Alexander's self-fulfilled prophecy?

[alejandro]

Hi there,

While reading Jan's thread on a new movie on Alexander, I was struck by Dean's comment:

... I think that, as Alexander and Hephaestion weeped around Achilles grave- they still will be doing so for some time to come before a second Homer comes to town...

and couldn't but remember that Alexander himself was always fond of projecting his image in a careful way (the first PR-obsessed politician? ) and hence was envious of Achilles, who got Homer to tell his story, while he had to content himself with Kallisthenes.

And then we have Arrian, who purposefully writes A's Anabasis intending to give him the praise he deserved, implying that other writers didn't.

The last piece of this chain is Stone's insipid movie, full of sentimentalism and absent of almost every feature that makes Alexander an appealing figure.

My mind flew along Dean's lines, and so I thought that Alexander may be cursed in this sense, and that his relentless search for everlasting fame will suffer by the low quaility of those who undertake the task of bringing his story to life for the general public, be it in the shape of novels, movies or anything (Of course there are some exceptions, like Renault, and I considering only "popular" media, thus excluding scholarly endeavours, but the great majority of fictional work on Alexander does him no justice and only dims his figure in the eyes of the "average Joe").

Just my (sad) thoughts.

All the best,
Alejandro

[kennyxx]

Alejandro

I couldnt agree with you more on this subject. Indeed how does one portray Alexander in fiction or indeed on film. Mostly everything looks rediculous and some times over the top. Indeed the legacy he left is near impossible to copy.

I know I mention Elvis Presley a lot in comparison. I watched the biopic about Johny Cash and the actor etc was fantastic even the guys singing was pretty good. But whenever we have an actor playing Elvis the very often look rediculous. Its basically in my eyes trying to copy something that was totally new and ariginal and everything that follows looks a cheap imitation.

I will accept Alexander had devious and calous parts to his character but as far as success go he was unbeaten and As Andrew Felando once said was basically the worlds first global Superstar. As with many legends it did Alexanders fame more good to die young it always seems to do so with young Icons that die young.

We could pick a combination of the greatest Actors dramatists ans screen Idols and I still doubt we would get an Alexander we could nearly reckognise. But one thing is for sure and as far as Jan saying about another movie. Stone has shafted the subject good and proper. Only a masicist would take such a risk with Alexander and if they did I feel they would have to go over the top to try patch up some of the damage Stone did. Finaly I read Stone Admires Alexander etc I could only guess what movie he would make about somebody he didnt like.

Kenny

[Paralus]

GǪcouldn't but remember that Alexander himself was always fond of projecting his image in a careful way (the first PR-obsessed politician? ) and hence was envious of Achilles, who got Homer to tell his story, while he had to content himself with Kallisthenes.

Oh no. That would be is father, Philip, never one not to look to how he looked GÇô especially in the eyes of the Greeks. And more so in those of the Athenians whose anti-Persian heritage GÇô whilst only slightly less impeachable than Richard Nixon by this time GÇô was, nevertheless, still able to be portrayed as the "saviour of the Greeks" and its citizens the "heroes of Salamis and Eurymedon". An alliance with who (with Macedon most definitely the wearer of the phalangite pants in the house) would lend that precious Hellenic overlay to Philip's naked imperial expansion to the east.

And then we have Arrian, who purposefully writes A's Anabasis intending to give him the praise he deserved, implying that other writers didn't.

The last piece of this chain is Stone's insipid movie, full of sentimentalism and absent of almost every feature that makes Alexander an appealing figure.

Yes, for Arrian Alexander is a hero. Worse, a hero whose lesser deeds are to be excused and, where necessary, explained away. Even Arrian has difficulty with Parmenion and Clietus though. And, at least he does not retail puerile apologias such as those (taking time over his cups due to talk etc) pushed by an adulatory Plutarch at times.

The less said of Stone's epic in historical bastardry and utter failure to create characters that convince the better.

[dean]

Hello Alejandro, Paralus,

Yesterday I watched about two or three minutes of Stone's film- (that was about enough I hear you saying )
It was the battle of the Jhelum- nasty and bloody- aesthetically I think that images that most caught my eye were as the Greeks in full armour and sarissas took on the elephants. It was as I had perhaps pictured it in my mind. Script and character development etc etc aside, I thought that he didn't do too bad in conveying the atrocity that was surely experienced- but merging the battle with the Malian arrow wound episode was clearly an unforgivable mistake-
Robin Lane fox says that Stone, because of problems with the budget and the fact that he wasn't actually making a historical document, justifies his "changing"Alexander's history.

Best regards,
Dean

[jan]

Hi Kenny,

I saw Elvis Presley in person. I was a teenager when he became so popular in the late 50's and he was very controversial then, especially with his hip swinging ways. But onceupon a time I and a few friends, as I corralled them into going with me, saw Elvis in person at the Las Vegas Hilton. I absolutely fell in love with the man. He is a genuine real person, not just a Hollywood cutup! It seems that he fell in love with me too, or so I was led to believe! So he and I have been intertwined over these many years as some people call me Elvis in code names just for reasons of their own, who knows why, but at least I am truly flattered by that kind of comment. It turns out that his death day is a match for me, one of my relatives, and all numbers are designed to match that are on his gravestone in Memphis. It is a matter of life and death! My life teaching credential for California and Evlis's gravesite in Memphis! Finally through all the stories I have read about Elvis I learned why we are so compatible and so well matched! It is belief in soul and Jesus Christ! He died on Aug 16, 1977. I was granted my teaching credential in August 16, 1966. And there is more but that is enough for this board!