Another movie - reprise

[marcus]

In TIME Magazine, 5 August 2002:Maybe 'Gladiator' got Hollywood jazzed on the ancient world or maybe the inspiration is the surprise success of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. Either way, half the directors in town are set on making a mavie about the storied hero of the big fat Macedonian empire, ALEXANDER THE GREAT. The man most likely to roll out an Alexander movie first appears to be 'Moulin Rouge' director Baz Luhrmann, who has producer Dino de Laurentiis on his side and a green light from Fox and Universal. But Martin Scorsese wants to direct Leonardo di Caprio, hero of his upcoming 'Gangs of New York', in his own Alexander epic. An Oliver Stone-directed version of the tale is also on the table, potentially starring Colin Farrell. Luhrmann's secret weapon: Moroccan King Mohammed VI, who, 'Variety' reports, will lend 1,500 soldiers to the film. If Luhrmann needs a break from filmmaking, he can invade Spain.

[John]

What a circus!John

[marcus]

Funnily enough, it brought to my mind the 'funeral games' after Alexander's death. Baz Luhrmann as Perdiccas, Scorsese as Antigonus and Stone as Ptolemy, perhaps?As for Di Caprio - please, all the gods of Olympus, NO!

[Susan]

I think the shade of Alexander manages to sabotage any film plans - they never come to anything apart from the Burton film.I don't know if Alexander would like films made about him - whether he'd take the view that any publicity is good publicity, or whether he'd want it all stage-managed in case it showed him in a less than flattering light.I think the reason that films don't happen is the same as why there aren't many decent plays about him - it's too large and complex a story and defies a neat classification - plus the love and emotional interest is rather unclear - how do you choose between Hephaestion, Roxane, Olympias, and Bagoas?

[Thalestris]

Indeed, it is the *soul* of Alexander who interrupts film production plans. Very intuitive, Susan, regarding Alexander's perspective. Would he want to be represented as epic/poetic hero, mystical visionary ascetic, athletic warrior, or philosophical king. Nevertheless, the actor who will be chosen for the starring role will be carrying a heavy mantle of royal purple, and either burgeon or wither under its magnificent weight of splendor. The government of Greece will surely play a role (I hope) in supporting the production's research team AND its casting director. What would be amazing if they could find a talented actor who is fluent in ancient history/culture, and resemble the Pergamon head. Olympus, Marcus, will quake should DiCaprio portray its demigod, and all will result as a "circus".

[marcus]

Let's face it, though, the filmmakers will probably not court the Greek government at all. However, I would expect that they will use some experts in order to get things right - they might disregard what the experts say, but they will at least consult them.Olympus won't quake - it will explode! All the bestMarcus

[Linda]

The Burton film got round it by picking Barsine...Dino di Laurentis was very impressed with the Manfredi books, apparantly.

[marcus]

Well, they are both Italians. Maybe the biggest problem we have with Manfredi is the translation (although the general dumbing down of the characters, the downright un-historicity etc. play a part! )All the bestMarcus

[Susan]

No, Manfredi's no good through and through. It seemed an exercise in 'which historical character can I hang a blockbuster on'. I thought that the Helga Moray books were better because they were utter pulp fiction, complete with lurid covers.I remember corresponding with Jeanne about this - have you read 'A conspiracy of women' by Aubrey Menen ? It's about Roxane, Stateira & Parysatis and it was quite enjoyable. It's apparently a parable about the end of the British empire in India, and as I remember included the memorable line that "Hephaestion reflected that half the human race were women, which he thought was a pity."Roxane cooks a Sogdian stew to try to regain Alexander's affections and he threatens to hang the cook - Parysatis is fat because she eats too many sweets - it's simple knockabout stuff but better than Manfredi.

[Linda]

Manfredi has another book out, called Spartan, which is in the same vein. There is a market for this sort of stuff (obviously), but I found it very hard to read. But I do occasionally see people reading Child of a Dream - young men, usually.

[pavlos_melas]

Oh God no!Not a "spaghetti ATG" series. The Western genre has never gotten over that period.This is really disconcerting. Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers" remake or for a "Fistful of Drachmas".

[Maciek]

Yes they like to fright us by that Leonardo. It was the same with Star Wars - so I hope like then that's just a rumour and they will be so conscious and will not put him on such role.Maciek

[marcus]

Yes, I've seen the new Manfredi book. It's about Thermopylae but, to be honest, I would lay odds on it being as nothing compared with "Gates of Fire", the Steven Pressfield book. "Gates of Fire" is very much a 'boy's own' book, but it is extremely good. Manfredi can whistle...Marcus

[Tre]

Hi Marcus!I've yet to read Manfredi's third Alexander book (not released yet in the US but I'm still snickering over the love scenes in Vol 2 - Vol 1 about put me to sleep) now he has the nerve to write about the Spartans? Pressfield's Gates of Fire was excellent, however his follow-up book Tides of War was not. His new book Last of the Amazons is better, but still no where near as good as Gates of Fire. There is a second book out also from Doherty "The Godless Man, A Mystery of Alexander the Great." I finished House of Death recently which was better than the first two (penned under one of Doherty's many alias' Anna Apostolou.) Have you read that one yet? There's also another one out on Xenophon's march "The Ten Thousand" but I hear that's not very good. "A Bloodline of Kings" about Philip is well-researched but about as interesting as a college textbook.Regards,Tre

[marcus]

Hi Tre,Pressfield's second book, about Alcibiades, is very poor, I think. He's tried to be too clever in the way he narrates the story and it just ends up very confused (and confusing). I haven't picked up the Amazon one yet because it's only available in the UK in large format paperback (which would ruin the look of my bookshelf (!). But I'm looking forward to reading it when it's in smaller format - if it's as good as "Gates of Fire" then I shall be very pleased!"The Ten Thousand", Michael Curtis Ford's novel on Xenophon's Anabasis, I thought was OK, but only OK. To be honest, you might as well read Xenophon!As far as Doherty is concerned, "A Godless Man" isn't yet available in the UK. I quite enjoyed the first three, although the fact that he got Thrace and Thessaly (amongst some other things) mixed up made it rather difficult at times. I have pre-ordered "Godless Man" from Amazon, for when it is published here.A few weeks ago I picked up a 1952 children's 'novel' about Alexander in a second hand bookshop. It is *terrible* - but as it only cost me pennies I didn't worry about it. At least it's another book on my Alexander bookshelf... All the bestMarcus