- The Alamo
- Touchstone Pictures
Directed by John Lee Hancock
- By Stephen L Moore
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- (Ed note: Noted Texas history author Stephen L. Moore
takes a look at the latest re-telling of the Alamo story for
us. For more information on Mr. Moore and his work, please visit
www.stephenlmoore.com)
 After four months
of re-editing, Disney finally released its new Texas Revolution
film, "The Alamo." Sticking much more to the actual
facts than John Wayne's 1960 epic of the same name, this rendition
is directed by Texas native John Lee Hancock.
The highlight of the film is Billy Bob Thornton as former
Tennessee Congressman David Crockett, who had told his former
statesmen that they could "go to hell! I'm going to Texas!"
Thornton portrays Crockett as a man who must live in the shadows
of his own legend. From all the tall tales that have been spun
about him, he is certainly larger than life and those holed up
in the Alamo look to old "Davy" for inspiration.
Once inside the Alamo, Thornton's Crockett is a breath of
humanity, as he relates one of his past Indian battles to an
eager, young crowd. Whether he is entertaining with his fiddle,
taking a potshot at Santa Anna, or leading an offensive outside
the Alamo walls to burn buildings, Crockett is the unofficial
leader of the volunteers. Crockett's final demise is a highlight,
albeit played up a bit too much for my taste with one-liners
obviously written to give Thornton some funny dialogue. I did
not come in expecting a comedy.
As for the Alamo commanders, the Texians are in turmoil over
whom they want to lead them. Patrick Wilson plays William Barett
Travis, the cavalry leader with little command experience, who
becomes commander of the Alamo post. He and another legendary
frontiersman, Jim Bowie (played by Jason Patric), challenge each
other for command of the volunteers and regulars at the Alamo.
The troubled pasts of both Travis and Bowie are brought to life,
to help the viewers understand that Texas was more than just
a place to acquire cheap land it was a place to escape
one's former life. Both Wilson and Patric handle their roles
admirably, with Patric's Bowie being forced to a cot with a chronic
ailment.
Director Hancock shies away from having his Travis actually
draw a line in the sand with his sword. As Travis, Wilson gives
an equally moving speech in which he allows his fellow Alamo
defenders the choice of whether to remain with him and fight
to their deaths for Texas.
The early part of the film lingers on a bit as Hancock sets
the stage for the 200-odd defenders' hopeless plight. After early
reviewers complained of the film's length, Disney pulled "The
Alamo" from its original December release and reportedly
chopped about one third of the footage.
What's left is a film that takes too long to build up to the
final, deadly Mexican assault on March 6, 1836. The actual battle
sequences are quite good, however. Hancock would have done well
to trim a few more minutes of the inconsequential drama during
the first hour of the film. The film then moves full speed through
the Runaway Scrape, as Texas settlers flee before the advancing
Mexican army. It concludes with General Sam Houston's stunning
defeat of Santa Anna's Mexican army at the battle of San Jacinto
on April 21, 1836.
Hancock does not shy away from showing how the Texians brutally
massacre Mexican troops in the forests and swamps at San Jacinto.
Only the future directors' cut DVD might hope to offer how much
good footage was lost between the Alamo and San Jacinto for the
sake of shortening this movie.
General Sam Houston, portrayed by Dennis Quaid, must put aside
his bottle and fight to keep control of the unruly Texian volunteers
he commands after the fall of the Alamo. The film is portrayed
out of sequence in terms of historical accuracy, showing Houston
in command of his army at Gonzales before the Alamo's fall. The
scene of Houston describing for some of his officers his strategy
for bringing Santa Anna's army to battle did not actually occur.
That is one of the troubles with the film: at times, the director
seems to be trying too hard for characters to explain situations
that the viewer might not otherwise understand.
Hancock also takes great pains to play up the Tejano involvement
in the campaign, making Captain Juan Seguin a trusted sidekick
of General Houston's. Contrary to what the movie shows, Sam Houston
never issued orders in person to Seguin nor to Colonel J. C.
Neill forbidding their return to the Alamo.
Emilio Echevarria as Santa Anna appears a few years too old
for the part, but otherwise manages to portray the arrogant dictator
that Santa Anna was. One important element completely overlooked
(and possibly lost in editing) is how Santa Anna orders the execution
of hundreds of Texians at Goliad.
The edited movie is a little choppy at times and overly dramatic
at others. Concerning the actual battle scenes, there is surprisingly
little gore for what was such a bloody battle something
that may have played out differently had Ron Howard remained
to have his way. These points aside, The Alamo is an entertaining
film that helps the viewer to see the besieged fortress for what
it was in 1836.
Overall rating: B
Stephen L. Moore
Author of Eighteen Minutes: The Battle of San Jacinto and
the Texas Independence Campaign
www.stephenlmoore.com
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