OUTED -- How The Post reported it in Thursday's
Pulse: "Does my butt look big in this toga?"
Posted on 11/20/2004 8:04:44 PM PST by OESY
Oliver Stone and the studio releasing his $150 million historical epic "Alexander" should beware of Greeks bearing writs — over the film's depiction of Alexander the Great as Alexander the Fabulous.
The controversial director and Warner Bros. were yesterday threatened with a lawsuit by a group of Greek lawyers who are incensed that the new movie "Alexander" portrays the hero as bisexual.
The group of 25 Athens-based lawyers said they sent a letter to Warner Bros. demanding that it label "Alexander" ... as a work of fiction....
"We are not saying that were are against gays, but we are saying that the production company should make it clear that this film is pure fiction and not a true depiction of the life of Alexander."...
Colin Farrell, who plays Alexander in the 3-hour epic, sports a blond pageboy and mini toga and is seen kissing two different men on the lips.
Though the film includes a steamy wedding-night sex scene between Alexander and his wife Roxane, played by Rosario Dawson, it makes no bones that the true love of the emperor's life was his pal Hephaistion, portrayed by Jared Leto.
Alexander came from northern Greece, which has long been touchy about most historians' belief that like many men of the era, one of the greatest military leaders of all time swung both ways.
Two years ago, hundreds of Greeks stormed an archeological symposium where a speaker presented a paper on Alexander's sexuality and police were called in to restore order.
"We cannot come out and say that President... Kennedy was a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and so Warner cannot come out and say Alexander was gay," Varnakos said....
According to the film's narration, "It was said . . . that Alexander was never defeated, except by Hephaistion's thighs."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
OUTED -- How The Post reported it in Thursday's
Pulse: "Does my butt look big in this toga?"
Speaking as a female, I see nothing sexy and attractive about Colin Farrell in that cheap wig and toga.
History is history, regardless.
I guess old Ollie must still be letting some of his autobiographical sketches leak into his "art".
Well, I thought this was pretty well established from the historical record?!?
Then again, it is in an Oliver Stone film, so I suppose that is a fairly strong argument against...
Should have used the " " on the word leak or were you punning?
With all the room under those togas, I guess you would swing both ways...
The ancient biographers such as Plutarch were certainly not ambiguous about it.
Everytime I see him in that getup it cracks me up. Reminds me of Tom Hulce from Amadeus, for some reason. Anyway, it just looks stupid.
We all know that Stone is a sick man and probably posts regularly on DUmmys.
They are goign to lose a fortune on this movie.
Why does Hollywood insist on coming out with more and more disgusting garbage.
And they wonder why "The Incredibles" is doing so well? Sheesh. It's the only movie out right now thats okay for families.
These hollywood guys are living in a fantasy worls.
The Golden Age of Greek literature preceded Alexander, and so obviously most of the renown authors would not have written anything about it. From Roman sources (and a couple Hellenistic writings) it's rather clear what the relationship was thought to have been, and the basic modern Greek counter-argument is that it's nothing more than hearsay. It's a fairly silly dispute which could be brought up about most any ancient records.
The Greeks just don't want to admit that their ancient forebears were mostly bisexual sluts..
Mary Renault, "The Persian Boy"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0394751019/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-0927276-7907359#reader-link
Ick. I wanted to see this film, but now....well, not so sure.
I enjoyed Troy, but this just turns me off.
They sure are. It cost $160 million and I'm pretty sure it's gonna bomb. So sad, too. I was really looking forward to seeing an Alexander movie someday (I've had a long fascination with Alexander the Great's conquests, since a project I did in 7th grade).
That blond, simpering version of Colin Farrell just looks so silly though I won't be going to see it. I'll probably rent the DVD someday, and that's it. I know Alexander was blond, but if they had to cast Farrell they should've just taken some license and left his hair dark. Or, they could've just cast a blond actor or whatever.
Not that the other Alexander adaptation that would've starred Leonardo DiCaprio would've been much better from the sound of it. *sigh*
I agree. Even the history channel mentioned that A the G had a boyfriend, but I doubt if there was any 'romantic foreplay' in their relationship.
"White folks was in the caves while we was building empires. We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it."~Al Sharpton
There aren't that many records of the period.
The New Testament has thousands of times more documentary evidence, and it is controversial.
Imagine having a few late-dated manuscripts far removed from the time and making authoritative statements about the era in question, much less about an individual.
One thing that is beyond serious dispute about the era in question is that homosexuality didn't just speak its name, it shouted it from the rooftops. If Alexander wasn't having homosex then he was probably just about the only one..
Moreover, the Romans took a much more ambivalent view on the matter, and since they revered Alexander there is rather little reason I can think of why they would've fabricated such a thing.
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