Alexander, Revisited - The Final Cut [Blu-ray]

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Customer Reviews:

The Best Sword and Sandals of Them All [Posted on 2008-07-09]
Being a fan of history based movies and especially the ancient history period pieces and after being dissapointed by the gross historical errors and lack of accuracy in details in blockbusters such as Gladiator, 300, Spartacus among other movies I believe Alexander is one of the better movies in terms of details and historical accuracy.

Many critics have rated Alexander negatively taking for example the battle scenes as messy and hard to follow but I believe the depiction of Gaugamela is true to history, we see Alexanders move to the flanks until he opens a breach in the Persian line which he uses to charge directly against Darius, we see the sarissa phalanx repelling the chariot attacks, all of this amid the chaos and dust of the battlefield which is a more accurate description than most Hollywood battle recreations that lack that sense of chaos and drama.

There are some exagerations such as the depiction of Babylon that should have been an impressive city for ancient standards but in this movie it looks like Manhattan but the architechture is mostly accurate, showing the zigurats and canals but omiting the dirt and grime that should have been in a colossal scale.

We are presented with an accurate description of the battle of Hydaspes in India where the scene of Alexander riding in Bucephalus charging the elephant is worth the admission price.

Details such as clothing, armor, the looks of the people are kept true to history and I believe the producers made a very thorough research into this area which is commendable.

There are some critics that condemn the homosexual tones of Alexander and Hephaestion's friendship but in ancient times homosexual relations were not shunned and in societies such as Sparta they were encouraged, remember the Sacred Band in Thebes which was formed of couples of homosexual lovers. Modern greeks were the most vocal in the condemnation of this side of Alexander's character as depicted in the movie but they neglect some truths in their history and homosexual relationships did not carry the stigma of modern times, warriors seek the company of other warriors in the loneliness of campaigns and from great frisendships great romances could flourish. If Alexander was indeed a homosexual will it diminish the greatness o his military conquests? I believe not.

Other beautiful details are the great scenery especially when crossing the Pamir range in Afghanistan, Bucephalus could not have been better depicted as a magnificent beast, beautiful actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Rosario Dawson complemet an amazing cast, plus the outstanding soundtrack by Vangelis, make this movie a pleasue to watch.

Maybe Colin Farrel was miscast as Alexander and the job could be handled better by Heath Ledger or Leonardo Di Caprio who are natural blondes but I believe Farrel handled the character well enough and I could appreciate his great effort in portraying Alexander being of note his outstanding delivery of the battle speech at Gaugamela, maybe he was a little solemn and wooden but it didn't detract from the whole effect of the movie.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I still cannot understand why it got such low rating by critics who in turn gave rave reviews to Gladiator (best movie of 2000) and 300 which were fundamentally flawed at depicting history, in comparisson this is a much better movie and I sincerely recomend it.

Alexander - Director's Cut but Not the Greatest Version [Posted on 2008-07-12]
This version I purchased mainly for the Special Features and extras since they are missing off the Special Director's Cut version that is Oliver Stone's personal, FINAL cut of this film. That version is the best, the storyline makes the most sense and all the available footage he could find is included.

This two disc edition has all the behind the scenes features, however, and as such, is a valuable addition to my collection because they are some of the best b.t.s. shorts and featurettes I've seen in a long time. Get this version if only for that reason, or to compare versions. It's worth it!

Wonderful Movie [Posted on 2008-07-25]
This movie is simply amazing. If all you want is blood and gore this probably isn't the movie for you, it goes much deeper into the inner character of Alexander.

Average... [Posted on 2008-07-29]
Although visually a great Blu-ray, Alexander is NOT your typical epic battle movie, I found myself wanting to throw in 300 after the first hour or so.

Third time the charm? [Posted on 2008-07-30]
I quite liked the director's cut version of Alexander, while not being a great film it was something about it that I found fascinating so when I heard about this Final Cut I knew I had to see it. I think the movie is better this way, a lot better infact, but it will never be a great movie. There's something lacking and I can't quite put my finger on what it is.

I was hoping for a director's commentary (I think Oliver Stone's commentary track for the Platoon was superb) but I had to settle for an introduction. No other extras, this is just the movie.

I would recommend this to those who liked the previous incarnations of this movie, but I don't really think this cut will change anyone's view of the movie. Either you liked it to begin with (if so I recommend this cut), or you didn't (then I recommend you see the 4-hour cut of Kingdom of Heaven instead).

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