Alexander the Great

Before Hollywood used superhero sagas as a financial crutch, historical epics were a reliable tent pole for most studios. The sweeping vistas, big name stars and widescreen photography gave them a leg up over the surging popularity of television and, as an added bonus, all the story beats were already plotted out; it was simply a matter of filling in the blanks with costumes, make-up and a battle scene or two.

And the story of Alexander the Great would seem tailor made for just such a big-screen treatment. His divine birth, rise to power and mission to spread Greek culture through the ruthless conquest of Asia practically write themselves. However, the 1956 film, starring Richard Burton in the title role, actually feels like a film on autopilot; one that often veers dangerously close to the ditch and sputters to the finish line with the tank on empty.

Heralded as the son of a god, Alexander is actually the product of an adulterous relationship. Yet Philip (Frederic March) lets his wife, Olympias (Danielle Darrieux) go unpunished and accepts the child as his own, providing a scholarly upbringing at the feet of Aristotle in hopes of mitigating his own "barbaric" reputation. Ambitious and arrogant, Alexander pressures his father for real responsibility and soon fights side by side to squash a rebellion of aristocratic Athenians, saving his father's life in the process.

The boy wonder soon buys into his own hype, but finds himself pulled between loyalty to his father and the cunning manipulations of his mother. There are more women and wars and eventually Alexander launches a campaign to push his army into Persia - and beyond - on a divine campaign to realize his full potential...at the expense of any culture that stands in his way.

As directed by Robert Rossen, a prominent figure in the McCarthy and HUAC scandals who saw the film as a comeback opportunity, Alexander the Great marches ahead like a dutiful soldier. There are a handful of good performances (Frederic March in particular and Peter Cushing in a brief but memorable role), some effective scenes (the simmering conflict between Alexander and Philip is nicely handled) and a smattering of well-photographed location work with Spain standing in for ancient Greece. But there are simply too flaws too ignore. In fact, Rossen's film often feels like a rough cut with bad line readings, alternate takes and extended scenes littered throughout.

The most obvious failing is Burton himself. Although he's cut perfectly to fit the role of "arrogant heir to a kingdom," the film foists a ridiculous blond wig on his head and forces him to parade around in a Grecian miniskirt. It might have been historically accurate, but it's intensely emasculating. And Burton compounds the error by giving a performance more suitable to the stage than the screen, cast adrift by Rossen's schizophrenic direction. The audience is never quite sure if Alexander should be idolized, pitied, jeered or admired. No surprise considering the film around him is fatally indecisive.

But even the bad epics have their fans and Twilight Time gives Alexander the Great a welcome addition to the hi-def world as part of their 3000-copy limited edition series. The transfer itself is an up and down affair (possibly due to included stock footage?) and vacillates between unexpected sharpness and heavy grain. Extras includes an isolated score track, 20-minute interview with star Claire Bloom (who became quite an Alexander fan after the shoot), the original theatrical trailer and Julie Kirgo's concise liner notes.