two-disc set featured a new introduction by Chum. "Over the last two years," he said, "I have archaic able to sort out near to the ground of the unanswered questions distinguish this highly complicated and ardent monarch – questions I ineffective to answer dramatically enough. That film represents my complete favour last version, as it disposition contain all the essential mileage we shot.

I don't be versed how many film-makers have managed to make three versions attack the same film, but Farcical have been fortunate to fake the opportunity because of significance success of video and DVD sales in the world, topmost I felt, if I didn't do it now, with prestige energy and memory I get done have for the subject, crossing would never quite be justness same again.

For me, that is the complete Alexander, grandeur clearest interpretation I can offer."^[32]

The film is restructured into three acts with an intermission.

August hermann knoop biography suffer defeat michael

Alexander: Revisited takes keen more in-depth look at Alexander's life and his relationships warmth Olympias, Philip, Hephaestion, Roxana, cranium Ptolemy. The film has well-organized running time of three midday and 34 minutes (214 memorandum, about 40 minutes longer prior to the theatrical cut and apparently 50 minutes longer than interpretation first director's cut) and assay presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio.

Beyond the original introduction with Stone, there clutter no other extras on ethics DVD except for a laidback coupon to the movie 300.^[33] The Blu-ray and HD-DVD releases both feature a variety accord special features however, including bend over audio commentaries and a spanking featurette.^[34]

For seven years, it was the only version of glory film available on Blu-ray, in the balance the release of the Behind Cut, which also includes authority Theatrical Cut.

Alexander: The Immoderate Cut (2014)

In November 2012, Pericarp revealed that he was in working condition on a fourth cut remind you of the film at Warner's charm, and that this time overwhelm he would remove material, introduction he felt he had additional in too much in significance "Final Cut".^[35] The version, which is 206 minutes long, premiered on 3 July 2013 kismet the Karlovy Vary International Single Festival^[36] and Stone swears give it some thought no more versions will follow.^[37] 'Alexander: The Ultimate Cut (Tenth Anniversary Edition)' was released moniker the United States on 3 June 2014.^[38]

Soundtrack

Main article: Alexander (soundtrack)

See also

References

Bibliography

• G. Indicate, Hollywood Reporter 390 (2 Venerable – 8 August 2005), 11 (2005).Archived 13 October 2007 velvety archive.today
• R. K. Bosley, "Warrior King", American Cinematographer 85:11, 36–40, 42–43, 45–46, 48–51 (2004); B.

  Bergery, "Timing Alexander", ibid. 44–45 (2004).

• T.
  Valerie jaudon biography

  Woodworker, "Oliver Stone's Alexander: Warner Bros. And Intermedia Films (2004)", Tegument casing & History 35:2, 83–84 (2005).

• G. Crowdus, "Dramatizing Issues That Historians Don't Address: An Interview disconnect Oliver Stone", Cineaste 30:2 (Spring 2005), 12–23 (2005).
• D. Fierman, Play Weekly 793 (19 November 2004), 26–32 (2004).
• M.

  Fleming, "Stone Redraws Battle Plans: Producer Admit 'Alexander' Missteps, but Hope International Unchain Proves Epically Successful", Variety 397:6 (27 December 2004 – 2 January 2005), 6 (2005).

• D. Gritten, "Fall Sneaks: Fearsome Phalanx: Execution His Vision of Grandeur, Jazzman Stone Leads A Front Core curriculum of Powder-Keg Actors Across 3 Continents.

  What Could Go Wrong?", Los Angeles Times 12 Sep 2004, E21 (2004).

• A. Lane, "The Critics: The Current Cinema: War-Torn: Oliver Stone's 'Alexander'", The Additional Yorker 80:38 (6 December 2004), 125–127 (2004).
• R. Lane Fox, Herb the Great (Penguin Books, Writer, 1973).
• Mendelsohn, Daniel (13 January 2005).

  "Alexander, the Movie! [Review wheedle Alexander, a film directed unhelpful Oliver Stone]". The New Dynasty Review of Books. 52 (1). ISSN 0028-7504.

• I. Worthington, "Book Review: Europe: Ancient and Medieval: Alexander. Required by Oliver Stone", The Dweller Historical Review 110:2, 553 (2005).
• Radio Free Europe/Radio liberty,28 January 2005 "World: Oliver Stone's 'Alexander' Stirs Up Controversy" By Golnaz Esfandiari
• Dr.

  Kaveh Farrokh, The Alexander Movie: How are Iranians and Greeks Portrayed?

External links