Review of Alexander

This film presents an intense psychological investigation of the character of Alexander of Macedon. It is thoroughly immersed in the moral, political and philosophical climate of Grecian antiquity, In many ways it bears somewhat of a resemblance to Fellini's "Satyricon" of thirty-five years earlier. There is the similar re-appearance of the Cyclops-like characters, the shrew-like "luna" characters with their sensual but corresponding dark sides, a "token" love garden, the tinted filter/lens effect on specific scenes and the stunning "pagan" beauty evident in the set design. It also features male leads who share a code of honour and love between them. A love which in its "highest" spiritual form was representative as a means of transcendent personal growth and valor; ideas passed down from Plato to Aristotle. Chronological occurrences of Alexander's campaigns and political successes take a back seat as a result, disappointing many more intent on an all-inclusive rendering from this perspective. The variety of spoken accents form a type of "primordial soup" much like Fellini used in "Satyricon" as well; a curiosity thought by some to be symbolic of Jung and his theories of a "collective unconscious" wherein all language is simply an outward babbling to personify the universally shared life experience of all people. There were some cosmetic concerns, most notably Alexander's badly tinted hair and eyebrows. The excessive black eyeliner worn by Hephaestion is a look that does appear periodically on vases and frescoes. However, underneath all of the controversy lies the character of a deeply passionate man with his seemingly many strengths and weaknesses, attempting to grow and to love without limitation in accordance with his own perspective and level of understanding. Kudos to Colin for possessing the maturity and depth to present Alexander's complex personality and feelings with so much intensity and dignity.