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Film disasters rarely get a second or third chance but
with the advent of DVD we now have the opportunity to see
a director tweak a film not once, not twice but three times.
"Alexander Revisited" shows that a disaster can't be made
into a great film but it can be tweaked improving it in
the editing room. Oliver Stone's film appears in its third
incarnation both different and the same as before. At first
Stone trimmed the film by a few minutes, altering the homosexual
relationship between Alexander (Colin Farrell) and Hephaistion
(Jared Leto). This third cut runs nearly an hour longer
than the original theatrical version. In the case of "Alexander
the Great" more is less. Stone (according to his introduction
the only extras on the film)was trying to remodel his film
on the epic adventures he saw as a child such as "Spartacus"
. Stone has altered the flow of the film by alternating
more flashbacks putting past (Alexander growing up and his
estrangement from his father played by Val Kilmer) and present
( to his campaign to conquer the known world ) side by side.
This is something that Stone began with the "Director's
Cut" but here he goes whole hog using past to illuminate
Alexander's motivation in the "present". ***
While it's an admirable idea that adds dramatic muscle
to the original flaccid original cut, the film still isn't
entirely successful. The central flaw with the film (aside
from the screenplay) is the disasterious casting of Farrell
in the lead. He's unconvincing and can't pull the role off.
The battle sequences, on the other hand, prove that Stone
has lost none of his ability with the camera. These sequences
are brilliantly shot but can't possibly make up for the
turgid drama that surrounds the film. ---
Image & Sound:
"Alexander" looked great previously and continues to
look terrific in this two disc presentation of the expanded
edition of the film. Edge enhancement is an occasional problem
and the images in some sequences lack the detail I would
have expected but otherwise the film looks fine. The aggressive
5.1 mix captures thegory aspects of battle in all of its
audio glory. ---
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