Update on Alexander Movies

[Tre]

Luhrmann To Delay His 'Alexander The Great' To 2005
[Wed May 07, 2003 08:36PM] While Oliver Stone is trying to get his version of Alexander into theaters for Thanksgiving 2004, Luhrmann and producer Dino De Laurentiis now say their pic Alexander the Great will not be released until at least late 2005, according to Variety.The ambitious project -- which carries a budget of around $150 million -- requires the casting of some 70 speaking rolesas well as hordes of extras (supplied from the Moroccan army by King Mohammed VI)."This huge preparation can't be done in less than eight or nine months," said De Laurentiis, casting some skepticism on whether the Stone project, to be distributed by Warner Brothers and financed by Intermedia, could keep to its 2004 date.Luhrmann now plans to begin his principal photography in April 2004 and shoot for six months with Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman."What most attracts me is the complex character of Alexander himself," said DiCaprio. "His legend is one of the most compelling stories in human history."Kidman, who will play Olympia, said, "She is unlike any other woman I've played before, and it's a role I'm really looking forward to." These movies keep getting pushed forward - perhaps the Gods will spare us all and not have either make it to film until someone writes a decent Alexander book worth making a movie out of.

[gahauser]

A decent Alexander book? You hate all of the ones out there?

[susan]

I think it's significant that there's never been a decent play written about Alexander, either - the great dramatists shied away, presumably daunted by the difficulty in reducing the key points in Alexander's life to two hours long. Looking back on your posting about what Colin Farrell said - "it's got everything - love, revenge, etc" - ( I can't recall the actual words), I think this is literally the problem - there's too much of everything to reduce to a single dramatic theme.Can anyone come up with a couple of sentences about Alexander's life that would make a decent dramatic plot ?Susan

[marcus]

You are right, Susan, that Alexander would be extremely difficult to turn into a play (although Racine apparently did it).One of the key things would be to take an episode from his life, rather than try to cram it all in - which, after all, is what most playwrights would have done - especially to follow a particular theme (let's face it, usually love or revenge). I have no doubt that Racine's play, which I've never read, deals with only a specific period in his life.Thinking about it, if I were to attempt a play (which I'm not going to do), I would probably write one that culminates in the murder of Cleitus. It's a great 'tragic' theme, very Aristotelian... "Alexander, blessed by the gods, conqueror of the world, becomes increasingly isolated from his friends as he falls more and more into the coils of Oriental luxury, a 'fall from grace' that culminates in his murdering one of his closest friends".Very choice, I'd say.All the bestMarcus

[Stavros]

all movies based on true stories or myths are modified. and if this movie goes ahead my personal opinion all comes down to how much profit these guys can make, hence twisting the tale to suit their pockets.

[susan]

Very choice indeed, although I wonder how luxurious his life actually was, especially when he was on campaign.Susan

[marcus]

Well, yes, indeed.As a theatrical device, any playwright would be interested in over-gilding the lily in that respect. So we would probably end up with total, rather than partial, adoption of Persian dress, much more Persian ceremonial; and Alexander's purported adoption of the harem of 365 concubines, Bagoas and loads of other untestified sybaritic tendencies would have to be brought to the fore.All in all, the play would end up subject to the same sorts of complaints we are likely to have about the movies... heigh ho! :-)All the bestMarcus

[Tre]

Greetings!Well, outside of Renault (her Alexander books are not among my favorites of the ones she wrote), only one other 'modern' book would qualify for tolerable - Tarr's Lord of the Two Lands. I've read almost all the Alexander fiction available in English.I'm still waiting for the right book on Alexander - so Marcus better hurry up Regards,Tre

[susan]

Have you ploughed through all of the Helga Moray books? I read them when young and they were bad even when I was 14 - I read one again two years ago, out of curiosity, and it was absurd, although it at least made no real claims to be better than pulp-fiction. I recommended Aubrey Menen's A Conspiracy of Women to Jeanne; it was one of the better ones I've read as it was actually partly-about something else - Anglo-Indian culture - rather than pure history.Susan

[Me]

Yes, but when one considers that a harem was an inherited estate of ALL the (living) women who were ever brought into it, it colours the picture differently. The women in harems were not all the "beautiful, nubile young women" fantasies some would have- many if not most of these women were as much political arrangements, state ties, etc as any other for the times, of all ages, including quite elderly. They could not be "let go" as there would be no place for them to go, no way for them to survive. And considering Alexander's penchant to avoid certain situations..... well, it would make a dry movie- not "lust in the dust", indeed!
Regards (and still chuckling)

[Tre]

Greetings Susan!I have read a Conspiracy of Women, but you wouldn't make a movie out of that I think it would lose a lot being put on film.As for Moray, I've have been warned sternly by the powers that be, that they are only suitable as fuel for the fireplace.Regards,Tre

[jan]

I wish that they would film Alexander in a series or sequels rather than one epic movie. Each period deserves to be treated separately and fully rather than as a condensation.

[jan]

Sorry that I jumped in so hastily and did not read all the messages first, but nevertheless, a great movie on Alexander should be worthy of at least three or four film sequences.I can think of lots of plots that would make a great movie, contrary to Susan's question. I liked the comment on Cleitus.And I appreciate Alexander for his discretion in his personal life. I am confident that he is a great lover, but that it did not make the history posts.:-)History is skeletal. I have faith that Lysippus's bust of Alexander is the closest to his true likeness.Jan

[GA Hauser]

I agree, hence the lead being played by...'Leo'...

[agesilaos]

I like the Cleitus idea it could be along the lines of Giradoux's 'La Guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu' which is top draw. You could also make a nice murder mystery/political thriller out of the Philotas affair.Generally the more compact the timescale the deeper the characters can be drawn which is why these films will probably disappoint not withstanding travesties of history and the standard farcical combat scenes. If only Sam Peckhinpah could have done it.