Alexander
Short description
Alexander of Macedonia, crowned king after his father Philip is murdered, sets out to take revenge on the Persian Empire and free the Greek cities of Asia Minor from its rule. His campaign carries him further than any western army had gone before, through deserts and mountains, into Egypt and on toward India, while he struggles for the approval of his stern father, contends with his ambitious wife Roxane, and relies on his closest friend Hephaistion. The story is told years later by the aged Ptolemy, once a companion of Alexander and by then king of Egypt.
Oliver Stone directed and co-wrote the film, the fourteenth of the twenty-two features he has directed in chronological order, following Any Given Sunday and preceding World Trade Center. Colin Farrell plays Alexander, with Angelina Jolie as Olympias, Val Kilmer as Philip, Jared Leto as Hephaistion, Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Cassander and Anthony Hopkins as the old Ptolemy.
Released in November 2004, the production cost about 155 million US dollars and returned roughly 167 million worldwide, a modest result against its budget. On IMDb it holds 5.6 out of 10 from around 183,000 votes, and on TMDB 6 out of 10 from a much smaller group of voters. A critics' rating of 4.1 out of 10 from 201 reviews places professional assessments below both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Colin Farrell suffered a severe sunburn during filming.
- The Macedonian phalanx was played by soldiers of the Moroccan army.
- Many famous actresses auditioned for the role of Olympias: Mila Jovovich, Nicole Kidman, Monica Bellucci, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Jovovich had too busy a schedule, Kidman didn't fit the appearance, Bellucci was almost approved but then refused, citing a difficult relationship with Colin Farrell, while Jones believed that Angelina Jolie would handle the role better.
- Val Kilmer gained over 20 kilograms for the role of Alexander’s father, King Philip II, and also spent a full hour each day with makeup artists who aged him and applied a scar to his face. The makeup artists tried to make Kilmer’s face resemble the historical appearance of Philip, as known from his portraits and the reconstruction of his skull from the so-called 'tomb of Philip'.
- Oliver Stone drew inspiration for this painting from the biography of Alexander the Great, written by historian Robin Lane Fox.
- A scandal erupted in Greece before the film's release, involving the Greek public, who called for a boycott of the film because it diminishes the image of Alexander by portraying him as bisexual.
- Filming took place from September 22, 2003, to February 2004.
- Brad Pitt was initially considered for the role of Hephaestion, but the actor himself refused to play the character due to personal disapproval of his actions. Jared Leto eventually landed the role.
- In December 2003, a group of homeless Swedes lined up to buy tickets for "Alexander," even though the premiere was not scheduled until late November 2004. They intended to pitch tents near the cinema and live in them for about a year. This was a kind of protest action, aimed at drawing the authorities' attention to the problem of homelessness in the Swedish capital. The homeless were trying to capitalize on a statement by an influential politician who had proclaimed that any movie lover had the right to pitch a tent and live in central Stockholm while waiting for tickets to a world premiere. However, the politician undoubtedly had another film in mind at the time – "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003).
- Former Marine Captain Dale Dye served as a military training consultant on the film "Alexander".
- With the support of weapons master Richard Hooper, a huge amount of weaponry was created for the Macedonian, Persian, and Indian armies. During preparation for filming, Hooper and his team had to equip more than 1,500 soldiers each day, requiring the manufacture of over 12,000 types of weapons and equipment: approximately 1,000 pikes, 2,000 shields, 2,000 swords, 750 bows, and 9,000 arrows.
- Heath Ledger was originally chosen for the lead role.
- Oliver Stone and Val Kilmer first discussed the idea of making a film about the life of Alexander the Great on the set of 'Doors' (1991).
- Oliver Stone released two further versions in addition to the theatrical release: Alexander — Director’s Cut (2004) and Alexander Revisited — The Final Cut (2007). In Alexander Revisited, scenes are arranged in a different order and supplemented with previously cut footage.
- Following the failure of "Alexander," Baz Luhrmann's long-developed project "Alexander the Great," starring Nicole Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio, was shelved.
- The film's grand failure is often attributed to Stone's rather frank depiction of the protagonist's bisexuality, which alienated most viewers who expected to see a heroic commander and warrior at the center of the film. Alexander's bisexuality is confirmed by ancient authors, but the film focuses on the king's relationship with his friend Hephaestion, which became the subject of later speculation.
- Oliver Stone initially planned to cast Tom Cruise in the lead role.
- Rosario Dawson refused to film nude, and neither the director nor the screenwriter's persuasion worked. She was only convinced by her colleagues on set, particularly her co-stars Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie.
- Angelina Jolie has greenish-gray eyes, but she had to wear contact lenses to achieve the expressive light-gray eyes of Olympias.
- The lead actor, Colin Farrell, suffered an unfortunate injury during filming – he broke his ankle falling down the stairs during a take.
- The scenes with elephants were filmed in Thailand, at the Phu Kae Central Botanical Garden, 130 km north of Bangkok. The filming lasted 2.5 weeks. The garden was partially altered by designer Jean Ralphs. Originally, the scenes were planned to be filmed in India, but the local elephants were difficult to train.
- Sean Connery was supposed to play the role of Philip, but Val Kilmer ultimately performed it.
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