Alexander (2004)
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Alexander
by Annlee Ellingson
posted August 1, 2008 10:00 AM
Monumentally ambitious, Oliver Stone's
"Alexander" accomplishes the couple objectives
of the epic biopic, capturing both the Homeric
scope of an emperor who conquers 90
percent of the known world by majority 25 and the
nuanced motivations of a man who, like his
leading man Achilles (note the shades of this spring's
"Troy"), chooses a course of great fame but early
death over a long dash with little glory. It's a
portrait of a soldier never defeated in battle
whose first rule of war is to do what he asks of
his men; a benevolent leader less interested
in the accumulation of land and gold than the
spread of ideas and incorporation of new
cultures; an explorer whose search on account of love
and home takes him to the side of the
earth.
Yet, as written by Stone and portrayed by Colin
Farrell, Alexander the Great is also a
tormented and deeply flawed character,
haunted by his mother's possible involvement
in his father's murder; ruthless in the
subjugation of his foes; relentless in his
pursuit of his own ends, to the point that his
own men mutiny. Farrell undergoes an
extraordinary transformation from a
smooth-faced, wide-eyed teen to a weary,
ravaged warrior, due in no small part to the
contributions of hair and makeup. But Farrell's
achievement here cannot be understated as
he channels the rage, passion and
desperation of an ambivalent emperor who
ruled more than two millennia ago.
Much of the time more classically filmed than
one is accustomed to with Stone, "Alexander"
blends sweeping aerial cinematography with
gritty handheld footage during the grandiose
Battle of Gaugamela, in which Alexander's
army of 47,000 roundly defeats a Persian
military of 250,000. The film's climactic battle
in India, in which the Macedonians encounter
elephants for the first time, is strikingly
photographed, flushing the frame with red
after culminating with a stunning image of
Alexander confronting his enemy.
Hampered by stilted dialogue and an
unnecessary narrative device featuring
Anthony Hopkins that undermines Farrells
textured performance, "Alexander" avoids that
other bane of period epics, the uneven accent,
by very specifically assigning English dialects
to convey the subtle hierarchies at work in
Greek society and the cultures Alexander and
his army encounter. However, in his
scrupulous attention to historical accuracy,
Stone overemphasizes the social mores of
the period, and his Alexander will be
remembered less for his foreign policy than
the fact that he kissed other men.
Prominent in the narrative is Alexander's
childhood friend and trusted battle
commander Hephaistion (Jared Leto), whom
the film posits as Alexander's love interest.
Unfortunately, Alexander's romantic
relationships with men–there's also an
alluring Persian concubine who draws his
bath–rely solely on innuendo. There's no
mistaking the implied intimacy in their
exchanges, although if read on the page one
could make the argument that the men were
just good friends. But if Alexander kisses
Hephaistion–and one can't recall with
certainty whether he even does–that's the
extent of the portrayal of any physicality
between the men.
On the one hand this choice accurately
reflects the times when, as Aristotle
(Christopher Plummer) instructs a young
Alexander, sharing between men–both
intellectually and physically–was considered
pure and sexuality wasn't defined as hetereo
of homo or bi. There's no judgment among
bystanders with regard to Alexander's sexual
proclivities. On the other, the relationship
between Alexander and Hephaistion feels
truncated, and because of this void the
implication of their romance, like a metaphor
involving an ever-present eagle soaring
overhead, is emphasized with a heavy hand
throughout the film. The studio denies that the
current political climate played a role in
shaping the film's sexual content, but it
certainly feels like someone is trying to have it
both ways. Meanwhile, there's profligate sex
between Alexander and his first wife Roxane,
whom he marries to bear him an heir, in
which Rosario Dawson is nude during a
scene that plays like a soft-core rape fantasy.
Starring Colin Farrell, Angelina
Jolie, Val
Kilmer, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson
and Jared Leto. Directed by Oliver Stone.
Written by Oliver Stone, Christopher Kyle and
Laeta Kalogridis. Produced by Thomas
Schuhly, Jon Kilik, Iain Smith and Moritz
Borman. A Warner Bros. release. Period epic.
Rated R for sexuality/nudity. Running time:
175 min