REVIEW: ALEXANDER
Posted on April 12, 2016 by proxyblue57 Standard
Colin Farrell (Phone Booth)
Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of The Lambs)
Rosario Dawson (Daredevil TV)
Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider)
Val Kilmer (Kiss Kiss Bang bang)
Christopher Plummer (Up)
Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon)
Jared Leto (Requiem For a Dream)
Joseph Morgan (The Originals)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Dracula)
Neil Jackson (Blade: The Series)
Rory McCann (Game of Thrones)
Toby Kebbell (Dawn of The Planet of The Apes)
Fiona O'Shaughnessy (Nina Forever)
Elliot Cowan (The Spanish Princess)
Ian Beattie (Game of Thrones)
The film is based on the life of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, who conquered Asia Minor, Egypt, Persia and part of ancient India. Shown are some of the key moments of Alexander's youth, his invasion of the mighty Persian Empire and his death. It also outlines his early life, including his difficult relationship with his father Philip II of Macedonia, his strained feeling towards his mother Olympias, the unification of the Greek city-states and the two Kingdoms (Macedonia and Epirus) under the Hellenic League,[4] and the conquest of the Persian Empire in 331 BC. It also details his plans to reform his empire and the attempts he made to reach the end of the then known world. The story begins 40 years after 323 BC, around 283 BC, with Ptolemy I Soter, who narrates throughout the film. We see Alexander's daily life and the strained relationship between his parents. Alexander grows up with his mother Olympias and his tutor Aristotle, where he finds interest in love, honour, music, exploration, poetry and military combat. His relationship with his father is destroyed when Philip marries Attalus's niece, Eurydice.
After Philip is assassinated, Alexander becomes King of Macedonia. Ptolemy mentions Alexander's punitive campaign in which he razes Thebes and burns Persepolis, then gives an overview of Alexander's west-Persian campaign, including his declaration as the son of Zeus by the Oracle of Amun at Siwa Oasis, his great battle against the Persian Emperor Darius III in the Battle of Gaugamela and his eight-year campaign across Asia.
Also shown are Alexander's private relationships with his childhood friend Hephaestion and later his wife Roxana. Hephaestion compares Alexander to Achilles, to which Alexander replies that, if he is Achilles, Hephaestion must be his Patroclus (Achilles' best friend and lover). When Hephaestion mentions that Patroclus died first, Alexander pledges that, if Hephaestion should die first, he will follow him into the afterlife. Hephaestion shows extensive jealousy when he sees Alexander with Roxana and deep sadness when he marries her, going so far as to attempt to keep her away from him after Alexander murders Cleitus the Black in India.
After initial objection from his soldiers, Alexander convinces them to join him into his final and bloodiest battle, The Battle of Hydaspes. He is severely injured with an arrow but survives and is celebrated. Later on, Hephaestion succumbs to an unknown illness either by chance or perhaps poison, speculated in the movie to be Typhus carried with him from India. Alexander, full of grief and anger, distances himself from his wife, despite her pregnancy, believing that she has killed Hephaestion. He dies less than three months after Hephaestion, in the same manner, keeping his promise that he would follow him. On his deathbed, Bagoas grieves as Alexander's generals begin to split up his kingdom and fight over the ownership of his body.
The story then returns to 283 BC, where Ptolemy admits to his scribe that he, along with all the other officers, had indeed poisoned Alexander just to spare themselves from any future conquests or consequences. He, however has it that it just be recorded that Alexander died due to illness compounding to his overall weakened condition. He then goes on to end his memoirs with praise to Alexander.
The story then ends with the note that Ptolemy's memoirs of Alexander eventually burned, lost forever with the Library of Alexandria.
An absolute epic. From the critical ravaging of the original release to this glorious masterpiece, it is an essential film for any serious film lover and DVD collector. Brilliant.
This entry was posted in Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Brian Blessed, Christopher Plummer, Colin Farrell, Drama, Elliot Cowan, Jared Leto, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Joseph Morgan, Neil Jackson, Rory McCann, Rosario Dawson, Toby Kebbell, True Story, Val Kilmer. Bookmark the permalink.
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