Product Description

Richard Burton Fredric March Claire Bloom and a castof thousands bring history to life with this spectacular (The New York Times ) and unusually beautiful movie (New York Herald Tribune ) about the legendary conqueror.SPECIAL FEATURE:Original Theatrical TrailerSystem Requirements: Running Time 136 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 027616911995 Manufacturer No: 1007058

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33750 in DVD
• Brand: MGM HOME VIDEO (UNDER FOX)
• Released on: 2004-10-19
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 141 minutes

Features

• Richard Burton, Fredric March, Claire Bloom and a cast of thousands bring history to life with this spectacular (The New York Times ) and unusually beautiful movie (New York Herald Tribune ) about the legendary conqueror. SPECIAL FEATURE: , Original Theatrical Trailer Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR Age: 027616911995 UPC: 027616911995 Manufactu

Customer Reviews

a Great looking DVD!
I see that all other reviews where written before the Oct. 19th 04 release of this DVD, therefore referring to VHS only. I purchased and viewed this today, Oct. 27th. 04. It is not my intention to give this a detailed review as has been done at lenght eleswhere. Not my style anyway.
To write about Greek or Roman history/heros with all the factions and diverse warring rulers of those times is tedious at best. And a hard subject to put into a screenplay, to breathe the least. However this is a literate screenplay and all the players are mentioned, just a bit hard to follow unless you've read your Will Durant. Not just another popcorn flick.

No, I just want to say that if anyone is thinking of buying this DVD, I don't think you'd be disappointed, providing you love all the Hollywood epics of the 50's. If you do you may want this one too! Not the spectacle of Quo Vadis, Ben Hur, King of Kings or the pagentry of Cleopatra, but a worthy entry none the less. Matte paintings used in all aforementioned used here as well, but not as many. The Babalonian City is extraordinary and enough glass paintings to convey an epic, unlike the claustrophobic Spartacus. The sets are somewhat meger, like Spartacus, but what lacks there is made up for in the use of Technicolor and Cinemascope and the absolutely remarkable and stunning wardrobe. This is a terrific transfer and will look even better on your 16 x 9 HDTV! The 480 that DVD's put out look as though you might reach for that goblet on wine on the table.
Spain seems to double well for Greece and Persia and although the battles were not of the rousing kind, one over looks this as a trade off to the overall movie. This film also doesn't have that ''Hollywood touch'' of the others of the 50's and seems more adult for that reason {Barabbas 61' is another}.
So if you're looking for another great but not Great 1950's epic just cut the Grodian Knot and ride out of the store on old Bucephalus!
Oh yes, I hope the up coming new release of Alexander, anticipated and welcomed, surpasses this version as there is nothing much better than a good movie, but this 1956 Richard Burton, Fredric March film may be above the mark in the end, as so many remakes or rehashed films can never come close the their predecessors, even with all of the CGI of today. Look at the disappointing Troy, a DVD I won't be purchasing.

Highly Recommended On All Levels
Great entertainment and historically correct, for the most part. Richard Burton plays a convincing Alexander. From the start, with the background on Alexander's youth and his relationship with his father Philip and mother Olympias, the movie awesomely captures history. The battle scenes are recreated very well. I especially liked the post-battle scene at Chaeronea with the drunken Philip's singing echoing through the valley. Only minor errors, such as Darius's daughter being called Roxanne (a Bactrian princess) instead of Statira, can easily be overlooked. Alexander in fact, married both women anyway. The Persians are also shown historically correct for the most part, especially Darius' murder and the scene at Persepolis. For an under two-hour movie, what you get is quite spectacular. Of course, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to reduce to film everything in Alexander's life.

Ponderous Classic
With the recent Oliver Stone movie on Alexander just out, its always interesting to dive back and look at earlier versions of this subject. One thing for sure, Colin Farrell cannot compare to Richard Burton! Burton looks and acts the part, and is not all dolled up with dyed hair! He has a commanding presence about him. This film has a docu-drama quality to it, which may bore the average movie-goer, but at least there is a good effort to re-create the history of the time.

Here we get a stronger portrait of the tortured relationship between Alexander and his father, Philip II. Frederic March is terrific in the role, and again, Val Kilmer loses out badly! The qaulity of acting in this earlier movie far surpases the current epic on many levels. Some may find this film a bit stiff, but at least it keeps close to its subject matter and never loses sight of it. The same cannot be said of the recent Oliver Stone epic.

The production value for 1960 is pretty good, although perhaps not as impressive as the current version. The battle scenes are brief, and not large scale. Both movies fail to show the true origin of the Macedonian Phalanx system and how it would defeat the Persians. Here we see a brief version of the Battle of Cheronea in 336 BC which saw Philip and Alex defeat the last Greek resistence of Macedonia in the form of Athens and Thebes. We get a small Granicus here, and no Issus. Both Movies show Gaugamala (Arbela)and I would have to give the Oliver Stone movie more credit for showing this epic battle more impressively.

This older movie presents a striaght-forward portrait of Alexander. There are no homo-erotic overtones which are popular today, and little deviation from the image we know of him. The style of production is more standard and traditional. Perhaps a little statuesque, some may find this film too stiff and boring, but it is a worthy companion to the current epic which seeks to wow its audience with special effects and visually imagery. None of that here! Burton gives a moody and convinving look at the great Macedonian, without having to show a lurid image. Of course there are many views of Alexander to chose from, and one must decide which one suits their interests best. If the more traditional view is sought then this movie should fit the bill nicely.