Before I saw the film Alexander I have already been warned that it was a gay movie, overly melodramatic, crappy character development, and battle scenes that were “blech”. I watched it anyway to see for my self.
I’ve never considered my self a movie critic but fictions based on historical events just have a way of annoying me when they deviate from acknowledged historical facts. It is a fact that during those times homosexuality or bisexuality was an accepted norm. The Greek thinkers espoused loving your fellowmen “in virtue”. They however favored reason, logic, and philosophy and did not look kindly upon men’s lower faculties. But hey the movie drove that message across well enough, too much in fact. The insinuations that the movie made is questionable at best, it did not mention the fact that Alexander’s beloved Persian boy was a eunuch nor did the movie show Alexander’s love for women showing only glimpses of distaste and hate. Oh well they must a have something else in mind.
Alexander was great not because of his sexual preference nor because of his psychological issues. He was considered great because of his great achievement in the field of battle and his conquest of the known world. He was considered great because of his military genius. He was not only a great military strategist but also a skilled, bold, courageous, and daring warrior. I don’t think the movie looked at that angle well enough.
If I remember correctly it was King Poros in the battle of Hydaspes who said he wanted to be treated like a king and not a princess of Persia who Alexander asked how he/she would like to be treated. The battle of Hydaspes also included a brilliant river crossing that was as much an achievement as the actual battle, I wish they included that. The battle was also fought in open ground not in a jungle, wherein their cavalry played a major part.
It was after the battle of Hydaspes that Alexander finally relented and decided to turn back but not because of a wound caused by an arrow. By most accounts he relented to his army’s clamor to turn back. He was badly injured by an arrow piercing his chest but that happened after Hydaspes in a battle to take a city, which was along the route back to Babylon.
Oh well…
I’ve never considered my self a movie critic but fictions based on historical events just have a way of annoying me when they deviate from acknowledged historical facts. It is a fact that during those times homosexuality or bisexuality was an accepted norm. The Greek thinkers espoused loving your fellowmen “in virtue”. They however favored reason, logic, and philosophy and did not look kindly upon men’s lower faculties. But hey the movie drove that message across well enough, too much in fact. The insinuations that the movie made is questionable at best, it did not mention the fact that Alexander’s beloved Persian boy was a eunuch nor did the movie show Alexander’s love for women showing only glimpses of distaste and hate. Oh well they must a have something else in mind.
Alexander was great not because of his sexual preference nor because of his psychological issues. He was considered great because of his great achievement in the field of battle and his conquest of the known world. He was considered great because of his military genius. He was not only a great military strategist but also a skilled, bold, courageous, and daring warrior. I don’t think the movie looked at that angle well enough.
If I remember correctly it was King Poros in the battle of Hydaspes who said he wanted to be treated like a king and not a princess of Persia who Alexander asked how he/she would like to be treated. The battle of Hydaspes also included a brilliant river crossing that was as much an achievement as the actual battle, I wish they included that. The battle was also fought in open ground not in a jungle, wherein their cavalry played a major part.
It was after the battle of Hydaspes that Alexander finally relented and decided to turn back but not because of a wound caused by an arrow. By most accounts he relented to his army’s clamor to turn back. He was badly injured by an arrow piercing his chest but that happened after Hydaspes in a battle to take a city, which was along the route back to Babylon.
Oh well…
As they said it’s a work of fiction…
Alexander the Great rides into the Battle of Issus in this Roman mosaic.
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