Alexander \'extended edition\' is coming...

[Sergey Lenkov]

Ha, ha, ha
Comerus Gallus Romus, my problem - problem of many Russians. We still trying to beleive that the artist performs some high Misson in our world and that he by his own means should say the Truth about us and our world. It is naive.
I had high hopes for this film. Works by Oliver Stone ("Platoon", "Salvador", "Wall Street", his screenplay for "Istanbul Express") are far from mainstream primitive Hollywood pop production, he is more or less honest. I think that "Platoon" is most honest and objective film about the Army (of each country).
I listened to OST by Vangelis before watching the movie. For Vangelis - Alexander the Great is national hero, so he wrote music for different kind of movie - and some tracks of CD "Alexander" by Vangelis are more visual and spectacular than movie itself.
After that in cinema I felt deep disillusion...

As to monkey scene - read Strabo, Geography, XV, 29, c 699.
Dialogues of Alexander with Indian philosophers - ibid, XV, 61-68.

[Arthes]

From what I have seen of the new 'cut' it comes across as a totally different film. It has been rearranged so that from old Ptolemy's reminiscing and remark 'I know, I was there' it cuts to Ptolemy in the tent, pre Gaugamela and the battle ... the story of young Alexander follows...thats all I really know about the sequence at the moment.
Scenes cut from the original for various reasons, have been re-added to give more emphasis or explanation and some not so important scenes have been cut.
Just the little extra added to Alexander's pre-Gaugamela speech made such a difference and as for the battle itself ... that guy who got his knee smashed and was crying out that is battle realism as upsetting as it is.
Oliver knows people hated the film and as he says 'will probably still hate it' but he also knows a lot of people loved it and wanted an extended edition....he has read posts in the Alexander forum, since the film release, how many Hollywood film makers bother to do that..?
Alexander is also a hero to Oliver Stone and yet his attempt to 'humanise' Alexander by giving him feelings and emotions, which may not always be acceptable to some modern minds; as well as show him as the heroic, passionate, headstrong and yes, rather violent king, who boldly rode where no-one else would dare, caused a negative reaction to the film.
Why does everybody think Alexander was a cyborg....a human with a bionic brain who had no feelings, who did not care when his closest friends were killed, who never fell in love or made the occasional mistake or horror of horrors, may have had feelings for another man at times....he was, well, half human....so that half was like the rest of us.. :wink: :wink: !
You do know what Alexander really said to Perdiccas as he gave him the ring ....."I'll be back".

[M.H. White]

There were some nice scenes in the movie . . . Philip's assassination was rather good(Val Kilmer as philip was an excellent casting choice, as was whoever it was they picked for Parmenion). Gaugamela was nice as well. But man oh man, did Stone focus on the wrong things . . . .

[Arthes]

did Stone focus on the wrong things . . . .

I think he did... he went to his intimate life that was always something not clear.

Yes, humanising him.... :wink:
Maybe there will be more of a balance in 'Revisited'...

as was whoever it was they picked for Parmenion"...

It was John Kavanagh who played Parmenion

[M.H. White]

Humanising him is all well and good, I applaud the idea, as he was a man. It was, however, poorly executed. If you want to see a good humanization of Alexander, then read "Virtues of War" by Steven Pressfield. It may paint a little too good a picture of Alexander, but it doesn't completely gloss over all his negative aspects. Certainly, the way Pressfield went about making Alexander into a real person was what should have been done in the film.

I for one don't think that focusing on his ambiguous relationship with Haephaestion is all it takes to humanize him.


By the way, I love the irony that the Greeks were upset about how Alexander was portrayed in the film, when in his own time, the Greeks hated him deeply. "Woe are the dangers I must face for a good name in Athens."

[Sergey Lenkov]

Oliver knows people hated the film and as he says 'will probably still hate it' but he also knows a lot of people loved it and wanted an extended edition....he has read posts in the Alexander forum, since the film release, how many Hollywood film makers bother to do that..?
Alexander is also a hero to Oliver Stone and yet his attempt to 'humanise' Alexander by giving him feelings and emotions, which may not always be acceptable to some modern minds.

Well, it's not quite right that we are hating film. I'm highly appreciating work by Oliver Stone... but it could be much better - that 's the reason of our cry . It's obviously that the new film (with such budget) about Alexander could be made probably decades ahead in the future. And Oliver Stone had possibilities, talent, money to make much more impressive film. But due to much reading of Mary Renault`s novel - we have what we have - and truely I think - if bi-sexuality was normal for say Athenian men - it couldn't brought such Freud-style complexes to Ancient Greeks as showed in "Alexander". Hero of Oliver Stone - not Alexander the Great but Freudian, as you said, sexual cyborg with "psyche" of XX century gay from novel by Renualt. There were and there are many gays but Alexander the Great is the unique person in history of humankind. And his probable bi-sexualiy couldn`t help us to understand his phenomenon better.
Oliver Stone explained that to make movie based on this novel - it was his dream. I couldn't blame him for that. So his film is a work of art. I like some parts of "Alexander", I very like music by Vangelis. But we waited for more. That's the reason of our disillision. Real sources are much more interesting.
P.S. Truely I think that Oliver Stone tries to understand the secrets of Power in human society by understanding psichology of political leaders. "J.F.K.", "Nixon", "Alexander", Fidel Castro.
Did he really opens that secrets? I don't know.

[Robert Vermaat]

Could be better? Sure. But the story was not thát bad, I had some isssue with the time-jumping - from youth to Persia, then from India back to Philippos' murder - back again). And of course some events were conflated and in the wrong order.

But so far, the best executed historical drama seen in the movie theatre!

[Magnus]

You know, I couldn't even finish the first version of Alexander...I actually shut it off about halfway through. Easily one of the worst movies since Ishtar.

[Sergey Lenkov]

You know, I couldn't even finish the first version of Alexander...I actually shut it off about halfway through

I could give you some hints how to understand it
You watched it as possible blockbuster - as "Gladiator" about Ancient Greece. But "Alexander" is European style art-house film with Hollywood budget.
If you would watch it as psychological drama with battle scenes - it could be viewed much easier that way. Just be in the mood to watch something in psychological drama genre - relax and watch.
I saw it once in cinema, and the second time on TV - First time I was disappointed, but after the second viewing I started to understand the ideas of the director.
Though as you see I'm not quite happy with these movie. Hero of the movie - Freudian complexes, not Alexander the Great.
Oliver Stones tries to say that rulers who shape the future of civilization - simple and weak persons with the same problems and troubles as we have.

[Arthes]

I have the Revisited movie already

Over here, we have to wait longer for delivery...

Arthes: where is that Alexander forum?, i would like to join there, I know it gives more wider space to worship our demi-god! :lol:

Here..Alexander

You know, I couldn't even finish the first version of Alexander...I actually shut it off about halfway through. Easily one of the worst movies since Ishtar.

Its a matter of Taste?...

I tell u this, this forum is great, but had infected too many people with this matter of accuracy... If I follow this sickness, I wouldnt be able in my life to enjoy a movie...

Yes, there is this mural in a South London shopping centre that has Romans and I stood there last time I visited, thinking....'are those helmets authentic for the period...'!
Alexander is one of the most accurate historical dramas in cinema history.....I first saw it at the cinema and was totally enthralled, although the gory scenes and the Hydaspes 'Phalanx eye view' did make me feel a little queasy..

[Arthes]

I hoped so ....what little I have seen looked so much better....
I've just been sent some exclusive scenes that can't be seen anywhere else online... :wink: so I will go and watch them while I try to keep myself awake...!
Still no word on my ADD.....Alexander delivery date....
regards
Arthes

[Arthes]

A negative point?...Yes just one, one part scene but i will keep it in secret.
It is just a small scene.
previous version!.

I just saw one scene, possibly what you mean.....rather surprised but it doesn't bother me :wink: ...a little added to Hydaspes....hock:

[Robert Vermaat]

Talk about beating someone into a bloody pulp... :?

What are those things hanging down - 'oliphaunt' guts? :?:

[Arthes]

I didn't believe what I was seeing at first...so we know why Oliver had to cut so much out.....his realism would have had half of the cinema audience throwing up their popcorn...!
They are entrails I think...I looked away... hock:
But this is war, for all the glory and pride in your heritage and land, this is what it sometimes came down to, no glossing over the fact in this film...now it's cold, hard reality..and this is to show just what those soldiers were facing...the equivalent of a mortar tank I suppose.
Still no news on my DVD....... :? (

[Arthes]

I'm watching a movie with Haydee...so after that I shall work on the clip..ok?
See later...

I didn't know Haydee had made any films....what is it called ?:roll: :lol: