Alexander (2004)

Summary: The story about the young boy, son of a king, that one day would come to rule the world of his time and enter the history as a legend, Megas Alexandros, Alexander the Great.

Alexander and Hephaestion

One of my favorites that I actually one had forgotten until I saw it on TV once more and again was captured by the story. It is hard to know what really happened but it is not like Oliver Stone wrote the story about Alexander himself, the story are over 2000 years old which is a long time to forget something some things and misinterpret others. The relationship between Alexander and Hephaestion is most likely one of the most legendary in the world and most believe that they were lovers, something not unusual for their time. Something that the movie captures beautifully, both in their dialogues with eachother but also in a letter from Olympias where she warns Alexander for every one of his closest friends, except Hephaestion. 

Jared Leto as Hephaestion

It was a great scene between Alexander and Hephastion the night before the battel against the persians. Alexander mentions Patroclus and Achilles and Hephaestion mentions that Patroclus died first. To that Alexander answers that if that would happened Macedonia would lose its king as he would avenge him and the follow him in death. This awakens the question about their deaths. Was Hephastion murdered becouse of his influence on Alexander? And what about Alexander, was he murdered, did he die of broken heart or even committed suicide? After all, he did say that he would follow Hephaestion. 

The movie also captures the pride and growing ego of Alexander as he conquers more and more land over the years, and how that in the end is the reason for his break down as he is reminded that he is mortal. They starts to understand that the world probably was far greater than they ever known and when they entered India everything started to go against them and they meet an enemy different from what they are used to.

I can go on and on about the phenomenon of Alexander presented in the movie. Alexander; the name itself has since his time been an reference to this Macedonian king. He became the icon of that name, much like the brittish Arthur or the roman Ceasar. I do not belive Alexander himself could have known just what impact he would have on the world and its future, but if he had, his ego would have been even more enormous. 

"Megas Alexandros. The greatest Alexander of them all." 
- Ptolemaios, the ending quote of the movie