Peter Jackson and King Kong

[jan]

Hi Kenny, et al, Recently in a recent post, you suggested that Peter Jackson direct a movie on Alexander, and I hastily said never, never, never. I just saw King Kong and loved it! Great movie. So I will retract my never, never, never attitude and say well, if he wanted to, I bet it would be great.I must say that I just watched both movies made about Alexander, Rossen, and Stone, and like some of each movie just for using the subject to gain attention. At least, it does bring Alexander to the Silver Screen.But to me, both movies are event driven instead of character driven. I would prefer a character study movie. After having only recently discovered Alexander myself, I now understand somewhat the obsession that some seem to have for him. But I do not believe that a movie has yet done him a good service in depicting his real person at all.The recent I mentioned Cinderella Man is that it is a character study more than an event film. It develops a theme of victory triumphing over adversity, and I see no such theme developed in the study of Alexander's journies at all.I believe that Oliver Stone betrayed me in the movie Alexander more than anything else. I can identify myself in many scenes, and I am wondering how the heck does he know that much about me and my life now here in the Valley and at GHS. I don't honestly know the answer to that question, but as it has been said, I had seen myself as an Alexander type of person, so I guess he just used me to his best advantage. (I have been a raging bull at times, I admit.)So while seem to like this movie and I noticed why Ruthaki would like it when I saw a trunk of an elephant cut wickedly, I remembered her own website and segment from her book. So I suspect that each and every person will like or dislike Stone's movie according to his or her own tastes. I like Rossen's movie for showing the interior of King Darius's tents, nothing like that which I have had the luxury of seeing myself, but nonetheless interesting. I did not like Stone's representation of the twelve altars as I have seen them totally differently from his garish and grotesque look.But so it goes. If I were a movie maker I would do it my way. I like Peter Jackson a lot. He shows proper respect and dignity.

[ruthaki]

Gee, at first I wondered what the heck King Kong had to do with Alexander, but I see clearly where you were going with this. I haven't seen the movie.
I still like the Oliver Stone version a lot and would certainly see it again (or will get the DVD) but I agree that I'd have liked a more 'character driven' version of Alexander's life and I wonder if anyone will ever make one?

[ruthaki]

Gee, at first I wondered what the heck King Kong had to do with Alexander, but I see clearly where you were going with this. I haven't seen the movie.
I still like the Oliver Stone version a lot and would certainly see it again (or will get the DVD) but I agree that I'd have liked a more 'character driven' version of Alexander's life and I wonder if anyone will ever make one?

[kenny]

Hail JanListen I tried to ridicule The Rings Trilogy. As my wife is an avid Tolien fan. And Fansaty stuff never really did it for me.But the reason I thought Jackson for Alexander was. He laid the ground ror characters,the feelings,the threat to the world and above all loyalty and brotherhood. I have raerly seen.I tried to liken Alexander to Aragorn.But Alexander was much more. Jackson I believe could give us a more realistic character of Alexander.Thanks for the King Kong tip.Ill wait till DVD I would imagine 3 plus hours rather too long.Kenny

[kenny]

Hail JanListen I tried to ridicule The Rings Trilogy. As my wife is an avid Tolien fan. And Fansaty stuff never really did it for me.But the reason I thought Jackson for Alexander was. He laid the ground ror characters,the feelings,the threat to the world and above all loyalty and brotherhood. I have raerly seen.I tried to liken Alexander to Aragorn.But Alexander was much more. Jackson I believe could give us a more realistic character of Alexander.Thanks for the King Kong tip.Ill wait till DVD I would imagine 3 plus hours rather too long.Kenny

[Athanasio]

Hi there Jan,Your comments on the Stone movie are timely as I watched the movie for the first time yesterday. I would go further to say that the film did no justice to either Alexander: the military man / leader / sense of achievement, etc. I also felt that the casting was poor, with Farell being out of his depth. He was not a convincing Alexander. The film skimmed across his life (and achievements) but failed to get across the man on screen...Only credit was that the interpretation was reasonable.regards,
Atha

[Athanasio]

Hi there Jan,Your comments on the Stone movie are timely as I watched the movie for the first time yesterday. I would go further to say that the film did no justice to either Alexander: the military man / leader / sense of achievement, etc. I also felt that the casting was poor, with Farell being out of his depth. He was not a convincing Alexander. The film skimmed across his life (and achievements) but failed to get across the man on screen...Only credit was that the interpretation was reasonable.regards,
Atha

[jan]

Hi Kenny, Three hours is long, and the first half in the freighter boat is rather tedious, but I suppose he is trying to make a point. He has the right attitude about payment for services rendered in this film, about the importance of a good gimmick to make a buck or two, and shows respect for his cast and crew. As I just saw the original, the remake of 75, I finally decided to see if the third is a charm. I would be happy to work with Peter Jackson as I am certain he would give me pay, credit, and all else that such a business endeavor requires. It is a great film for getting some points across.But the three hours flew, and I was escaping the Christmas rush at the mall. I really enjoyed this film. A great spy thriller. Knowing which movies best get messages through to all the world, as I love his line, One Woman is Worth it. Then a shot of Woolworth's making me remember an old joke about pulling the wool over your eyes, and we don't care if it is virgin wool or not!~ A really great movie!

[jan]

Hi Kenny, Three hours is long, and the first half in the freighter boat is rather tedious, but I suppose he is trying to make a point. He has the right attitude about payment for services rendered in this film, about the importance of a good gimmick to make a buck or two, and shows respect for his cast and crew. As I just saw the original, the remake of 75, I finally decided to see if the third is a charm. I would be happy to work with Peter Jackson as I am certain he would give me pay, credit, and all else that such a business endeavor requires. It is a great film for getting some points across.But the three hours flew, and I was escaping the Christmas rush at the mall. I really enjoyed this film. A great spy thriller. Knowing which movies best get messages through to all the world, as I love his line, One Woman is Worth it. Then a shot of Woolworth's making me remember an old joke about pulling the wool over your eyes, and we don't care if it is virgin wool or not!~ A really great movie!

[jan]

Hi Athas, In an interview, Oliver Stone has admitted that he probably wrote too many crying lines for Colin to perform. He also said that Colin wanted the role so badly that he took a paycut to do it. It is a stepping stone for Colin's career as he has two new movies since in which I just bet he will perform a lot better. He may have been wanting to do Stone and Alexander his own way too, don't you imagine? I suspect that actors and directors should always be very compatible to work on that type of movie. To my mind, they just wanted to have a big party, and I know you know what I mean.

[jan]

Hi Athas, In an interview, Oliver Stone has admitted that he probably wrote too many crying lines for Colin to perform. He also said that Colin wanted the role so badly that he took a paycut to do it. It is a stepping stone for Colin's career as he has two new movies since in which I just bet he will perform a lot better. He may have been wanting to do Stone and Alexander his own way too, don't you imagine? I suspect that actors and directors should always be very compatible to work on that type of movie. To my mind, they just wanted to have a big party, and I know you know what I mean.

[karen]

I actually think Stone was intending to make a character-driven movie... to show how Alexander's character was forged by the nature of his relationships with his mother and father. I think it didn't work because he didn't have a clear enough vision of how Alexander's character was forged to be coherent and powerful (since history really couldn't give him enough of an idea). In lieu of information, you have to make it up, but I guess he shied away from doing that because he was trying fairly hard to stick to history.Happy (belated) holidays to all,
Karen

[karen]

I actually think Stone was intending to make a character-driven movie... to show how Alexander's character was forged by the nature of his relationships with his mother and father. I think it didn't work because he didn't have a clear enough vision of how Alexander's character was forged to be coherent and powerful (since history really couldn't give him enough of an idea). In lieu of information, you have to make it up, but I guess he shied away from doing that because he was trying fairly hard to stick to history.Happy (belated) holidays to all,
Karen

[jan]

Hi Karen, That is interesting as many of the critics did mention that he seemed to be trying to psychoanalyze Alexander a lot in the way that you suggest. Usually, it seems to me, and I am just contemplating, that a scriptwriter would go into the main character's mind, and reveal his thinking and planning more than these writers had done. In Cinderella Man, plot develops the character as we see how well he responds to his difficulties. Actually, Norma Rae was a character study, and sadly to say, the present King Kong is a study of the monster character in Jackson's version. My idea of developing character about Alexander would probably be the response to the siege at Tyre, where he shows such determination and grist in accomplishing his task. That is just one of his battles that would show a facet of his multifaceted personality and character. The building of the towers, the response to the burning of the towers, and the manner in which he responded to the sand and pitch that rained down upon his men. He grows and develops in that long 7 month siege, and I would love to see that in a movie instead of glossed over as just one of the many tasks that he did to outperform even Hercules.Good to hear from you, and happy new year now.

[jan]

Hi Karen, That is interesting as many of the critics did mention that he seemed to be trying to psychoanalyze Alexander a lot in the way that you suggest. Usually, it seems to me, and I am just contemplating, that a scriptwriter would go into the main character's mind, and reveal his thinking and planning more than these writers had done. In Cinderella Man, plot develops the character as we see how well he responds to his difficulties. Actually, Norma Rae was a character study, and sadly to say, the present King Kong is a study of the monster character in Jackson's version. My idea of developing character about Alexander would probably be the response to the siege at Tyre, where he shows such determination and grist in accomplishing his task. That is just one of his battles that would show a facet of his multifaceted personality and character. The building of the towers, the response to the burning of the towers, and the manner in which he responded to the sand and pitch that rained down upon his men. He grows and develops in that long 7 month siege, and I would love to see that in a movie instead of glossed over as just one of the many tasks that he did to outperform even Hercules.Good to hear from you, and happy new year now.