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Story by: Jack Foley
BEWARE the Greek bearing.... legal documents? According to recent
reports, a group of Greek lawyers have threatened to sue the makers
of Alexander for suggesting that Alexander the Great was bisexual.
Both distributor, Warner Bros, and director, Oliver Stone, have
been singled out for possible action, as tempers flare concerning
Hollywood's depiction of the all-conquering Macedonian hero.
An extra-judicial note has already apparently been sent to the
studio and director demanding that the film include a mention
in the credits stating that it is a fictional interpretation of
the legend, and not based on official documents.
Yannis Varnakos told Reuters: "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."
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Varnakos, who represents 25 lawyers,
claims that he has gathered enough information about the content
of the film to suggest there are 'inappropriate references', and
reiterated his intention to take the matter further should Warner
Bros not oblige with their request.
He insists there is no historical document or archive on Alexander
to question his sexuality, even though it has been widely documented
that Colin Farrell, who plays Alexander in the epic, is seen to
kiss a man on-screen.
The uproar surrounding Alexander the Great is nothing new, given
that 200 years ago, hundreds of northern Greeks, from the province
of Macedonia, stormed an archaeological symposium after one speaker
presented a paper on the subject.
They would prefer to remember Alexander as one of the greatest
military leaders of all time, who by the time of his death at
the age of 32, had conquered about 90 per cent of the then-known
world.
Added Varnakos: "We cannot come out and say that [former
US] President John F. Kennedy was a shooting guard for the Los
Angeles Lakers basketball team and so Warner cannot come out and
say Alexander was gay."
The film, which has attracted some negative early reviews, is
due to open in America on November 24, with a UK release on January
7, 2005.
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