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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Alexandra remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for black-and-white period pieces that feel like they were filmed in a drafty theater, sure. It’s for the folks who love 1930s dialogue that moves at the speed of a snail. If you want something punchy, skip it. You’ll probably hate it if you need a protagonist who actually does things instead of just reacting to revolutionary politics.
Evelyn Laye is fine, I guess. She’s got that classic, stiff-upper-lip charm that was basically mandatory back then. But the whole situation feels like it was written in a boardroom.
There’s this one scene where the Captain is just standing there looking stressed, and the background extras are clearly wondering where they left their lunch. It’s the kind of thing you only notice if you’ve been watching way too many old movies, like The Viking or whatever else is collecting dust in the archives. The pacing is just... weird. It lunges forward and then hits a wall.
It’s not as chaotic as The Beauty Prize, that’s for sure. It feels way more trapped in its own head.
Honestly, the movie gets better when it stops pretending to be a grand political epic. When it’s just people arguing in rooms, it has a certain bizarre charm. 🤷♂️
The whole "betrothed to an elderly king" trope is so tired. I found myself rooting for the revolution just so something would break the monotony of the courtly manners. It’s not quite as stiff as The Village Blacksmith, but it comes close.
Anyway, watch it if you're bored. Or don't. It won't change your life, but it might help you fall asleep on a rainy Tuesday.