Richard Burton is "Alexander the Great" in this 1956 film directed by Robert Rossen. The film also stars Fredric March, Claire Bloom, Danielle Darrieux, Barry Jones, Peter Cushing, and Helmut Dantine.
Rossen was a fine director who was blacklisted in the McCarthy era. Here he takes on a very ambitious project, the story of the great military leader Alexander, and it's a bit too ambitious given his budget, time constraints, and the code.
Richard Burton in an awful wig does a good job -- his performance has several layers, and he is excellent in the declamatory sections. It was hard to buy him totally as Alexander, though, but that's probably the fault of the film. Fredric March plays Philip, his father and rival, and he's excellent, as are the scenes between father and son. That seems to be the problem with the film -- the relationships are fascinating, and perhaps it was less necessary to concentrate on making a spectacle or epic. Rossen was forced to leave out several battles and combine others.
However, there were some striking scenes and moments. Philip's death was one, Alexander walking through the Parthenon, and Alexander seeing his enemies across the river before the Battle of the River Granicus.
The film sort of plods along. Alexander's conquests were remarkable for the way they changed entire cultures. But these conquests were massive and you need a three to four hour film. Concentrating on the psychology of Alexander, his father, his mother, and his relationships would have been a better way to go.
Rossen was a fine director who was blacklisted in the McCarthy era. Here he takes on a very ambitious project, the story of the great military leader Alexander, and it's a bit too ambitious given his budget, time constraints, and the code.
Richard Burton in an awful wig does a good job -- his performance has several layers, and he is excellent in the declamatory sections. It was hard to buy him totally as Alexander, though, but that's probably the fault of the film. Fredric March plays Philip, his father and rival, and he's excellent, as are the scenes between father and son. That seems to be the problem with the film -- the relationships are fascinating, and perhaps it was less necessary to concentrate on making a spectacle or epic. Rossen was forced to leave out several battles and combine others.
However, there were some striking scenes and moments. Philip's death was one, Alexander walking through the Parthenon, and Alexander seeing his enemies across the river before the Battle of the River Granicus.
The film sort of plods along. Alexander's conquests were remarkable for the way they changed entire cultures. But these conquests were massive and you need a three to four hour film. Concentrating on the psychology of Alexander, his father, his mother, and his relationships would have been a better way to go.