Why do people hate this movie so much?
Is it because of teh ghey? Colin Farrell is a prick? Val Kilmer got fat? Angelina Jolie's Russian accent? Oliver Stone is crazy?
The Final Cut is $9.99 on blu-ray. The movie is bold, audacious and brave, clocking in at 3hrs and 45 minutes and spread across two blu-ray discs with a classic old-school Hollywood intermission. Three hours and 45 minutes of this shit??!! You say! Yes! And I didn't feel it ever once dragged. I watched it two nights back-to-back after work.
The movie has been restructured in major ways. The battle of Guagamela opens the picture now rather than appearing in the middle. Whole plot threads are restored and character relationships have been more fully developed. Transitions from past to present and present to past now make more narrative sense. The narration of Ptolemy feels more natural.
Stone's take on Alexander to be fascinating. Compared to the historical figures in other, more well-received Hollywood epics such as Maximus (Gladiator), Balian (Kingdom of Heaven), William Wallace (Braveheart), Achilles (Troy), Alexander is far more complex and far more interesting. We see the manipulation of his mother, a woman who tormented him all his life but also provided for him the impetus to dream big and conquer the world, instilling in him the notion that he is the son of Zeus. Without her influence, Alexander may have never dreamed as big as he did. He also may never have been King, of course. One area where this version differs significantly with the theatrical release is in the depiction of Philip's public assassination. In the theatrical it is strongly implied that Olympias was behind it. However, in this version an embittered Pausanias (the greek soldier that does the deed) was just looking for some revenge after public humiliation. Jolie's Olympias is suitably manic and manipulative, which was probably a necessity for surivival.
Farrell's performance as Alexander is remarkable. By turns he is a young, sheepish teenager hoping to win the affection of his parents and later showing Alexander's courage, madness, arrogance and vulnerability. The performance runs the full gamut of emotions and I believe it is the best role or Farrel's career. Truly demanding work. One of my favorite scenes (not with Farrel) but with Alexander as a young kid is when he tames Bucephalus. The music by Vangelis (Young Alexander) beautifully captures the moment.
Kilmer is excellent as well. As Philip of Macedonia we see his complicated relationship with Alexander. Philip, was an abusive father, always playing Alexander against his mother and her lies and deception. But then, as we see with his mother, there are more intimate scenes of them together, like in the caves where Philip tells Alexander of the Myths (achilles and prometheus) "A King isn't born, Alexander, he's made."
This movie is decadent, opulent and unbashed romanticism. The thing has a real emotional pulse and pathos. I love how heavily it incorporates the myths into common dialog between characters. Their power and influence hangs like a cloud over everything they do. And Alexander is presented as a quasi-mythic figure every bit their equal. A God who roamed the earth, even surpassing the great feats of Achilles. The movie is unafraid to show the bromance between Alexander and Hephastion (Jared Leto). For Stone, Alexander truly loved Hephastion because he always accepted Alexander for who he was, even at a young age. He never pushed him to be a better man or to live up to the heroes of old. He never had to be anyone else for him. Their scenes together remain relatively the same in this version, so it leads me to believe that Stone didn't hold much back from the theatrical release (a common criticism of the movie at that time).
The battle scenes are rousing and massive in scope (the battle against the elephants must have been incredibly complicated), but is pulled off adeptly. Vangelis provides a stirring and heroic score. The cinematography is crisp and colorful, and not filtered in grit or yellow piss filters. Much of the movie is bathed in deep color and sunlight.
For $10 on blu-ray you don't have much to lose. The picture quality is fantastic and there are some really good behind the scenes documentaries, one of them produced by Stone's son, who took time off school to follow his father on this 3 year journey to make the movie of his dreams. Just like the Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut before it, Alexander Revisited is worth your time. According to Stone, this is the movie he always wanted to release to the world. A movie uncensored, uncompromised by test screenings or studio influence. A movie he is very proud of and considers one of his great works. Give it a try and this time with an open mind. I think you will find that there is a lot to appreciate here.
Is it because of teh ghey? Colin Farrell is a prick? Val Kilmer got fat? Angelina Jolie's Russian accent? Oliver Stone is crazy?
The Final Cut is $9.99 on blu-ray. The movie is bold, audacious and brave, clocking in at 3hrs and 45 minutes and spread across two blu-ray discs with a classic old-school Hollywood intermission. Three hours and 45 minutes of this shit??!! You say! Yes! And I didn't feel it ever once dragged. I watched it two nights back-to-back after work.
The movie has been restructured in major ways. The battle of Guagamela opens the picture now rather than appearing in the middle. Whole plot threads are restored and character relationships have been more fully developed. Transitions from past to present and present to past now make more narrative sense. The narration of Ptolemy feels more natural.
Stone's take on Alexander to be fascinating. Compared to the historical figures in other, more well-received Hollywood epics such as Maximus (Gladiator), Balian (Kingdom of Heaven), William Wallace (Braveheart), Achilles (Troy), Alexander is far more complex and far more interesting. We see the manipulation of his mother, a woman who tormented him all his life but also provided for him the impetus to dream big and conquer the world, instilling in him the notion that he is the son of Zeus. Without her influence, Alexander may have never dreamed as big as he did. He also may never have been King, of course. One area where this version differs significantly with the theatrical release is in the depiction of Philip's public assassination. In the theatrical it is strongly implied that Olympias was behind it. However, in this version an embittered Pausanias (the greek soldier that does the deed) was just looking for some revenge after public humiliation. Jolie's Olympias is suitably manic and manipulative, which was probably a necessity for surivival.
Farrell's performance as Alexander is remarkable. By turns he is a young, sheepish teenager hoping to win the affection of his parents and later showing Alexander's courage, madness, arrogance and vulnerability. The performance runs the full gamut of emotions and I believe it is the best role or Farrel's career. Truly demanding work. One of my favorite scenes (not with Farrel) but with Alexander as a young kid is when he tames Bucephalus. The music by Vangelis (Young Alexander) beautifully captures the moment.
Kilmer is excellent as well. As Philip of Macedonia we see his complicated relationship with Alexander. Philip, was an abusive father, always playing Alexander against his mother and her lies and deception. But then, as we see with his mother, there are more intimate scenes of them together, like in the caves where Philip tells Alexander of the Myths (achilles and prometheus) "A King isn't born, Alexander, he's made."
This movie is decadent, opulent and unbashed romanticism. The thing has a real emotional pulse and pathos. I love how heavily it incorporates the myths into common dialog between characters. Their power and influence hangs like a cloud over everything they do. And Alexander is presented as a quasi-mythic figure every bit their equal. A God who roamed the earth, even surpassing the great feats of Achilles. The movie is unafraid to show the bromance between Alexander and Hephastion (Jared Leto). For Stone, Alexander truly loved Hephastion because he always accepted Alexander for who he was, even at a young age. He never pushed him to be a better man or to live up to the heroes of old. He never had to be anyone else for him. Their scenes together remain relatively the same in this version, so it leads me to believe that Stone didn't hold much back from the theatrical release (a common criticism of the movie at that time).
The battle scenes are rousing and massive in scope (the battle against the elephants must have been incredibly complicated), but is pulled off adeptly. Vangelis provides a stirring and heroic score. The cinematography is crisp and colorful, and not filtered in grit or yellow piss filters. Much of the movie is bathed in deep color and sunlight.
For $10 on blu-ray you don't have much to lose. The picture quality is fantastic and there are some really good behind the scenes documentaries, one of them produced by Stone's son, who took time off school to follow his father on this 3 year journey to make the movie of his dreams. Just like the Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut before it, Alexander Revisited is worth your time. According to Stone, this is the movie he always wanted to release to the world. A movie uncensored, uncompromised by test screenings or studio influence. A movie he is very proud of and considers one of his great works. Give it a try and this time with an open mind. I think you will find that there is a lot to appreciate here.
though ten bucks ehhhh
