ALAMO (2004)

The Alamo is a historical drama that initially introduces the main characters Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), James Bowie (Jason Patric), and Colonel William Travis (Patrick Wilson) and tells why they ended up in the Alamo.  The Alamo was once used as a mission by the Catholic Church, but was used as a military fortress during the years before what led to the besiegement of the Alamo.  This besiegement was led by General Santa Ana who led 2,000 Mexican soldiers to attack the Alamo in order to set an example.  The story also displays why Sam Houston (Dennis Quaid), who was the general for the Texas military, lost his post before the besiegement of the Alamo and how he played a vital role at the end of the war with Mexico.  This story is told around the characters that are richly detailed as they are depicted as humans with flaws and burdens, and despite their own small self-interests they stand up for what they believe in at the Alamo.  

Despite the films high potential there are some awkward moments such as General Ana in the battle scenes.  In comparison to the other characters General Ana is merely depicted as evil and scheming and his other qualities are not brought to the light.  This hurts the cinematic experience as it builds a small degree of bias, which adds to the feeling of winners writing history.  In addition, the battle scenes are exceedingly "clean", which removes the horror of what the characters must have gone through.  This brings to mind old war movies made during World War II to help strengthen public opinion.  Despite Alamo's imperfections there are several highlights such as Billy Bob Thornton, who performs brilliantly as Davy Crockett, and the rich personification of the characters.  In the end, the Alamo provides a good cinematic adventure, which offers both an educational and thoughtful perspective of history.

DIRECTED BY

John Lee Hancock

COUNTRY

USA
REVIEWED
BY KIM ANEHALL – 4/9/2004
GRADE

 
Filmography links and data courtesy of  
The Internet Movie Database.