I saw "The Alamo" tonight...and I liked it!

[MplsSteve]

I saw "The Alamo" tonight.

I went in with an open mind, having read the comments posted on here as well as on the 'Net in general.

Though I'm no authority on the subject, I found the movie to be relatively true to actual historical events.

Yes, with any Hollywood production, you're gonna see some artistic license taken...and there were a few that were taken here that shouldn't have been taken.

There has been on on-going debate for the few decades over whether Davy Crockett was killed in the fighting or whether he was captured alive and then executed. Because the producers chose that he was captured and then executed doesn't make it any less of a movie....or any less believable.

But all in all, the acting was good and the battle scenes and special effects were great. If you've seen the movie already, then you know about the birds-eye view of the Mexican cannonball flying into the interior of the Alamo.

Go to this movie with an open but wary mind about what you're gonna see...and you won't be disappointed.

[Ironsman]

I try.

[kaylar]

A "screamer" was one of the pioneer's slang terms for felis concolor , the mountain lion or cougar. Some other terms were 'catamount' (cat of the mountain) , 'painter' (panther)...I think there were at least 25 slang terms for that animal, that's all I can remember.

[mommya]

Here's a link to a short page which will give the answaer about "I'm a screamer."
p.s. I won't be seeing this movie either.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/specials/alamo/stories/MYSA21.01A.Alamo_Ending_0321.7d24aa3.html

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

making an inane liberal revisionist movie where Davy Crockett's last words were "I'm a screamer.

That pissed me off too. Turning a historical fight to the death into a Saturday Night Live skit was unforgiveable. Hollywood cannot acknowledge tough, brave men founded this country. Remember the "real" Alamo but forget this pile of excrement. There was more courage in the real Davy Crockett's little toe than there has ever been in the entire fake empire called Hollywood.

[IndyTiger]

I caught part of the Duke's Alamo movie on Turner Classic Movies last night. Wayne did play Davy Crockett a little over the top, but the character I liked best was Richard Widmark's portrayal of Jim Bowie. Gotta love that knife!

[normy]

I saw this movie yesterday and was fully expecting a revisionist tear down of these heros. That is not what I saw. I saw a really good movie that I will see again today with my bro. Davey Crockett was awesome and I don't know why someone would think Billy Bob didn't do him justice. There was nothing done to make you think he was a phoney and he fought hard and died heroicly. It was a far better rendition than the Dukes and the movie was more realistic than his Alamo.

Travis was portrayed in a really good way in this movie, which most movies don't do for Travis.

Bowie was good also and no cheap shots were done, he died like the history books say ans it was inspiring.

Santa Anna was portrayed as a no good pervert dictator who was arrogant even against his Generals wishes. It makes it clear he was a murderous villian and it doesn't even attempt to put a nice side on him.

Houston was great and the San Jacinto battle was great.

If I had any problem with the movie it was that it was edited as if they cut out some of the "secondary characters" scenes to focus on the main four. Dickenson is only a very small part, it was if his part was bigger before they cut out scenes.

Over all I would say this is NOT some liberal drivel and worth the money to see on the big screen. When you see the Mexican army coming over those walls its quite a site.

[savedbygrace]

Thank you. That helps.

[savedbygrace]

If the evidence is strong that the movie's interpretation is correct, then I might be willing. But everything that I'd read up to the time I posted indicated that the movie is out there in unsupported-land.

After reading the link above here, I'm still of the same opinion.

And the reason you think I'll only find out whether the movie is accurate in this regard by seeing the movie is . . . ?

[Capriole]

Beautiful, moving, exciting--and not, as had previously been reported on this forum, P.C. Lopez de Santa Anna is made to seem disgusting, not heroic. The brief mentions of the human failings of the Americans do not in any way reduce their heroic status; nor are Crockett's musings slanted to make him appear any less than valorous. The whole thing is terrifically persuasive and involving.

[normy]

When Crockett says "I'm a screamer" he doest screm like a sissy. He yells like a lion at them as they come to kill him. It is a roar of sorts and throughout the movie it shows how he is legend even among the Mexican army. The Mexican soldiers are kinda afraid of him. He also just finished telling Santa Anna to surrender to Houston in front of the whole Army with his hands bound. The interpreter wont do it and he yells"Tell him now!" and then Santa Anna motions for the soldiers to kill him. He looks at them and says" Ok boys but I gotta warn ya, I'm a screamer." The soldiers charge him and he lets out a yell right at them as they charge himm and stab him to death. It was a great scene and you will miss a good movie if you judge it too early. It is the best Alamo movie I have ever seen.

[commish]

That pissed me off too. Turning a historical fight to the death into a Saturday Night Live skit was unforgiveable. Hollywood cannot acknowledge tough, brave men founded this country. Remember the "real" Alamo but forget this pile of excrement. There was more courage in the real Davy Crockett's little toe than there has ever been in the entire fake empire called Hollywood.

You obviously have no clue what the line "I'm a screamer", actually means. But don't feel alone, this will go zooming over the heads of 99% of the audience. Crockett is actually warning the Mexican' that they are killing someone who is very important.

Per Mysanantonio.com : "Stephen Hardin, a professor of Texas and American history at Victoria College and a consultant for the film, explained the context of being a "screamer" in the 19th century.
"I don't think people are necessarily going to get this, but in the 19th century, being a screamer meant, 'I'm an important person, I'm a stud, I'm a person to be reckoned with,'" he explained. "It doesn't mean he's screaming like a girl."

[NaughtiusMaximus]

I liked the movie alot. For these reasons:

The costumes and accoutrements were very authentic. The Hollywood crew obviously spent a lot of time consulting with the dedicated re-enacters. There were even some beautiful quilled decorations on some of the cosutmes.

The movie was a flintlock and blackpowder festival. As a fur trade rendezvous re-enacter and flintlock shooter I appreciated the use of real flintlocks which actually sparked and pan fired before shooting. No signs of the "miraculous" Hollywood flintlock which ignites without "flashing the pan" and has repeating capability as well.

I couldn't begin to judge the historical accuracy of the events or characters but if, like me, you enjoy a technically correct burning of tons of black powder and a much better than average attempt at historical accuracy in costuming (although most are too clean by half), you'll find the movie worth seeing.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Well, I happen to believe Hollywood had no such historical meaning as a motivation for the line. It was a laugh line. Any such connection was a completely unintended coincidence.

I certainly "have a clue" as to how Hollywood revises the courageous portrayal of American historical characters.

[normy]

Well, I happen to believe Hollywood had no such historical meaning as a motivation for the line. It was a laugh line. Any such connection was a completely unintended coincidence.

Not to butt in but what other part in this movie did you see where Davey Crockett was portrayed poorly? This is the best Davy Crockett I have seen. He wasn't balancing feathers on his nose to see who threw the first punch in a game of knockout your buddy. He was smart, funny, strong and brave. He wasn't a cartoon character, he was a brave man who had a sense of his reputation and knew what people expected of him. He wasn't flamboyant or loud or boastfull.

I would like to know if you took offense to other parts of the movies portrayal of him?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I liked it.

It's just a movie. I detected no agenda other than to tell a story in such a way as to make you actually have empathy for the characters.

I especially liked the subtle way that William Travis' character was developed over the course of the movie. You have lots of things to dislike about him at the beginning, but he proves himself to be a steadfast, honorable man by his actions.

Since this is just a movie, I am sure it is full of historical innaccuracies, but if you are only interested in historical accuracy then you should not bother with movies, which are mere dramatizations meant primarily to entertain.

One other thing: this movie may well get the Chicano population stirred up.

[LS]

As I said on another post, William C. Davis, who is one of our very best U.S. historians, does not know for sure whether Crockett was killed inside or captured then executed, but there is NO doubt that he went down fighting either way, as observers (Mexican witnesses) recorded a pile of bodies around him at one point as he was fighting hand to hand. See "Three Roads to the Alamo."

[normy]

I was also impressed by Travis in this movie. Most movies just make him to be a footnote, or a punk. The fact they put alot into Travis in this movie was a good thing.

[LS]

Great story about John Wayne while filming the Alamo. (Two actually):

1) Lawrence Harvey, a South African, was just loved by the Texans because they thought he stood "strong" on segregation. In fact, Harvey was a homosexual who would have repulsed most Texans had they known him.

2) Wayne, who directed the film, at one point was having great difficulty with a scene, and let loose with a tirade of curses. An assistant tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Duke, we have some visitors on the set." It was a group of nuns from a local nunnery. Red-faced, Wayne quietly promised to never swear on the set again, and he didn't.

[Ironsman]

I can only say that I found the story put forward in the movie is a strong statement to the courage of those men who fought and died at the Alamo. They where not cartoon characters, they where real men fighting in the real world. They fought bravery even facing impossible odds. There where parts of the movie that struck me. The reading of parts of the last letters of the men in the Alamo. They knew what was coming and in saying goodbye to those they loved stated their case for fighting. There was Travis's speech to the men. There was Crockett's last minutes.

Being a conservative I can understand how defensive we can be because of the attacks on the pass from the left. The left likes to bring down the people who founded this country because they did not conduct themselves to the standards of political correctness of the 21st Century. But I look on not their failings. All men have faults. But when faced with that moment of truth what did they do. The men at the Alamo fought and died for freedom. If you have a question then find out for yourself. If there is disagreement with us here at F.R. then take a look at the movie. I am not the only one here that found the movie to be a good story on the Alamo.

[rogue yam]

I really liked "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind." I first saw it recommended on NRO. It is written by the same guy who wrote "Being John Malkovich" which I also liked. But "Eternal Sunshine..." is even better because it is so real and down-to-Earth about human relationships.