"The Alamo": DEFINING HEROISM DOWN

The Right Report ^ | April 12,2004 | Patrick Rooney

[Badray]

BRAVO! Well said.

[Scenic Sounds]

Mel Gibson understands that we yearn for heroes and that they don't have to be perfect, just rise above their nature to do great deeds. Most of his movies are about flawed men, Ransom, Patriot, Braveheart. We need to see that we can rise above our baseness to do great deeds.

Thanks for the ping, abigail. You're absolutely right, of course - we need inspiration!! ;-)

[BibChr]

Tolkien's Faramir vs. Jackson's Faramir.

[Scenic Sounds]

A somewhat negative review of the new version.

[Ditto]

I knew they would make the good guys bad and the bad guys good.

I saw it, and it doesn't do that at all. The good guys are good guys --- not saints. It's no different the heroes of the 101 Airborne is portraed in Band of Brothers --- Good Guys, but by no means angles from on high. They are people.

The bad guy (Santa Anna) is a bad guy from beginning to end. I saw no redeeming virtues written into his character. From my limited knowledge of his history, that assessment would be about right. Maybe the guy was kind to animals and treated his mother nice, but they sure didn't show anything like that in the film. They painted him as evil and cruel.

I didn't think it was a great film, and I can't figure out how in the hell Disney managed to spend $100M on it, but it is not what you think it is. If you don't see it, you won't be missing much, IMHO. But whatever you have read that makes you think they turned the story on it's head is not accurate.

[Ditto]

The Goliad massacre was shown near the beginning of the movie. It was Santa Anna's first scene in the film.

[Viking2002]

Yes, it is.

[abigail2]

I appreciate your views but I disagree. Pat is saying that somewhere in between the two is the truth. But I know for myself there is a fine line between showing the faults in a hero and glorifying those faults, as if they go hand in hand with the heroism. I guess I feel out of my depths here because I haven't seen the movie.

[abigail2]

Molon labe...and thanks for your feedback. I guess I'm going to have to see it just to see for myself.

[abigail2]

THanks for that synopsis! Makes me want to read it again.

[familyofman]

"Makes me want to read it again."

There's a great version that is poetic form (direct translation from the Greek) that is truly different. Homer first put it down as a long poem derived from the verbal account that had been given for years.
I have little - to no - faith in Hollywood to do the story any justice at all. The term hero seems to have been designed with 'The Illiad' in mind.

[abigail2]

Thanks for pointing out post #49, I don't know how I missed it. Great post.

[abigail2]

Well, I have noticed a lot of different points of view on the movie, thanks for your input.

[abigail2]

THanks I'll look for it.

[blackie]

I'll pass ~ I don't like some of the actors ~ Joh Wayne's version worked okay for me. :)

[Badray]

I agree blackie. I don't support the lefty commie jerks if I can help it. I'll watch the John Wayne version until it wears out before I'll watch the new one.

Hi abigail.

[blackie]

Right-on Badray!

Be Ever Vigilant!

Hi abigail.

[abigail2]

Hi Guys!

[blackie]

Good mornin'!

[Badray]

Hi lady.