The only movie Oliver Stone ever compromised on: “I don’t need controversy”
Oliver Stone has famously never been one to play it safe, with the director becoming associated with a number of cinematic controversies that have shrouded his reputation in a layer of notoriety and intrigue. His films are known for their political themes and sometimes extreme methodology of sharing their messages, touching on taboo subjects and often landing him in hot water with critics and film lovers alike.
Whether it be the divisive impact of Natural Born Killers, Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, which indirectly explore Stone’s experiences of fighting in the Vietnam War and personal stance on violence or the anti-institution messaging of Snowden and Wall Street, the director has forged a singularly unique filmography through his unflinching perspective. But while he is not known to cut corners when translating his ideas to the big screen, the director revealed the one film that he compromised due to the studios interference.
Stone has earned a reputation for being creatively unfiltered, which perhaps feels most obvious in Natural Born Killers and his 2004 film, Alexander the Great. The historical epic follows the life of Alexander, the King of Macedonia, during his fight against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians, he leads his troops through unknown parts of the world to India.
Starring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie, the film was considered a commercial failure and a flop after just recouping its budget and making very little money. However, while Stone was heavily criticised for the project, he later discussed the behind-the-scenes turmoil that contributed to its failure and how, due to a tight schedule, Warner Bros forced him to compromise on his vision.
When describing the impact of his work, Stone said, “I don’t need controversy. If anything, I’ve had too much. It simplifies me. It trivialises me, frankly. Do you like Oliver Stone? Do you hate Oliver Stone? Worst movie ever, best movie ever. It’s all opinion. At the end of the day, you know every movie I made, I made for my reasons, and I never compromised, ever. Except maybe on Alexander”.
When asked to elaborate, Stone shared how the process of shooting his latest film (W) was similar to Alexander the Great, saying, “I feel like I did on Alexander. I got rushed. Warner Bros. had Troy ready to strike in May, and they thought ‘we’ll just follow up with Alexander in November’. And I had to make that date for marketing reasons. And if I was smart, I would have just given them what they wanted, because they wanted a sexless Alexander with not much violence. They wanted Troy II. If I had the guts, I would have done the Sergio Leone three-hour cut for Europe and butchered it for Warner Bros. And I would have taken out the homosexuality, which is what Warners really objected to”.
Working against a studio’s demands has been detrimental for many directors. Stone describes the complications that arose from trying to appease their many demands and eventually watering down the film until it didn’t resemble his vision. Perhaps this was the ultimate lesson for Stone, with the director learning that he might as well be controversial for being completely authentic instead of sparking outrage for something that isn’t truly him.
