Alexander Revisited
17-Mar-2007 -
The Unrated Final Cut .
At last, audiences can experience Oliver Stone’s Alexander as he meant it to be seen, with Alexander Revisited: The Unrated Final Cut , available on 2-disc DVD. Featuring more than 45 minutes of never-before-seen footage, the spectacle of Alexander is even more impressive with this all-new unrated version which brings the film to a heightened level of realism and intensity. HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions will be released later in the year.
The new introduction to Alexander Revisited: The Unrated Final Cut DVD reflects Stone’s passion and attention to detail in getting this film exactly the way he envisioned. Says Stone, “Over the last two years I have been able to sort out some of the unanswered questions about this highly complicated and passionate monarch -- questions I failed to answer dramatically enough. This film represents my complete and last version, as it will contain all the essential footage we shot. I don’t know how many filmmakers have managed to make three versions of the same film, but I have been fortunate to have the opportunity because of the success of video and DVD sales in the world, and I felt if I didn’t do it now, with the energy and memory I still have for the subject, it would never quite be the same again. For me, this is the complete Alexander, the clearest interpretation I can offer.”
Alexander grossed $167M worldwide during its initial theatrical run and previous DVDs have sold nearly 3 and a half million units to date, but Alexander: Revisited promises to be a whole new experience for audiences. Now restructured into two acts with an intermission, Alexander: Revisited is an epic of filmmaking in the manner of such cinema classics as Lawrence of Arabia and Gone with the Wind. Oliver Stone, one of cinema's most prolific innovators, and the recipient of three Academy Awards®, has directed such unforgettable films as Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, The Doors, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, Any Given Sundayand his most recent, the moving drama World Trade Center
Alexander: Revisited takes a bolder, more in-depth look at Alexander’s (Colin Farrell) life and his relationships with his mother, Olympias (Angelina Jolie), his father Philip (Val Kilmer), his lifelong friend and battle commander Hephaistion (Jared Leto), Roxane, his ambitious and beautiful Bactrian wife (Rosario Dawson), and his trusted general and confidant Ptolemy (Anthony Hopkins). The new film intensifies the beauty and unbelievable brutality of Alexander’s pre-Christian world of social customs and morals so different from todays.
The superb cast also boasts Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and many more.
Torn by the war between his parents (Jolie and Kilmer), Alexander left Greece to face massive armies in Persia, Afghanistan and India -- and was never defeated. "Fortune favors the bold" and Alexander was bold enough to command vast armies when he was just 25 years old. In the end, Alexander would face incredible battles that would re-shape the world as known today. A sweeping story of the greatest conqueror in history, this timeless saga comes alive with intense battle scenes, exotic locales and dramatic intrigue. It’s a searing moviemaking achievement that the Chicago Tribune called “vast, riveting and madly audacious,” while Gannett News Service hailed it as “a Hollywood rarity – a story of passionate people told with genuine, unadulterated passion.”
The Music.
The impressive, symphonic score is by Greek composer Vangelis. In an interview with Soundtrack.net, on the question: "What was your approach to scoring the film?," Vangelis said: "Well, every movie is different, but with every movie I take a very spontaneous approach. By this I mean that as I'm watching the footage, I am composing, playing what comes naturally and spontaneously in that moment. In some instances, I don't score the film until it's in the rough-cut stage, but with Alexander I started working immediately, because Oliver needed music for his shooting So some of the music, for the dances, for instance, I composed before the scenes were shot, working with the choreographer and so forth. But most often I compose immediately, instantaneously as I'm playing, according to what I'm seeing on the screen."
"How much music did you end up writing, and can we expect to see a second album?"
"I ended up with more than double the music than is on the CD. If people feel they would like to hear more of the music, then maybe the record company will release more of it - it's up to the record company."
The DVD release date of Alexander: Revisited is timed to leverage audience anticipation of ‘300,’ the action-packed theatrical release from film and comics visionary Frank Miller. Every DVD unit of Alexander: Revisited will include a movie cash offer (a $10.50 value) for ‘300.’
Warner Home Video has released the DVD on February 27, 2007. It's available from Amazon.com.
The score is also available from Amazon.com.
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