Q&A with Director Oliver Stone
S&V talks with Oliver Stone about movies, life, Alexander Revisited, and World Trade Center.
On February 27, Warner Home Video released a second DVD-only cut of Oliver Stone's Alexander. Dubbed Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut, this three-and-a-half-hour version includes 38 minutes of new footage and an intermission. Stone recently talked about the importance of DVD to Alexander, and to all of his films. — Michael Gaughn
Would you have had the opportunity to do these recut versions of Alexander before DVD?
No — not even close. But in the past I think I would have had more time to edit it. Because of the nature of the business, Alexander was slated into a particular season — the fall of 2004. Warner Brothers did have a very big lineup, and they have to schedule these things way in advance. Not that the dates don't change sometimes, but it would have been a little embarrassing if we had pulled the movie because we didn't have enough time to edit it. Everyone would have then said it was a disaster, a clunker — in the business anyway. Cynics would have said that — let's say that. But the truth is sometimes a film takes longer to edit, just as it can take longer to write. It's just difficult.
You also made World Trade Center on a fairly tight schedule, right?
Very tight.
No, I'm very happy with World Trade Center. Actually, I knew the circumstances up front. But the less you shoot, the less you have to cut, so I shot considerably less footage. That meant it was able to be cut quickly. It was a difficult film to make, believe me. It was not simple.
