Alexander: The Ultimate Cut

This epic historical drama holds an exceptional place in Oliver Stone’s filmography: it is his only cinematic venture set in ancient, non-American times. Nevertheless, it serves as an independent analog to his controversial biopics of famous politicians – John Kennedy (JFK, 1991), Richard Nixon (Nixon, 1995), and George W. Bush (W., 2008). The life of the historical ruler Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 BCE) provided Stone with a starting point for another of his cautionary tales about political power concentrated in the hands of one man. The influence of his unscrupulous father King Philip II, dominant mother Olympias, and the philosopher Aristotle shaped the future king’s destiny. After ascending the throne at the age of 20, Alexander quickly gained a reputation as an invincible sovereign and military commander, who united Greece during the campaigns against the Persian Empire and conquered his way to the Indian subcontinent.… In harmony with traditional historical mega-films à la Cecil B. DeMille, Stone turned in a grandiose spectacle of bejeweled movie stars with Colin Farrell at the fore. Based on Oxford historian Robin Lane Fox’s book, the picture takes a critical look at the title character: Here, Alexander is an idealist whose power and fame progressively transform into megalomania. His paranoia, in turn, affects his relationship to those closest to him and, given the loss of cultural identity, leads to his internal breakdown.… The 206-minute reedit from 2013 (Alexander: The Ultimate Cut) is the director’s fourth and definitive version.