3. Alexander
The Film: It’s not an exaggeration to say that this might be Oliver Stone’s biggest failure ever. Why? First off, and to be perfectly fair, Stone consulted Robin Lane Fox, Oxford historian and the premier Alexander expert, before making this film. And it shows. The film certainly ranks as one of the most historically accurate out there, and any viewer who’s into Greek drama and history will agree. Colin Farrell gives a strong performance as always and so does most of the cast. So what’s the problem then?
The problem is that Stone spends almost three hours focusing almost exclusively on Alexander’s sexuality (presenting him as a bisexual who loved men more than women) when he had the chance to make a compelling film about the greatest Greek king and arguably the greatest military leader ever, who conquered much of the known world by the time he was thirty-three. There’s nothing wrong with Alexander being bisexual, but when you make a movie about him that can go in so many directions but focus almost solely on his sexuality then you’ve failed miserably.
The Historical Events: Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of Macedon, a state in northern ancient Greece. Born in Pella, Greece in 356 BC, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle until the age of 16. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. He was undefeated in battle and is considered one of history’s most successful commanders. Alexander succeeded his father, Philip II of Macedon, to the throne in 336 BC after Philip was assassinated.
Upon Philip’s death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He was awarded the generalship of Greece and used this authority to launch his father’s military expansion plans. In 334 BC he invaded Persian-ruled Asia Minor and began a series of campaigns that lasted ten years. Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. He subsequently overthrew the Persian King Darius III and conquered the entirety of the Persian Empire. At that point, his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River.
Alexander’s legacy includes the cultural dispersal his conquests engendered. He founded more than twenty cities that bore his name, including Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander’s settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century. Ultimately, Alexander became the measure against which military leaders compared themselves and military academies throughout the world still teach his tactics.