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Remember the ALAMO: Why?

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This film wasted its potential being mostly factual and sullen. Billy Bob was a savior of sorts in this mostly dry drama. He brought his usual down home charm to the roll of Crockett while Quaid strained with the mostly drunk Sam Houston. Jason Patrick did a likeable Bowie and the guy who played Travis made you not like him. But, the best casting was Santa Ana who looked just plain evil no matter what he said.
An example of historically accurate attitudes: Bowie let his man leave the Alamo. His man asked if he was getting his papers (freedom)? Bowie said: "You are my property till the day I die." Not exactly PC but neither is history.
Not being a student or fan of Texas I learned the actual assault happened at night not during John Wayne's daylight! (Hell, I liked Fess Parker better anyway.)
More importantly, this film makes it abundantly clear that Texas was a naked, imperialistic land grab. If the Mexican army were invaders I could understand the battle cry--the truth is just the opposite.

Follow Ups:

Re: Remember the ALAMO: Why? - patrickU 02:21:50 04/11/04 (1)
How does it compares to John�s film on the whole? His was an honest failure I felt way back, romantised but still having charms.
- Mo romance in this one. It leaned towards ugly reality . . . - albee33 11:04:02 04/11/04 (0)
  meaning politics and the personalities involved.
Re: Remember the ALAMO: Why? - Tom Brennan 21:55:20 04/10/04 (1)
The picture did follow the facts, as far as they are known, pretty well. Intersting to see characters like Grant and Neill portrayed.
The Texas Revolution was justifiable and not an "imperialistic" land grab. The Spanish and Mexicans were unable to populate Texas and invited Americans in. When the Americans became of large majority of the Texian population that decided they wanted independence.
What's wrong with that? Self-determination. Democracy.
Anyway I don't think the picture portrayed the revolt as an imperialistic land grab, it covered the constitutional problems the Mexicans were having and the fact that Santa Anna was a tyrant.
- http://www.theonion.com/onion3214/usretro.html (Open in New Window)
- I wouldn't go that far - late 07:20:24 04/11/04 (0)
  Hi,
  that is not how I see the history of that period. But to discuss it, we would need an appropriate venue, and that would be the Outside Asylum.

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