Review of Alexander (2004) by Cjhcritic — 17 Apr 2018

Alexander is perplexingly a Love-it or Hate-it movie, perhaps depending on whether you have an interest in the period or not !? Much of the visual imagery of the film is breathtaking, such as the stunning battles of Gaugamela and Hydaspes, but also the beautifully filmed crowded cityscapes of ancient Babylon, and the dramatic scenery along the route of Alexanders conquests.

Some reviewers have complained about the flashback structure, and use of Irish & British accents to differentiate the Macedonian and Greek characters. Neither device bothered me once I realised their function .

.. I dont think I'd have been able to tell a Macedonian accent from a Greek one otherwise ! But these are minor digressions. The strength of the film is its epic portrayal of the experiences of Alexander and his men.

The Battle of Gaugamela in particular is possibly the best reconstruction of an ancient battle committed to film, seamlessly guiding the viewer from an ingenious strategic battlefield overview, down to the tactical manouvers of the opposing forces, and the brutal reality of the bloody hand to hand combat.

I was shaking with adrenalin from reliving this brilliantly choreographed confrontation. More poetic and still relevant is the clash of cultures illustrated by Alexander on his beloved horse Bucephalus and the terrifying War Elephants of the Punjabi King Porus.

Alexanders dream of uniting the diverse peoples of the world under one unified culture is one we're still wrestling with, and is reflected in microcosm in his own relationships with his parents and lovers ! Its such an epic story that perhaps there was an inevitable tightrope to be walked by the films central characters as they try to carry sufficient gravitas for the themes involved, whilst keeping them real, which has led to accusations of hammy acting.

I didnt share this feeling though, these real titans of human history are surely entitled to some Shakespearian hyperbole ...