Oliver Stone's Alexander Director's Cut - Emotionally Charged Epic

Title: Alexander Director's Cut

Staring: Collin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Anthony Hopkins

Directed by: Oliver Stone

Rated: ‘R' for violence and some sexuality/nudity

Copyright: 2004, 2005 IMF Internationale Medien und Flim GmbH & Co. 3 Productions and Warner Bros. Entertainment

Running Time: Approximately 167 minutes

Genre: Epic Action

My Thoughts:
First, I must admit that I knew virtually nothing about Alexander before watching the film. I don't know if that is relative but it might be. Throughout the movie I kept waiting for something to show me why this guy was so great and deserves a movie about his life. It turns out his greatness is simply because he fought a lot of battles and never lost. So now I know…and I don't really care.

I must also admit that I truly enjoy epic films and I generally don't think they even need to be extremely well written, acted or directed for me to like them. There is just something about these types of film that pull me in and get me hooked. This movie was no different. While I wouldn't say it is a great film, I would still recommend it. So here is what I think.

The directing was kind of weird. The movie jumped back and forth through time and even though it stated the new times, I still found it a bit confusing. I think there was too much movement with the camera for my tastes as well. It is best if you just watch the movie without thinking or trying to figure anything out. By the end of the movie, all will soak into your brain and it will all make sense.

Of course there are huge battle scenes with plenty of blood, which seems to be a staple of these types of films. There is a definitely unique battle scene in India where the Indians use elephants instead of horses. I liked that because it is different and interesting. There is a terrific shot that would make a great poster of a horse and elephant rearing up while facing each other. If you like battle scenes that are raw and seem un-choreographed then this movie will not disappoint you. These are not giant ballets with swords, instead these are bloody, blurry, real time visions of what being in a battle was like.