Alexander the Great (1956)

Director

• Robert Rossen

Starring

• Richard Burton
• Fredric March
• Claire Bloom
• Danielle Darrieux
• Barry Jones

Last On

13:10-15:20 Sat 3rd Jan 2009 130m
BBC2

Synopsis

A blond-wigged Richard Burton makes a fair stab at depicting the conqueror of half the known world, even if he remains no match for Fredric March's fiery bearded Philip of Macedonia (Alexander's father), in this epic that promises more than it delivers. The use of early CinemaScope is superb, as is the deployment of the armies of extras and the key scene of slicing the Gordian knot, but writer/director Robert Rossen's long and static movie is wordy and ponderous, and there's little for the classy female contingent of Claire Bloom and Danielle Darrieux to do but look on and yawn. Audiences will be bored, too, except when dynamic star-in-the-making Stanley Baker is on screen.