Alysheba

The gay scenes didn't bug me. Mostly because it didn't really affect me if Alexander was or was not gay. Either way he ruled most of the known world in his time. What irked me the most is they had Angelina Jolie play Alexander's mother. I couldn't buy it. Even with the make-up. The snake thing became kind of creepy after a while and I like snakes. Knowing that Angelina in real life is kind of odd herself, I guess it makes some sense, but no one picks up a poisonous snake and plays with it. It just rubbed me the wrong way I suppose.

Leto

According to the legend, the snake in question was Alexander real father....
Could have been worse, they could have selected Jon Voight to play Philip, Alexander's father...

Cailleach

LOL that would have been bad.

The snake question. Yeah, well that was kind of a Dionysus thingie. According to writings, Priestess and followers shared their bed with snakes. (If I'm right) Snakes were held in high honour.

You could also see the snakes on Alexander's armour, because they were the symbol of Zeus and Dionysus.

Hmmm, I actually like Angelina Jolie. As long as I'm not reminded of Tomb Raider. I think she's a good actress.

Heh, we can safely say I'm now obsessed with this movie.

Alysheba

I love Angelina as an actress personally, but this role wasn't believable enough for me. Maybe I just couldn't put out of my mind that she was a very young actress playing a role that was older. Or maybe she was just too "pretty" for it. I'm not sure. Maybe it was the sexual tension that ruled throughout the film. I just ended up leaving the theater wanting it to be more than it was and the one thing I notice about Olvier Stone's movies is that I often like them much more after a while. "The Doors" and "Born On The Fourth Of July" were both films I didn't really care for at all when I first saw them. Now, I think they were both brilliant concepts. Maybe his movies are just so complex my tiny brain can't keep it all in and really appreciate some things. The man creates very deep and complex movies.

Cailleach

The sexual tension. That was mostly because Alexander had a sort of Oedipal relationship with his mother. Remember when he said to Roxanne "If only you were not such a pale reflection of my mother" It was like that with the real Alexander too.

It also had to do with Dionysus and Zeus.

I think the thing people hate most about this movie, is that it's (for the most) part historically accurate and only for a small part entertainement. And I think that's what Oliver Stone is good at. He captured Vietnam perfectly in Platoon and Born on the 4th of July.

And in those days in Greece, people were thought beautiful and depicted so. Olympia was very beautiful according to some historical records. Because of that she was able to claim that Alexander was a son of Zeus.

Leto

Ok, the film's finally out here. Saw it yesterday.

Basically a good Oliver Stone movie. A bit too long (especially the battles) but well done. And full of beautiful men (Cleitus among them, Colin Farell in blonde with black roots lose a lot of his sex-appeal for me).
Except than that and the omniprescent Oliver Stone political monologue (mostly through Ptolemee's narration and basically a rehash of the one in Platoon, Nixon, JFK, and so on), it's a very good movie.

Neil040

As Colin Farrell said about the movie.. having Angelina Jolie play your mother is enough to bring out the Oedipal in anyone! haha I can understand that as I think she is super sexy.. despite any oddness about her habits.. lol

I think the Greeks went nuts about the sexuality of Alexander cos they are all hairy and macho these days.. (apologies to smooth liberal Greek members) whereas in ancient times they perfected the art of not caring what sex you were so long as you were tasty! In fact they had no such word as 'homosexual'.. simply did not signify as a distinction at all... its crazy tho since its so well documented within their written history. I agree that it was hilarious in Troy that Achilles preferences were distorted to turn his boyfriend into his girlfriend.. but I reckon that was Brad Pitt's agent at work there.. 'no freaking way is my guy going to play a poofter!' I still enjoyed Troy tho quite a lot...

I am def going to see it tho since I think a large amount of the panning of it in america is down to the current right wing religo trend that is all the rage these days...

The funniest critique I have heard thus far is that there are too many Irish accents in the film!! oh my lord! haha That is soooo funny coming out of the land of hollywood historical movies! From Moses to Robin Hood I have grown up with the idea that historical characters speak with an american accent! And have I ever complained? Well.... not often... err....

Leto

About the accent, it was the first time I've heard Angelina Jolie in english, is it her usual voice, or did she try to get some greek accent ? I think the latter, but I'd like to be sure.

Neil040

Well... she is american of course... so usually she has an american accent... but.. in filming Tomb Raider she played a brit and developed a pretty damn fine english accent I thought.. now she lives in england full time I believe (according to my son who knows about these things!)

So.. the other night there was the european premiere of Alexander in Dublin and the tv spoke to her and I swear she sounded like an english rose! I reckon as she now lives in england.. and cos she can do a perfect brit accent.. she has decided to sound english as a matter of course!

I am yet to see Alexander but I would guess she is using that in the film... which of course would make her sound upper class (Brit) amongst all those Irish accents... haha

LadyFel

No, she's using a heavy foreign accent which can't be pinned down to any particular region, about the best you can say is 'East European'...trust me, I'm one so I know... :biggrin:

As for the film itself...I'm sorry, but I couldn't get into it...I mean, I'd understand if they had 'proper' British accents, fair enough, that's what the movie makers almost always do if they can't be bothered with voice coaches and the films are 'high classic' adaptations...but IRISH? Come on...Even if I didn't know Alexander was Macedonian, it would be too funny...And they had all the other actors adapt their accent so Farrel wouldn't have to...

As I'm not too interested in that part of world histora apart from knowing the basic 'who's who' I didn't really care one way or another, but I thought the afternoon was pretty wasted...My husband almost cried though, he hated it on several concious and subconscious levels...