Search - National Geographic - Beyond the Movie - Alexander on DVD

Understanding Alexander

Sagacitas | USA | 06/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First I'd like to reply to the previous reviewer: The quote simply means that Alexander was complex--from what we know of him, he encompassed all these things, but a *lot* of what we know about him is built-up myth, hence "and perhaps none." It's an obvious statement, but it's a good segue for people who don't know about Alexander.

Secondly, yes, this film reeks of "cheesy" historical documentary, but it's entertaining and informative. The intent was to give people a "true" (from what we know) history behind the Hollywood-driven movie (which flopped anyway--I'll be interested to see Baz Luhrman's movie if he's still going to do it), and it did that. It explores psychological motives, military strategy, and even major characters influenced by Alexander as late as George Patton. There's also a decent short on the influence of the Iliad on Alexander. That one's not quite as interesting, in that it's basically an overview of the Iliad. It's also clear that they were targeting the movie-going audience by referring to "Troy" rather than Homer's Iliad.

All in all, I enjoyed this video. Alexander comes through in all his complexity here, and this is only a tiny scratch in the scholarship on him.

Those interested in Robin Lane Fox's work might want to take a look, as he is interviewed in this video. Other scholars interviewed are: Paul Cartledge, John Maxwell O'Brien, Joseph Scholten, Colonel Lance Betros, David Byers Millers, Partha Bose, and Andrew Chugg."

Very good

Anne Gillingham | 07/25/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am no specialist in anything about antiquity. I am also not a military history buff. I often pick up random documentaries about historical topics, to supplement my lack of background in western civ.

I study comparative literature, so historical references, especially those of the classics, constantly come up all the time.

I would fully recommend this documentary to the wide audience it is meant for.

It is too basic for you if you are one of those guys whose mind is like a file-cabinet of historical data, both useful and otherwise.

However, it is great for the non-expert who doesn't have the luxury of time and concentration to dedicate to Alexander the Great. This documentary is more than informative."