TheMovieStory

Alexander is a 2004 epic film, based on the life of Alexander the Great. The film was directed by Oliver Stone, who contended that the theatrical release was based on historical events.

The film was based mostly on the book Alexander the Great, which was written by historian Robin Lane Fox in the 1970s. He gave up his screen credit in return for being allowed to take part in the epic cavalry charge during the film’s recreation of the Battle of Gaugamela.

The film proved controversial. It was critically derided upon its release and failed at the American box office, grossing only US$34 million domestically, while costing $155 million to produce. It did better internationally, however, grossing a total of $133 million in overseas revenues.^[1]

The two earlier DVD versions of Alexander (”director’s cut” version and the theatrical version) had sold over 3.5 million DVDs in the U.S. alone.^[2]

Plot

The film is based on the biography of Alexander the Great, the King of Macedon, the first Macedonian Emperor who conquered Asia Minor, Persia and eventually reached modern day Pakistan. It provides a glimpse into some of the key moments of Alexander’s youth, and his invasion of the mighty Persian Empire, until his death. It also outlined his early life, including his difficult relationship with his father, Philip II of Macedonia, the conquering of the Greek city-states under the League of Corinth, and the conquest of the Persian Empire in 331 BC. It also details his new plans to reform his empire, and the attempts made to reach the end of the world.

The storyline begins in 356 BC with Ptolemy I Soter, who narrates the story throughout the film. In lavish sets and images Stone shows his vision of Alexander’s daily life in the court of his father, Philip, and portraying 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. Late on, his relationship with his father is destroyed when Philip marries Attalus’ niece, Eurydice.

Thereafter Philip is assassinated and Alexander becomes king of Macedonia, including Greece. After a brief mentioning of his punitive razing of Thebes and burning of Persepolis, Ptolemy gives an overview of Alexander’s west Persian campaign, including his declaration to be 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 at Hydaspes against Porus in modern day Pakistan), both of which are shown in the film.

The plot also illustrates Alexander’s private relationship with his childhood friend, Hephaistion, and later his wife Roxanna until his death.

Before succumbing to an unknown illness or poison (it is never revealed which and both are suggested) Alexander distanced himself from his wife Roxannan despite her being pregnant, believing she has killed his childhood friend and lover Hephaistion. The film accurately places Hephaistion in a far closer position than his first wife Roxanna. It is suggested in the film that Alexander died in part due to the loss of Hephaistion, which occurred less than three months earlier. Early in the film Hephaistion compares Alexander to Achilles, to which Alexander replies that if he is Achilles then Hephaistion is his Patrocles (Achilles’ lover). Hephaistion mentions that Patrocles died first and then Alexander pledges that if he should die, he would follow him into the afterlife. A promise Ptolemy himself says Alexander apperentely kept when he died shortly after Hephaistion.

In the film after conquering Babylon Alexander admits that Hephaistion is the only person he loves. During the film Hephaistion shows extensive jealousy when seeing Alexander with Roxanna and deep sadness when Alexander marries her, going so far as to attempt keeping her away from Alexander after the former murdered an old friend in India.

The film also focuses intensively on the close and warped relationship Alexander shared with his mother Olympias (going as far as too suggest a certain degree of incest).

Director’s cut

Oliver Stone’s director’s cut was re-edited before the DVD release in later 2005. Stone removed 17 minutes of footage and added 9 minutes back into the film. This shortened the running time from 175 minutes to 167 minutes.

The differences between the “director’s cut” version and the theatrical version are:

• Dates in the flashbacks and flashforwards use normal historical figures such as 323 BC and 356 BC, as opposed to referring to time lapses, e.g. “30 years earlier”. In the commentary, Oliver Stone explained that for the theatrical release in the United States he had to refrain from using regular “BC” dates, since (according to data collected from test screenings) there was a significant number of viewers who did not know 356 BC was an earlier historical period than 323 BC.
• Ptolemy’s backstory at the beginning is shortened.

Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela.

• The two flashbacks with the arrival of Eurydice to the court and the wedding feast are shifted into the eastern campaign, enveloping the trial of Philotas and assassination of Parmenion.
• The scene with Aristotle (Christopher Plummer) giving a lesson to young Alexander and his friends has been re-edited and extended by a few seconds.
• Ptolemy’s narration leading to the Battle of Gaugamela has no reference to the razing of Thebes and burning of Persepolis. He mentions the official Macedonian accusation, that Darius assisted the assassination of Philip (in both versions, it is also mentioned when Alexander rallies the troops), and the proclamation by the Oracle of Amun is moved to later part of the narration.
• There is no scene of the night before the Battle of Gaugamela or the omen reader looking into the intestine of the ox-sacrifice before the Battle.
• Directly after Alexander mourning the dead after the Battle of Gaugamela, there is an additional flashback with Philip explaining the Titans to Alexander.
• In the theatrical version, during Roxanna’s dance, Perdiccas can be seen breaking up a fight between Hephaistion and Cleitus, removed in the director’s cut.
• The bedroom scene has been shortened. Roxanna’s attempt to kill Alexander (after her discovery of his relationship with Hephaistion) was cut. More explicit footage of Alexander and Roxanna having sex has also been added.
• When Alexander stumbles across the Page’s Plot, the director’s cut features a scenelet in which Perdiccas goes to arrest Hermolaus, who falls on his sword with the words “death to all tyrants”.
• There is no narrative explanation by Ptolemy during the trial of Philotas.
• There is no scene of Alexander mourning Cleitus.
• The flashback of Alexander questioning Olympias is not immediately after the flashback of Philip’s assassination, but moved after Alexander being badly wounded in the Battle of Hydaspes.
• The scene of Roxanna being prevented from entering Alexander’s tent by Hephaistion has been removed. This was the last remnant of a Roxanna/Cassander subplot that was filmed, but not included.
• Between the scene where Alexander smashes the “rebellion” within the ranks and the final battle, there is an additional scene where Alexander reads a letter from Aristotle, with Christopher Plummer featured in the scene dictating the letter to an unseen scribe.
• Ptolemy’s narration of the march through the Gedrosian desert additionally mentions the helplessness of Alexander watching his broken army die due to natural causes and harsh conditions in the desert, and he does not mention either Alexander’s new marriages in his final years, or that the march across the Gedrosian desert was the “worst blunder of his life”. The scene of the army returning to Babylon is also shortened.
• The scene of Olympias receiving the omen of Alexander’s death is shortened.

Final cut: “Alexander Revisited”

Stone also made an extended version of Alexander. In an interview with Ropeofsilicon.com, Stone stated that “I’m doing a third version on DVD, not theatrical. I’m going to do a Cecil B. Demille three-hour-forty-five-minute thing, I’m going to go all out, put everything I like in the movie. He was a complicated man, it was a complicated story and it doesn’t hurt to make it longer and let people who loved the film and see it more and understand it more.”

The extended version of the film was released under the title of Alexander Revisited: The Final Unrated Cut on February 27, 2007. The two-disc set featured a new introduction by Stone. Says Stone, “Over the last two years I have been able to sort out some of the unanswered questions about this highly complicated and passionate monarch – questions I failed to answer dramatically enough. This film represents my complete and last version, as it will contain all the essential footage we shot. I don’t know how many filmmakers have managed to make three versions of the same film, but I have been fortunate to have the opportunity because of the success of video and DVD sales in the world, and I felt if I didn’t do it now, with the energy and memory I still have for the subject, it would never quite be the same again. For me, this is the complete Alexander, the clearest interpretation I can offer.”^[3]

The film is restructured into two acts with an intermission. Alexander: Revisited takes a more in-depth look at Alexander’s life and his relationships with Olympias, Philip, Hephaistion, Roxanne and Ptolemy.

The film has a running time of 3 hours and 34 minutes (214 min) and is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio. Beyond the new introduction with Stone, there are no other confirmed extras, except for a free coupon to the movie 300.^[4]

Production details

Locations

• Library of Alexandria – Shepperton Studios, London, England
• Pella/Babylon/Indian palaces and myths cave – Pinewood Studios, London, England
• Alexandria (effect back plate) – Malta
• Temple of Pallas Athena, Mieza and Macedonian horse market – Essaouira, Morocco
• Gaugamela – desert near Marrakech, Morocco
• Babylon gates – Marrakech, Morocco
• Bactrian fortress – Lower Atlas Mountains, Morocco
• Hindu Kush (effect back plate) – Himalayas, India
• Macedonian amphitheater – Morocco
• Hyphasis – Mekong, northeastern Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand.
• Hydaspes – Central Botanical Garden, Amphoe Mueang, Saraburi Province, Thailand

Cast