The Alamo is a 2004 American war film about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. It is the second major studio film about the battle, following John Wayne's 1960 film of the same name. The film was directed by Texan director John Lee Hancock, and produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson. It was produced and distributed by Touchstone Pictures.
The screenplay is credited to John Lee Hancock, John Sayles, Stephen Gaghan and Leslie Bohem. In contrast to the earlier 1960 film, the 2003 script makes an effort to depict the political points of view of both the Mexican and Texan sides; Santa Anna is a more prominent character.
Plot
The film begins by showing the results of the Battle, with Mexican soldiers sorting through the bodies and tending to their fallen friends. Then the film flashes back to 1835, with Sam Houston (Quaid) in Washington at a party trying to persuade people to migrate to Texas.
There, he meets with David Crockett, fresh out of being defeated for Congress and explains to Crockett that if he goes to Texas, he will receive 640 acres of his own choosing. Crockett, asks whether this new Republic is going to need a president.
The film then switches over to San Felipe, Texas, where the Texas Provisional government is meeting and deciding on what course of action to take after their victory at the Battle of San Antonio De Bexar.
The two parties in discussion are War Party, which calls for the Texas army to continue to Matamoros for victory, and the Opposition Party, which seeks to rebuild the army and start a government to be recognized by other nations of the world.
Sam Houston is removed as commander of the army, and while having drinks with Jim Bowie, tells him to go back to San Antonio and destroy the Alamo.
Travis is in San Felipe reporting for duty, and his character is quickly established as a man who seeks respect (Lt. Colonel, not Colonel), is divorcing his wife for (adultery, abandonment, and barbious treatment), and who is looking for a second chance in Texas. He is sent to the Alamo to reinforce it and while there, meets up with Col. James Neil, who informs him that he'll be in charge of the Regulars (Texas Army) because he is going away for business.
Crockett arrives in San Antonio where he tells the gathering crowd his "I told them folks they can go to hell, I'm going to Texas" speech. After being told that they can't wait for Santa Anna to show up now that Crockett was there, Crockett replies, "I understood the fighting was over...aint it?" For the first time in any Alamo-Davy Crockett film, the viewer is shown the political side of Crockett and possibly his real intentions for traveling to Texas, not so much to fight for freedom, but more for a new chance at life. The movie implies rather that he's caught in the middle and cannot escape.
Santa Anna arrives in San Antonio much to the surprise of the Texans, who were not expecting the Mexican Army to arrive until late March or early April. Caught off guard, they retire to the confines of the Alamo and amid all the chaos, Travis calmly begins to write letters to be sent out asking for reinforcements at the Alamo.
Bowie goes to meet Mexican General Manuel Castrillon to try and talk things out before they get out hand. When Travis is notified that he should take a look at what is going on, he quickly realizes that the entire fort is surrounded and then notices Bowie talking to the Mexican Army. In response, Travis commands that the 18 pound cannon on the south-west wall be fired, which it is.
In response, the Mexican army raises the Red Flag, meaning death to the traitors and no quarter. Bowie notifies Travis that the terms of surrender offered by the Mexican army is surrender at discretion (i.e., whatever conditions Santa Anna cares to impose, once the surrender is effected).
For the next several nights, the Mexican army serenades the Texans inside the Alamo with the Deguello (Slit Throat) before bombarding them with cannon ball fire.
Production
The film was originally set up with Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard in the director's chair and producing partner Brian Grazer as producer. Russell Crowe was originally cast as Sam Houston, Ethan Hawke as William Barret Travis and Billy Bob Thornton as David Crockett. But there were financial and creative disagreements between Imagine and Disney, particularly with Howard wanting a $200 million budget. Disney rejected Imagine's proposal for the film, and Howard, Grazer, Crowe and Hawke left the project. Disney opted to go with director John Lee Hancock instead with a budget of $95 million. Thornton was the only member of the original team to remain throughout the project.
The film was shot near Austin, Texas between January and June 2003, mostly on a local property named Reimers Ranch. The film's art direction focused on historical accuracy and verisimilitude; for instance, the mission's facade does not feature the well-known "hump" at the top, a detail that was actually added years after the battle during a restoration.
The film was shot in 2003 and scheduled for release in December of that year, but was then rescheduled for release in April 2004.
Historical accuracy
This latest version of the Battle of the Alamo was the first to show Crockett being killed as a prisoner of war. All others had depicted his death as occurring during the battle, rather than him having been captured then executed along with six others. This sparked debate and criticism from many Alamo enthusiasts and some historians.[1] This version of his death came from memoirs written by former Mexican officer José Enrique de la Peña, who was an officer in Santa Anna's army and who fought in the battle.
Although Hancock's version was purported to be the most accurate of all the Alamo films, it overlooked simple facts, such as pushing the Alamo chapel forward about 30 to 40 feet[2]. According to the DVD special features bonus, Hancock did this in order to show the Alamo chapel and interior of the fort all in one shot.
Other simple historical facts were overlooked. When Crockett first plays his fiddle to the crowd, the song is "Listen to the Mockingbird", not written until 1855, some 19 years after the fall of the Alamo.[3] The film shows Bowie paying for a drink with a coin carrying Santa Anna's portrait. Mexican silver coins of that era showed a liberty cap. Aside from the short-lived empire of Maximilian (1864-67), human representations on circulating Mexican coins between 1824 to 1905 were entirely allegorical.
Cast
Crew members film a battle scene
The set of the Alamo used during filming
Box office
The film was highly unsuccessful at the box office, opening on Easter weekend to mostly middling reviews and a low box office turnout. In its first weekend, it was defeated in box office numbers by a resurgent The Passion of the Christ. It cost over $140 million USD to make and market the film but earned only $9.1 million USD in its first weekend. By its second month of release, the film had yet to muster $30 million USD in domestic earnings. It ended its theatrical run with a worldwide gross of slightly less than $26 million.[4]
See also
References
External links
