Alexander the Great

The colossus who conquered the world!

1956 • 136 min • Adventure · History · Drama · War

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Synopsis

An engrossing spectacle set in the 4th-century BC, in which Alexander of Greece leads his troops forth, conquering all of the known world, in the belief that the Greek way of thinking will bring enlightenment to people. The son of the barbaric and ruthless King Philip of Macedonia, Alexander achieved glory in his short but remarkable life.

Our family guide

Best from age 12

Movie Knight Score

111 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
61 Audience · 109 · 49%

Alexander the Great depicts the life and conquests of the legendary Macedonian king, from his youth and strained relationship with his father, King Philip, to his ambition to spread Greek enlightenment across the known world. This historical epic features large-scale battles and dramatic personal conflicts.

Violence & peril: 6/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 3/10
Romance & sensuality: 2/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Historical battle violence, including sword fighting and arrow strikes
Instances of drinking and some intoxication
Complex historical narrative

What it models well

Courage and ambition
Leadership and strategy
Pursuit of knowledge
Cross-cultural understanding

Talk about it after

The burdens of leadership
The concept of "enlightenment" and its impact on conquered peoples
The historical accuracy of the film vs. actual events
The ethics of conquest

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Alexander the Great. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Top billed cast

Director: Robert Rossen • Crew: Robert Rossen

Trailers & clips

Battle of the Granicus

King Philip’s Assassination

Alexander’s Training

Official Trailer

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
This is essentially a story all of it's own. Though history forms the basis of the subject, Richard Burton's depiction strays quite wilfully from any of the more established legends that are Alexander of Macedonia - or it just chooses to create a completely new one. Frederic March is good as his borderline megalomanic father Philip.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
_**Alexander’s conquests from Greece through the Persian Empire**_ After being tutored by Aristotle (Barry Jones), Alexander (Richard Burton) takes over the Macedonian throne in 336 BC at the age of 20 after his father is assassinated (Fredric March). Over the next 13 years he, amazingly, conquers the Persian Empire and heads into India before finally turning back.…
Wuchak, TMDB Community