'Alexander': A Crying Sham (Oliver Stone's "Alexander" a bisexual crybaby)

Washington Post ^ | 11/24/04 | Stephen Hunter

[Tribune7]

Just rename the movie to: "Alexander the Fabulous".

Oh, that's good. LOL

[agere_contra]

What is a fictional autobiography?

"autobiography" kind of implies that Alexander himself wrote it. It's a "fictional biography" - or just "fiction".

[KwasiOwusu]

"If we are lucky this will be Oliver Stone's last movie"

One would hope so, but I wouldn't hold my breadth.

Oliver Stone has manged to apply normal Hollywood sleaze to one of the greatest military generals in history, and a hero of mine when I was a kid, and virtually turned him into a girlie man.
Its enough to make one want to vomit.

[GadareneDemoniac]

I just knew Oliver Stone would screw this up...

[wideawake]

Yup.

If you wouldn't vote for John Kerry because of the crazy bullsh!t allegations he made against our valiant Viet Nam veterans, why would you pay to see a movie by the guy who made Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July?

[raybbr]

I honestly don't see what makes her so coveted. She's a second-rate actress at best.

[jalisco555]

What is a fictional autobiography?

The book is a work of historical fiction. It pretends to be Alexander dictating his memoirs to a young man in his court during the time of the mutiny in India. The author uses this device to try to explore Alexander's motivation, to try to understand what drove him to be the conqueror he became.

[Condor51]

Word has it that during the editing of this 'film'. A lot of important scenes were left on the cutting room floor, all to the dismay of Oliver Stone.

One scene was his personal favorite too - it proved that Alexander The Great was the 'Forth Shooter' in Dallas!

~~Stone mocking off~~

[Condor51]

oops, spelling error....

the above should be "Fourth" Shooter

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Yes, but playing the mother?

I believe she's cast in the role of MILF.

[rabidralph]

Edith Bunker: Ohhhhhh.

[gridlock]

Who is going to fork over money to see this movie?

The soft-hands types will be put off by the militarism. The fans of conquest and achievement will be put off by the placing of the bisexual side story in the center of the movie. Everyone else will be offended by the casting of the soft-faced non-entity of Colin Farrell as history's greatest conqueror.

This is a movie that is impossible for anyone to like.

[xp38]

No doubt Stone will claim his movie was butchered by the evil capitalists at the releasing studio. The directors cut version will of course restore this film to its true greatness.

[Condor51]

"...why would you pay to see a movie by the guy who made Platoon..."

Ya know, that film always make me wonder. Since it's based on Oliver's Vietnam War experiences - almost a bio if you will, I've always tried to figure out which character in the movie is supposed to be him??

So far I've got it down to:

1. the Crazy Guy with the Raccoon Tail
   
2. the Druggie with the Big Stick
   
3. or the Black Guy who fell asleep on patrol.

I know it surely wasn't the Charlie Sheen character :-)

[gridlock]

The director's cut will leave no doubt as to which of the handsome young men was Alexander's lover... and he won't be pronging him with a spear...

[American Vet Repairman]

"Stone gives himself much credit of "telling the truth" about Alexander's bisexuality"


This ABC broadcast premier is sponsored by Tucks-For soothing relief. And Preparation H -to help the burning. KY Jelly- What are freinds for?. And, The National Hamster Foundation- bringing boys and pets together.

[jocon307]

"Alexander the Fabulous".

LOL, good one! This was an enjoyable pan.

[joebuck]

"What is a fictional autobiography? Isn't that an oxymoron? Fiction is fiction, isn't it.?

Don't be so fast to judge. Historical fiction is often just a way to bring history to the masses. Much historical fiction is painstakingly researched and just puts history in a narritive format. It is one of my favorite genres. "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara brings the battle of Gettyburg to life like no dry historical account ever could and is completely accurate. (depending on whether or not you subscribe to the Longstreet blew it version of the battle.) The Alan Eckert books on the taming of the american frontier read like an Indiana Jones movie but are historically accurate to the smallest detail. Myself, I am intrigued by this fictional autobiography of Alexander and plan on checking it out over the holidays.

[Savage Beast]

"Aristotle's male chauvinism probably had its greatest effect on his best-known pupil, Alexander III, King of Macedonia, whom the world insists on calling 'the Great.'"~Eva C. Keuls~
The Reign of the Phallus
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985, p. 406

[CaptRon]

Review by Stephen Hunter, creator of Bob Lee Swaggger.