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| In the spring of 1836, in the face of insurmountable odds, fewer than 200 ordinary men who believed in the future of Texas held the fort for 13 days against thousands of Mexican soldiers led by dictator General Antonio López de Santa Anna, ruler of Mexico. |
(2004) Film Review by Kevin Miller |
| This page was created on April 1, 2004
This page was last updated on
December 28, 2004
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
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| CREDITS |
|  Directed by John Lee Hancock
Screenplay by Leslie Bohem, Stephen Gaghan and John Lee Hancock
Producers
Brian Grazer ... producer
Todd Hallowell ... executive producer
Ron Howard ... producer
Mark Johnson ... producer
Philip Steuer ... executive producer
Louisa Velis ... associate producer
 Cast - in credits order
Dennis Quaid ... Gen. Sam Houston
Billy Bob Thornton ... Davy Crockett
Jason Patric ... James Bowie
Patrick Wilson ... Col. William Barrett Travis
Emilio Echevarría ... Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana
Jordi Mollà ... Juan Seguin
Laura Clifton ... Susanna Dickinson
Leon Rippy ... Sgt. William Ward
Kevin Page ... Micajah Autry
Original Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography by Dean Semler
Edited by Eric L. Beason and Paul Covington
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sustained intense battle sequences.
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM, and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG |
| TRAILERS AND CLIPS |
| —Trailers, Photos |
| CD SOUNDTRACK |
Alamo (2004)
Carter Burwell
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| BOOK |
The Alamo:
The Illustrated Story of the Epic Film
With more than 125 photos in full color and the complete screenplay, the exciting companion to the only theatrical Alamo film in over 40 years—from director John Lee Hancock, starring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, and Patrick Wilson. This lavish volume reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the making of this extraordinary film, covering its pre-production, the 101 days of production (most of
it on the largest movie set in the world, on 45 acres near Austin, Texas), and post-production. Included is first-hand testimony from stars Dennis Quaid (Sam Houston), Billy Bob Thornton (David Crockett), Jason Patric (James Bowie), Patrick Wilson (William Barret Travis), Jordi Mollá (Juan Seguin), and Emilio Echevarría (Santa Anna), as well as the talented production team who tell how they brought the world of 1836 Texas to vivid life with meticulously re-created costumes
and sets. 125 color photos and drawings • Alamo chronology and bibliography.
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| SYNOPSIS |
| In the spring of 1836, in the face of insurmountable odds, fewer than 200 ordinary men who believed in the future of Texas held the fort for 13 days against thousands of Mexican soldiers led by dictator General Antonio López de Santa Anna (EMILIO ECHEVARRÍA), ruler of Mexico. Commanded by three men – the young, brash Lt. Col. William Travis (PATRICK WILSON); the zealous, passionate James Bowie
(JASON PATRIC); and the living legend David Crockett (BILLY BOB THORNTON) – the Texans would die for their beliefs, but their deeds at the Alamo would make history as General Sam Houston’s (DENNIS QUAID) emotional rallying call for Texas independence. |
 REVIEW
BY KEVIN MILLER
BLOG
Kevin Miller is a freelance writer, editor,
and educator who has written, co-written, and edited over 30 books,
both fiction and non-fiction. A film reviewer for the past two years,
Kevin is very excited to join hollywoodjesus.com. He currently resides
in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada with his wife, Heidi, and
their children Huw and Gretchen (and one more on the way). They
attend Fresh Wind Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational church
that focuses on reaching the disabled, children, and people who've
been "burnt by the church." To learn more about Kevin,
visit www.kevinwrites.com |
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| In making The Alamo, director John Lee Hancock faced a task similar to James Cameron when he made The Titanic. Both films are based on historical events where the outcome is certain. Thus, the challenge is not so much to surprise viewers as to depict characters and events as dramatically and as realistically as possible so when the end does come, we feel as if we’ve lived
the adventure ourselves.
So how does Hancock score? Pretty well on some counts, not so good on others. This film gets high marks for costumes, sets, props, and battle sequences. If The Alamo were a painting, it would fall into the category of photo-realism. And it would earn top dollar.
Hancock wins bonus points for presenting a fairly balanced depiction of the conflict. Instead of painting the “Texians” as heroes and the Mexicans as bad guys, he makes it clear that each side had only its self-interest in mind, and both were willing to kill for it. What made the Texians different was that they were fighting for liberty—even though their gaining liberty meant depriving others of the same. Then again, I guess you could say the same thing about the Mexicans…
On a character level, the Mexican General Santa Anna definitely comes off as the villain here. But, this being an attempt at revisionist history, he isn’t the only one with his warts on display. When we first meet Colonel William Travis, the young officer charged with defense of the Alamo, he’s signing the papers that will allow him to abandon his pregnant wife and two children. The reason? He’d rather have a few days of
glory in Texas than a lifetime without a “name.” It’s hard to believe we’ll care when this guy bites it. But we do, if only because of how much his death will devastate his son.
It’s a little more difficult to care about James Bowie, famed knife-fighter. That’s no slam against Jason Patric who portrays him. It’s just that after resolving a leadership dispute with Travis, Bowie basically retires to his deathbed for the remainder of the film. In addition to tuberculosis, I got the sense Bowie’s character also fell victim to the slash and burn editing process this film was forced to undergo between
its original release date of December 2003 and today.
Our greatest sympathies go to Davy Crockett, played with a delicate mixture of bravado and introspection by Billy Bob Thornton. Crockett arrived at the Alamo not even realizing a war was going on. He just wanted the 640 free acres of land promised to anyone who signed up for the Texas militia. The burden of Crockett’s celebrity also weighs heavily upon him. Not only does this make it impossible for Crockett to flee when the opportunity
arises (What would people think?), his presence inspires the other men to glorify the position they find themselves in. But Crockett knows all they have to look forward to is killing and death. Glory may come, but they won’t be around to experience it. He tries to tell them the truth, but the men merely clamor for the fictional version of his life.
Despite these engaging character studies, this film ultimately fails from a structural point of view. By presenting the fall of the Alamo as one long flashback book-ended by General Sam Houston’s response, the pacing just doesn’t work. It’s anti-climactic, slow to get going, and far longer than it needs to be. One gets the sense that the footage was there, but things never really came together in the editing room. Perhaps
they spent too much time working on it.
As one might expect in a story that takes place in a Spanish Catholic mission, the cross is an ever-present icon in this film. We first encounter it at night when Bowie leads a small scouting party through a graveyard of crooked wooden crosses just outside the Alamo. Later, a crucifix hangs over Bowie’s deathbed as a Mexican folk healer makes the sign of the cross over him with an egg and then cracks it into a glass of water. A cross-shaped window also lights Bowie’s room.
From time to time, we even view the action outside through this glowing symbol. But never once does Bowie acknowledge it or his need for a savior. Though barely conscious, his attention remains fixed solely on protecting his self-interest, to the point where his last act is to kill those who would deprive him of his final hours of life.
Perhaps that’s the problem with everyone in this film, “Texians” and Mexicans alike: They’re all looking out for number one. The Texas Rebellion, of which the battle for the Alamo was but a part, was led by Americans who had recently broken away from the British Empire. Now they wanted to gain independence from Mexico, which had recently won independence from Spain. But there was no way Mexico’s Santa Anna was about to extend the same freedoms his own people
had just obtained. For, in a moment of prescience, he states, “If we lose this war, we will forever be begging crumbs from the Americans’ table.” Seems he understood the stakes perfectly well. The question is: Where does the battle for independence end? And at what point does the number of lives lost negate the freedoms gained?
There’s no question the defenders of the Alamo were in a dire situation. But as the cross kept reappearing in this film, I couldn’t get over the fact that the solution to this conflict was right in front of them, and yet no one was able to see it. They came close though. During what is perhaps the film’s most poignant scene, Crockett plays his fiddle to accompany a song the Mexican army plays every night before shelling
the Alamo. The Mexicans are so touched by the gesture they forego the attack for that night. “It’s amazing what a little harmony can do,” Crockett remarks afterwards. Indeed. For a moment, both sides seem to discover the common bond of humanity that unites them. They may be at war, but they are all fighting for the same basic principles: freedom, dignity, and the chance to create a better life for their families. Perhaps if they had looked to the cross—to Christ—they
would have realized this, set aside their arms, and worked out a more creative solution to their conflict. In a world where violence only begets more violence—both at home and overseas—it would behoove us all to do the same.
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