The 2004 movie, which tries for greater historical accuracy, is not among the greatest westerns, but its better than this version and thorntons. Telling the tale of the courageous american stand against oppression and tyranny, with its impressive sets, wonderful battle scenes, and expressive performances, martyrs surpasses the expectations. It does romanticize the events associated with the alamo, but it strives for historical accuracy and manages to humanize the historical figures on which it focuses. Other than travis slave, joe, who was also allowed to leave, susanna was the only one able to say what happened at the alamo but, like joe, she didnt see very much. However, i found the alamo to be very intriguing and accurate historically as well. The alamo, based upon the historical battle, is a 2004 war film directed by john lee hancock, and starring dennis quaid, billy bob thornton, and jason patric. The battle was not strategically important, but was pivotal in uniting the resolve of texans in the texas revolution of 18351836 in which texas declared itself an independent republic and kicked out governmental influences. Historically accurate westerns true west magazine the alamo courtesy. The mexican army had the upperhand advantages of outnumbering soldier ratios 10 to 1, better weaponry, and a more disciplined and. Many of the characters in the film specifically davy crockett were portrayed as larger than life figures. Wayne played crockett and went more for entertaining than historical accuracy. This is not the best film ever made about the alamo, but it might be the most prominent. An epic that evokes films such as how the west was won and dances with wolves, the alamo details the key 1863 battle fought to win texas from the mexican government.
Many of these roles were inflated just for hollywood production and entertainment. The alamo billy bob thornton, jason patric, dennis quaid, patrick wilson, emilio echevarria 2004. Tombstone clip doc holiday meets johnny ringo 1993 val kilmer duration. It is more of a high school sendup of the battle, with some notable historical inaccuracies, as. There is, and has always been, a considerable distance between historical facts and hollywood entertainment. Hancocks version was purported to be the most accurate of all the alamo films, but various interpretive liberties were taken, such as building the movie set version of the alamo chapel facade forward 30 to 40 feet 12 m more than the extant and presumably historically correct structure. This movie is meticulous in portraying accurate period costumes and technology. For a better, more historical crockett performance, see billy bob thornton in the alamo 2004. Military during siege general santa anna is moving his military force to take the miniscule fort called the alamo near the modernday city of san antonio. The director filmed five different deaths of crockett for the film. This is both the best and the most historically accurate cinematic depiction of the siege of the alamo in san antonio in 1836 in what is now the state of texas, and its immediate aftermath.
The alamo is an entertaining movie with a good heart that tries to accurately present the history of this famous american event. Detailing the events leading up to the battle, the story unfolds via an omniscient observer and touches upon the likes of historical figures, though the scripts historicity is somewhat. Based on the 1836 standoff between a group of texan and tejano men, led by davy crockett and jim bowie, and mexican dictator santa annas forces at the alamo in san antonio texas. Facing 4,000 mexican troops, 186 texan soldiers and volunteers including william travis patrick wilson, davy crockett billy bob thornton, and jim bowie jason patric retreat within the walls of the alamo, a. The script has an impressive grasp of the historical situation but the amount of facts presented may be overwhelming for many viewers. Unbelievably however, this film is far from the dud those numbers might suggest and is arguably a finer film that big john waynes 1960 version of the events in san antonio, texas, in 1836. Since the movie is about the alamo, not the texan revolution, the capture and execution of goliads garrison is essentially ignored, even though it was a much more critical defeat than the alamo. Ask anything you want to know, or answer other peoples questions. Because of what all the defenders did, came what threeword famous expression that houston uttered. Originally constructed as a spanish mission, the alamo provided a secure post between texas settlements and the troops of general santa anna emilio echevarria, protecting the scores of people working to develop. The alamo, american epic film, released in 1960, that was john waynes dream project about the battle of the alamo 1836. William travis, and including legendary frontiersmen david crockett and jim bowie, prepares to fight a delaying action. This historical fiction reader will give middle and highschool students a detailed look at the fall of the alamo. The truth is there will never be a complete historically accurate alamo.
The one used is based on a letter from a mexican officer found in texas in 1935 and has been called a fake by histories of the alamo. The 2004 film is called the alamo the events concerning the battle at the old mission gets a face lift and some of the actual facts are finally included in the story. How historically accurate is the 2004 film the alamo. Positive this is an excellent film with some objectionable content, but nothing serious. The alamo 2004 alamo movie, fess parker, movie shots, music download. The alamo full movie stream free download the alamo full movie studio. See more ideas about alamo movie, mexican american war and texas revolution. The movie tries to investigate the characters of davy crockett, william travis, jim bowie, and sam houston. The advance buzz on the alamo was negative, and now i know why. The alamo is a very underrated film that is an interesting history. The alamo is the perfect example of a film that really good, but has gotten so much bad press because it was a box office bomb. There was a diary found from a mexican lieutenant in 1955, says thornton. Rent remember the alamo 2004 on dvd and bluray dvd.
The defenders of the alamo recieved word that colonel fannon was ambushed and could not provide additional troops of between how many troops. Since early in the twentieth century, there have been numerous adaptations on the alamo story, some ranging from the historically accurate, to the. All others had depicted his death as occurring during the battle, rather than him having been captured then executed along with six others. The alamobilly bob thornton, jason patric, dennis quaid, patrick wilson, emilio echevarria 2004. In 1836, mexican forces took the alamo mission, near. Granted, movies about the alamo arent as dime a dozen as the ok coral, but fairly close. Media in category the alamo 2004 film the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. Griffith, martyrs of the alamois truly a rare cinematic treat.
The one used is based on a letter from a mexican officer found in texas in 1935 and has been called a fake by. The picture also stars richard widmark as jim bowie and laurence harvey as william b. It was reasonably accurate, given that the key events were compressed into a much shorter period of time, and certain real people were portrayed rather. The alamo is a 2004 american western film about the battle of the alamo during the texas. The alamo is a 1960 american historical epic and war film about the 1836 battle of the alamo produced and directed by john wayne and starring wayne as davy crockett. The alamo 2004 tz, texan revolution 18351836 add comments.
In this updated version, the hero of the alamo, david crockett is very ably played by billy bob thornton. An excellent recent example is the academyawardwinning movie the kings speech. That said, there is a lot to critique in the movie. As santa annas forces advance on san antonio, the legendary general and his. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in the alamo 2004.
Dickinsons wife, susanna dickinson, and also their daughter, angelina named lisa in the film and played by john waynes daughter, aissa. The alamo is a 2004 american western film about the battle of the alamo during the texas revolution. Hancocks version was purported to be the most accurate of all the alamo films, but various liberties were taken, such. View of the historical accuracy of the captivity narrative. Would it be the 1960 movie starring john wayne, or the 2004 movie starring dennis quaid and why. As depicted in the film, the man tasked with defending the alamo lt. This movie accurately portrays the alamo without its iconic bellshaped facade atop the front wall of the church. We consider why the alamo 2004 with billy bob thornton as davy crockett is the best movie on its subject. This 2004 version of the story of the alamo is the most accurate telling to date.
The characters in the film often pray or refer to god in a positive manner. The film explores the political motives behind not only the battle, but the whole texas revolution. Some cuss words and one scene suggesting sex but nothing bad. Dennis quaid, billy bob thornton, emilio echevarria director. The alamo is a 2004 historical drama directed by john lee hancock and based on the legendary day siege of the alamo mission in what is modern day san antonio, texas. John lee hancock region 2 pal encoding this dvd will not play on most dvd players sold in the us or canada region 1. Since the early 1800s, mexico had invited settlers from america and other parts of the world to come to mexico land was cheap and settlers were given many acres the constitution of 1824, signed by the mexican government, gave rights and freedom to these settlers most of these people settled in the province of tejas, later changed to texas. The earliest surviving alamo film, produced in 1915 by american film pioneer d.
But it is the mighty fiction of the film and the alamo that these losers are roused to heroism. This latest version of the battle of the alamo was the first to show crockett being killed as a prisoner of war. Historical action western detailing the 183536 texas revolution before, during, and after the famous siege of the alamo february 23march 6, 1836 where 183 texans americanborn texans and tejanos mexicanborn texans commanded by colonel travis, along with davey crockett and jim bowie, were besieged in an abandoned mission outside san. Reteaming dennis quaid with john lee hancock, the director of 2002s the rookie, the alamo retells the story of the historic 1836 battle in the texan war of independence. Some people try to use those scenes as proof that the movie contains historical inaccuracies. With dennis quaid, billy bob thornton, emilio echevarria, jason patric. Any help would be appreciated, especially specific examples as to why one movie is more accurate than the other. Robert worth and his mexican wife, dona maria, through the texan war for independence. English, hungarian, czech, portuguese, greek, romanian, bulgarian actors. Frontier legend davy crockett played by wayne and his men arrive in san antonio, texas, and volunteer to help defend the alamo, a hopelessly outgunned missionturnedfort. The alamo 2004 as mexican forces under general santa ana sweep across texas in 1836, attempting to crush anglo settlers bid for independence, a small force of texan soldiers led by col. Its a great historical film about the fight over the alamo and the state of texas. Sam houston is a soldier, statesman, and congressman who has his eyes set on texas which is being controlled by the mexicans. Travis, and the supporting cast features frankie avalon, patrick wayne, linda cristal, joan obrien, chill wills, joseph calleia, ken curtis.
Im looking over my notes right now and trying to compare the details of the movies to the actual facts, if i can find them. Houstons volunteer army includes such folkloric figures as jim bowie jason patric and davy crockett billy bob thornton. It was directed by john lee hancock, produced by ron howard, brian grazer, and mark johnson, distributed by touchstone pictures, and starred dennis quaid as sam houston, billy bob thornton as david crockett, and jason patric as jim bowie the screenplay is credited to hancock, john sayles. Ive only got a few hours, so ill do my best myself. The parks web site in 2020 makes no mention of the movie or the sets.
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