Reviewing Alexander the Great

[pirateship1982]

Just saw Alexander the Great. My thoughts are 5 stars for cinemetography and 2.5 stars for historical accuracy. They did the Battle of Gaugamela expertly but royally screwed up the portrayal of his Indian campaign, to the point of showing him recieving his major wound at the Battle of the Hydaspes, totally ignoring the city assault which gave him the wound (and occured after the Hydaspes). AND THEY TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THE SIEGE OF TYRE! Gaugamela was a great victory, but the Siege of Tyre was just as great, if not greater. In all of history, Tyre had only been taken twice. The Babylonians sieged that city for several years without breaking it.

It was a great movie, definitely worth seeing. But it had the potential to be a GREAT GREAT GREAT movie if they spent more time on his campaigns and less time on his love life. (There were only two battle scenes in the whole movie, the rest of the three hours came dangerously close to being a soap opera)

Overall rating: 4 stars

What do you all think of the movie?

P.S. - I also have this posted in the Ancient Subforum

[Leatherneck]

I gotta see that movie soon as possible.

Thanks for head up review, Pirateship1982.

[Marines]

Isn't this an Oliver Stone film? [snort, sniff, sniff]

[Patrocles]

Just saw Alexander the Great. My thoughts are 5 stars for cinemetography and 2.5 stars for historical accuracy. They did the Battle of Gaugamela expertly but royally screwed up the portrayal of his Indian campaign, to the point of showing him recieving his major wound at the Battle of the Hydaspes, totally ignoring the city assault which gave him the wound (and occured after the Hydaspes). AND THEY TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THE SIEGE OF TYRE! Gaugamela was a great victory, but the Siege of Tyre was just as great, if not greater. In all of history, Tyre had only been taken twice. The Babylonians sieged that city for several years without breaking it.

It was a great movie, definitely worth seeing. But it had the potential to be a GREAT GREAT GREAT movie if they spent more time on his campaigns and less time on his love life. (There were only two battle scenes in the whole movie, the rest of the three hours came dangerously close to being a soap opera)

Overall rating: 4 stars

What do you all think of the movie?

P.S. - I also have this posted in the Ancient Subforum

gawd, with all the horrible reviews and your comments about the inaccuracies I don't think I will see it until the local library carries the DVD!
everyone should do the same! don't give Stone et al your $10 (or whatever it costs to see a flick in your area) and check out his Alexander the lame from the library.
Has anyone seen the older version of Alexander the great? was it richard burton in the lead role? Is this version worth seeing?

[Marines]

gawd, with all the horrible reviews and your comments about the inaccuracies I don't think I will see it until the local library carries the DVD!
everyone should do the same! don't give Stone et al your $10 (or whatever it costs to see a flick in your area) and check out his Alexander the lame from the library.
Has anyone seen the older version of Alexander the great? was it richard burton in the lead role? Is this version worth seeing?

Stone did it so what do you expect.

He was probably high as a kite just as he was during the filming of JFK. :drink:

[piero1971]

fif the movie at least depict Alexander the great's love (sex) life accurately or did it go politically correct?

sad for forgetting the siege of Tyre.. one of the most important actions of the times, as most of its surviving population then mooved to Carthago expanding it further...

[Tim McBride]

I thought the film over focused on the fact that Alexander(like most greeks of the time) had a gay love. I mean, ok cool, point it and then carry on; no need to make that the focus of the movie.

[Napoleon]

I'm seeing the film next weekend. The Globe and Mail trashed the film and I think it gave it two stars. But then again, it is a rare film that gets above three stars in the Globe and Mail.

[Marines]

I thought the film over focused on the fact that Alexander(like most greeks of the time) had a gay love. I mean, ok cool, point it and then carry on; no need to make that the focus of the movie.

So one minute hes sword fighting and the next hes sword fighting? ;) :D

[FallenAngelASB]

So one minute hes sword fighting and the next hes sword fighting? ;) :D


BOOOOOOOOO.....BOOOOOOOOO

I think thats all I need to say about that comment as funny as it really was.

But I can't wait to see the movie with some of my good friends next weekend, we'll have a gay ol' time. ;)

[Marines]

BOOOOOOOOO.....BOOOOOOOOO

I think thats all I need to say about that comment as funny as it really was.

But I can't wait to see the movie with some of my good friends next weekend, we'll have a gay ol' time. ;)

:laugh:

I couldn't help it! It was there and deserved a shot.

I did hear that the film was pretty bad. I think I'll wait until "comes out" on video.

[Juno]

It was absolute crap. A waste of three hours of my life (plus almost 30 minutes of commercials and previews)

[Marines]

It was absolute crap. A waste of three hours of my life (plus almost 30 minutes of commercials and previews)

Yep, thats basically the overall feeling of the film.

[pirateship1982]

The battle scene at Gaugamela was what saved it from going on my crap list. When it comes out on DVD you can jump right to it and dodge the cheesy parts. The Hydaspes battle scene had good special effects but I wish they would stop doing that shaky camera effect. It is difficult to enjoy the special effects when the screen is jumping all over the place. It also gave me a splitting headache. :hurt:

[Richa333]

Hey, any mention of my favorite Alexander-era character: his mentally delayed relative, who was next in line to take the Macedonian kingdom/Empire but was brutally murdered shortly after Alexander died?

Now THAT was a cool guy; world's first mentally disabled hero!

[pirateship1982]

I think a brief mention at the end but nothing more.

[JSMoss]

So one minute hes sword fighting and the next hes sword fighting? ;) :D

Shouldn't that go "One minute he is sword fighting and the next he is sword swallowing."...or did you get edited?