What editions are available?
- Theatrical Cut (175 min.)
- Director’s Cut (166 min.)
- The Final Cut (214 min.)
- The Ultimate Cut (207 min.)
The life and times of a Macedonian emperor Alexander the Great has never been successfully covered in a movie. Director Oliver Stone tried to pull it off in 2004 with Alexander but failed on his own accord but Stone has since then released three different cuts of the film. And it looks like he’s done. At least for now.
Alexander was panned by critics and tanked at the box office but that didn’t stop Warner Bros and Stone pursuing the dream of finding a good movie in the mess. First there was the director’s cut where most of the homosexual content was edited out. Then the Final Cut was released which is to this date the longest cut and Stone called it his definitive cut. Then to celebrate the 10th anniversary the Ultimate Cut was released on Blu-ray and DVD. In the press release for the Ultimate Cut Stone says the following:
“Originally, I did my best to deliver a thrilling movie on a very brief post production schedule, but was frustrated in the end because I wanted the material to tell Alexander’s story with greater nuance and complexity. I’ve tried throughout this process to achieve what I believe is the appropriate balance between the inner and outer journeys undertaken by this extraordinary man. Free from earlier constraints, I’ve continued to pursue this great story, and I think I have at last achieved a film that tells a story as it has never been told.”
Further more:
Join me at the Q&A & screening of ‘Alexander: The Ultimate Cut’ newly edited to the way that I’ve always envisioned. http://t.co/DoJ0fmxGW7
— Oliver Stone (@TheOliverStone) May 31, 2014
The director’s preferred edition: The Ultimate Cut
Comparison of the editions with courtesy of Movie-Censorship.com
