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Movie Review - The Alamo (2003)
By James Emery Vigh of profbruno.com
For a movie that advertised itself as the true story of the Alamo, there are a whole lot of non-truths and omissions in this version produced by Mark Johnson and Ron Howard (Touchstone Pictures). The thing is, this movie starring Billy Bob Thornton as David Crockett, Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston, Jason Patric as James Bowie, and Patrick Wilson as William Barret Travis actually IS the truest version that has ever been made about this 13 day siege of a broken down old mission on the outskirts of San Antonio in 1836. This tells you how badly (historically speaking) Hollywood has treated this event over the years. The film does give the Mexican point of view that identifies the 183 defenders of the Alamo as pirates and land grabbers. This was true to a large extent. It even went to seemingly great lengths to make sure that the bell tower of the San Fernando Church could be seen framed perfectly inside a window of the Alamo church from the gun platform in the back. Billy Bob Thornton is masterful as David Crockett. All of the other performances are good or at least adequate. It's the screenplay and the Alamo set itself that I take issue with. The Alamo was a huge place. The Alamo church building was set back from the long barracks 50-60 feet. In this movie, it practically abutted the long barracks. The rest of the fort seemed to be in 3/4 scale. The cow pen and horse corral portions were botched. There's no excuse for this because there were numerous drawings and Army Corps of Engineer photos of the place taken not too many years after the battle. If you are going to make a movie about an iconic place such as the Alamo, you should at least make it look the way it was - especially if you are advertising "the truth". The screenplay? Historical problems abound. Here are some of them: 1. When the Mexicans first appeared on the outskirts of San Antonio, a sentry in the bell tower of the San Fernando Church rang the bell. Travis and Bowie raced up and saw - nothing. After some debate, 2 riders were sent out to investigate. On topping a rise outside of town, they came literally face to face with the vanguard of the Mexican army. They turned and raced back to town, during which one of the riders fell off his horse, broke his leg and had to be helped back on his horse. The sentry in the bell tower saw the 2 men returning and rang the bell again, whereas the returning riders informed Travis and Bowie of the Mexican's arrival. In the movie, the sentry rang the bell, Travis and Bowie raced up, saw the Mexicans, Travis makes a silly comment and that was that. Talk about missing a wonderful cinematic moment! 2. In the beginning, Santa Anna didn't have enough troops to cover every approach adequately. He received reinforcements daily. Late in the siege, he received about 1,000 of his best troops. Santa Anna did like to parade his troops around, but he didn't have them just standing in parade formation just outside of effective rifle range making superb targets for the Texian cannon like the movie has them doing. The defenders were low on artillery ammunition - but not THAT low as to pass up on such an opportunity. The Mexicans kept their heads down or well out of range. 3. The Mexican army in the movie bombarded the fort at night, and then just stood quietly by with their cannon as the defenders repaired the north wall of the fort by day. During the siege, the Mexicans bombarded the fort during the day, and kept them awake at night with bugle calls, shouts, occasional cannon shots and fake charges. It was during this that Travis had to have his men try to repair the north wall. It was difficult and very dangerous work. 4. The Alamo on the 10th night of the siege received 32 men as reinforcments from the town of Gonzales. There was a "Northern" blowing that night. They sneaked in through the fort's "Northern Postern" in the northwest corner of the fort. An Alamo sentry even fired a shot at them hitting one of them in the foot. This "ride of the 32" is a story all by itself. In the movie, they just ride in through the main gate. George Kimball, their leader, tells Travis that they just eased on through and then complains that Fannin (from Goliad) wasn't there yet. You see, he had talked to Fannin 3 days ago and he promised that he'd be HERE. Gonzales is about about a days ride almost due east of San Antonio. Goliad is about 90 miles southeast (at least a 2 days ride) from San Antonio,and about the same distance south of Gonzales. What he said in the movie is not only untrue, but is impossible as George Kimball never was at Goliad. There were other smaller problems and missed opportunities. In spite of all of this, "The Alamo" is still a pretty good movie. The spirit of the defenders - especially Crockett is captured nicely. The final battle sequence at the Alamo (Hollywood license accepted) was superbly shot. For me, this was almost but not quite a 3-star movie. It could have been, and SHOULD have been a 4-star movie. Maybe someday, someone will actually, finally get it right.
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Thank you for fine tunning facts that should have been included in a "true story" cinema. If one does not challenge facts in so called "true stories" others will perpetuate myths; like the 1995 animated version of "Pocahontas" ~ it was not John Smith, but John Rolfe, whom Pocahontas had romantic attraction for and did marry. That movie won two Oscars.
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