Alexander epic under fire for bisexual twist

A new film about Alexander the Great has been slammed for its bisexual depiction of the Greek hero.

14:32 20 November 2004

Oliver Stone's new film about Alexander the Great has been slammed by a group of Greek lawyers, who claim that the movie director's bisexual depiction of the king is 'pure fiction.'

The group are suggesting that the film's distributor Warner Bros should be sued for skewing history.

Speaking to Reuters, Yannis Varnakos, who is spearheading the legal campaign on behalf of the lawyers, said: "We are not saying that we are against gays, but we are saying that the production company should make it clear to the audience that this film is pure fiction and not a true depiction of the life of Alexander."

Stone stresses that he went to great lengths to maintain the historical accuracy of the film, using the services of a historian on the set of the $160 million (86 million pound) epic, which stars Colin Farrell as Alexander.

The controversial filmmaker said there was no question that Alexander had "a polymorphous sensuality and was an explorer in the deepest sense of the word."

The film, which includes scenes of a passionate embrace between Alexander and his best friend Hephaestion - played by Jared Leto - has been welcomed by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Stone's portrayal of the Macedonian king is also supported by the film's cast, including leading man, Colin Farrell.

"Oliver made the film as historically accurate as possible, and ambivalent sexuality was something of the times and part of the character," Farrell said in a recent interview with Reuters.

The film, which opens on Wednesday, reflects pagan civilization around 330 BC, when Alexander captured the world's mightiest empire, Persia.

The filming of the epic largely took place in Morroco and Thailand. The Athens News Agency claims that government opposition to Stone's portrayal of the Greek hero meant that no scenes were filmed in Greece itself.