Watching the rare failure of a great director is
disheartening, but, considering Oliver Stone’s track record, he can
afford a dud such as Alexander. Stone has made many great films, but he will always have a
special place in my heart for Natural Born
Killers. Alexander stars Colin Farrell as the Macedonian general who
conquered most of the civilized world of his time. That should have been
the basis for a compelling adventure, but Stone was unable to transcend the
clichéd conventions of ancient epics. The characters are too
artificial in their manner and dialogue. Why must every conversation in
many period films sound like a melodramatic speech? Stone’s
experience with war films almost saves the film early on with a spectacular
and realistically bloody battle against the much larger Persian Army.
Another plus is Stone’s tasteful handling of Alexander’s
bisexuality, which caused the film’s greatest controversy.
Unfortunately, the positives can’t compensate for the plodding
storytelling. Stone first came to prominence as a director with Platoon (1986), but it was
actually his fourth feature film. His first features, Seizure (1974) and The Hand (1981), are above-average
horror films that received little attention, but Stone successfully applied
the elements of that genre to Platoon. Stone was the first Vietnam veteran to make a Vietnam War
film, and he used his experience to create a classic of horrific realism. JFK (1991), Stone’s
dramatization of the Kennedy assassination, later came under fire for its
supposed lack of realism. Critics labeled Stone a conspiracy nut because of
the multitude of theories presented, and that unfair moniker has plagued
him ever since. No one really knows the facts, so who can rightly call
Stone’s film inaccurate? He didn’t invent any of the theories
presented, but, as usual, the messenger is the one who is blamed. JFK is one of the best
political thrillers ever made. How does one top the controversy of JFK? The answer is Natural Born Killers (1994), one of
the most bizarre movies ever released by a major studio. It is also my
favorite film of the last 25 years. Stone reinvented himself as an artist
by turning all the rules of cinema inside out. His fractured and fragmented
visualization of the exploits of a pair of killers on spree will either
mesmerize or repel you. Either way, it can’t be forgotten.
Stone’s many detractors are probably fearful of his next project, an
untitled film about 9/11. I can’t wait.
DVDs scheduled for release Tuesday (Sept. 27): Robots, Lords of Dogtown, and Modigliani.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2005.
