Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Alexander the Great Blu-ray Movie Review

"It is men who endure toil and dare dangers that achieve glorious deeds."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 19, 2025

"Take these words with you and use them for what they are worth. Alexander is many things. He is logic, and he is dreams. He is warrior, and he is poet. He is man, and he is spirit... And he believes himself to be a god."

There's just something about Technicolor Hollywood epics that warm my heart. The scope. The scale. Hundreds upon hundreds... thousands upon thousands of extras. Sprawling sets. The production design and location work alone is staggering. But that doesn't mean all classic epics are created equal. 1956 CinemaScope melodrama Alexander the Great is a lesser effort from writer/director Robert Rossen (All the King's Men, The Hustler) that's perhaps a bit too ambitious for its own good, and certainly not the timeless classic Rossen set out to make. Wooden performances, budget constraints and more contribute to the problems at the core of Alexander the Great, and much like filmmaker Oliver Stone's stab at the conqueror, there's too much life and story to Alexander's exploits to contain within a single two-hour film. Rossen gives it his all but the results are decidedly mixed, dragging too often then suddenly lurching forward, hobbling from one conquest to the next without much in the way of thrilling battles or compelling character arcs. Armies face off for long stretches of time as Alexander and his enemies speech-ify without end, before that is the ensuing clashes start and finish in a blink of an eye. I'm sure it was jaw-dropping in 1956, but in 2025 it's merely a generic product of its time, too big for its own britches and too loosely wound for its own dramatic heft.

"I believe in the glory of Macedonia, in the kingdom, in the army which you forged with your will, and your strength, and your belief that we were better, and stronger, and more fit to rule than anyone in Greece. Even in Athens! And you're right, Philip... we are! We must proclaim to the world that Macedonia will not fall apart. That she will continue to rule through you, and through your son! And then we shall have truly lived."

King Philip II of Macedon (Fredric March) is plotting to take over all of Greece when his wife, Olympias (Danielle Darrieux), miraculously gives birth to a son; a child she claims is a god born of immaculate conception. Philip naturally suspects adultery but claims the boy, Alexander, as his own. As the years pass, Alexander (Richard Burton) is educated by Aristotle (Barry Jones), learns the arts of war and combat, and determines to forge his own path, separate from the machinations of his mother and the influence of his father. Soon Alexander is winning battles for Philip, amassing larger and larger armies, leading battles against the forces of Persia, and making a name for himself that threatens to surpass that of the king. But when Philip's divorce of Olympias calls Alexander's legitimacy into question, the young once-and-future conqueror endures a series of trials that ends with his father in the grave and the Macedonian crown on his head. With the crown comes more enemies, though, leaving Alexander's attentions stretched thin as he sets out to dominate and rule the entire continent of Asia. The film also stars Peter Cushing, Claire Bloom, Julio Peña, Michael Hordern, Harry Andrews, José Nieto, Marisa de Leza, Stanley Baker, Gustavo Rojo, Niall MacGinnis, Peter Wyngarde, Ruben Rojo, Helmut Dantine, William Squire, Friedrich von Ledebur, Larry Taylor, Virgílio Teixeira, Teresa del Río, Carlos Baena and Ricardo Valle.

Click here to read Jeffrey Kauffman's 2016 review of the film, which he calls "a well-meaning but awfully dry account of one of the most epochal personalities in history." Adding, "the pomp and circumstance of Alexander the Great may not attain the hyperbolic dimensions seen in contemporary historical epics, but the film still has a certain sweep that may appeal to armchair historians—at least, that is, if they're not that interested in actual history."

Alexander the Great Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Alexander the Great features a dated, problematic 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation riddled with issues. Print damage is common and blemishes are frequent. Some shots are downright peppered with marks and scratches. Shadow delineation is sometimes so poor that much of the costuming and production design is drowned out in monochromatic crush; swaths of browns, grays and blacks that drown detail. Grain is inconsistent; often refined but occasionally soupy and in need of polish. Clarity also dips at inopportune times, although it's the one issue that's most certainly an optical problem with the original elements rather than one a proper remaster or full restoration could eliminate. All that being said, the real disappointment is it's clear a high-budget restoration could deliver a stunning image... the likelihood of which is slim to none with a not-so-classic epic like Alexander the Great. It's a shame. All things being equal, there's enormous potential to the presentation.

Otherwise, there's quite a bit to praise here. Many scenes are striking, sidestepping all the aforementioned issues to hint at what the film could have looked like given more tender loving care. Colors are bold and vibrant, with relatively lifelike skintones and hues, reasonably satisfying black levels, decent contrast leveling (other than in a handful of nighttime establishing shots, which just look awful), and notable detail. Edges are generally clean and well-defined too, fine textures are out in force (when softness isn't on the prowl), and much of the grainfield does manage to impress. There are some compression issues -- faint blocking isn't uncommon, particularly as some shots fade from one to the next -- but the encode is largely sound, with only hints of a larger problem. All told, I went back and forth between a 2.5 and a 3.0, settling where I did by favoring the high points of the presentation rather than choosing to over-focus on the shortcomings.

Alexander the Great Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Alexander the Great is presented with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix that does a fine job with what it's given. While much of the lossless track is hindered by thin, tinny soundscape elements and sound effects, the overall tone and tenor of the presentation is in keeping with epics of the era. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, music is a touch splashy but largely bright and pleasing, and prioritization is on point. Jeffrey Kauffman echoes as much in his 2016 review, writing "directionality is very much at play throughout the film, and while Mario Nascimbene's score can sound just a bit boxy at times, other sound effects, including elements like galloping horses or the clank of metal in battle scenes, resonate quite effectively. Dialogue is presented very cleanly and clearly and there is no damage of any import to warrant concern."

Alexander the Great Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The now out-of-print 2016 Limited Edition Twilight Time Blu-ray release included a 17-minute interview with actress Claire Bloom and an isolated score track. However, the Sandpiper Pictures release only includes the film's theatrical trailer.

Alexander the Great Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Alexander the Great works hard to pull its weight and compete with the finest historical epics of the era but comes up woefully short. Heavy on melodrama and conquest but light on impact and battles, it's a project too ambitious for its budget and limitations. It certainly impresses in every lead up with thousands of extras, sweeping sequences, dazzling production design and endless costuming, but it still manages to feel small and pinned in, which is jarring considering how often it puffs up its chest and doubles in size. Burton and company are fine I suppose, though wooden in their performances, and the feeling of uncontainable history is infectious... so long as you don't brush up on your reading and compare Rossen's Alexander the Great with historical fact. Ah well. Unfortunately, Sandpiper Pictures' Blu-ray release of the film is as problematic as the 2016 Twilight Time edition before it. Print damage is only the first of many issues that scream "good God, please give me a proper restoration." Otherwise, the video transfer is... decent, much like the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix, which shows its age but holds up well enough. It might get a pass but it's missing the 2016 edition's extras as well, leaving an almost barebones disc looking more like a shoulder shrug than a fitting BD release.