I shall Remember "The Alamo!" (movie)

Early Saturday, before going to the San Antonio Founders Day celebration, I went to the South Texas Blood Center to donate platelets. As compensation for the over hour and a half that platelet donation takes, a donor gets to watch a movie of her or his choice on a little TV at their station.

After checking available titles, I chose "The Alamo". This is NOT the well-known ("classic"?) version directed by John Wayne (and starring him as David Crockett), but rather the version made a few years ago, after my arrival here in Texas in '02. This newest version was filmed in central Texas (near Austin), starring Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston, Billy Bob Thornton as Crockett and Patrick Wilson as Travis. It was touted as being more historically accurate and fairer to both sides of the world-famous battle. Well, this devotee of history had great desires of seeing "The Alamo" in the theaters, but never made it during its short run.

Yeah, SHORT run; here in Texas this newest cinematic version of the battle didn't do well. I suspect that "The Alamo" bombed because Hollywood went for historical accuracy, based on the best documentary research. This means that it flew in the face of certain very key details of the legendary, mythic version of the battle which is so dear to native Texans. But I, who love historical accuracy, actually deeply appreciated this sincere endeavor -- strange thing to say about Tinseltown!

Indeed, I enjoyed the movie from start to finish!

One very controversial scene shows a captured Crockett, hands bound behind his back, before the victorious Santa Anna. He says something defiant to the Mexican dictator-president, who upon being given the translation into Spanish by a sub-commander, in rage orders Crocket's death. Now, having researched the documentary evidence, I suspect that Crockett, who really WAS captured (along with others), was put to death at once as soon as Santa Anna learned that any defender was yet alive. And hence, no such verbal confrontation occurred. But still, the scene made for a good story, and one that was doubtless intended to assuage native Texans (for not using the myth that Crockett went down swinging his rifle "Old Betsy" to club attackers, having run out of ammo).

For me, the best scene is the one based on the legend that Colonel Travis tells the assembled defenders that no further help will come and they are doomed. Please keep in mind that Travis in his pre-Alamo life was something of a scoundrel. He was the LEAST admirable of the "big four" leaders among the heroic defenders (the others being Bonham, Bowie and Crockett). He came to Texas to escape consequences of something like an adulterous affair back in South Carolina (or wherever he was from). But even I have always liked the legend that Travis drew a line in the ground with his sword and invited any who would stay to the death to cross over and join him. (The myth goes on to relate that all but one man crossed the "line in the sand" -- even a cot-ridden Jim Bowie who asked to be carried across.) This is a great picture, and very inspiring -- but again there isn't documentary, near-eyewitness evidence. The "line-in-the-sand" is first mentioned many, many years later by a non-witness writing about the battle. And this movie omits it.

Nevertheless, one DOES SEE a very moving scene in which Travis assembles the defenders, except for the very ill Bowie who remains in his room, and tells them the grim situation. He starts out by saying that "Texas gave me a second chance." In this he is referring back to the wreck of his life he had left behind in the USA. At once I considered how I too had made a wreck of my life, back in Tennessee, and how in coming to Texas and Saint Anthony's city (he the patron saint of lost items) I also had been given a second chance. Then Travis encourages the doomed defenders to "picture Texas, as each of you would like Texas to be" -- and to fight and DIE for THAT Texas! Oh, how readily I could picture the Texas of my ideals! How quickly I'd give my life for such!

I found myself identifying SO-O-O closely with THIS Travis. And I found myself in tears as a result. His story was MY story, in a way. In this movie Travis never takes out his sword to draw the line. I really ached for him to draw that line -- historical accuracy be spurned -- but I managed to do without it, thanks to that very inspirational speech!

It was also good that the movie continues on after Crockett's execution. In rapid scenes one sees the "Runaway Scrape" as Texians (the name immigrants from the USA gave themselves) flee eastward before Santa Anna. One sees Gonzales, the "Lexington of the Texas Revolution", set aflame, and Santa Anna riding thru the ashes, nothing left for his taking. One sees a couple of scenes which vividly capture the tension bordering on rebellion, of Houston's soldiers who are itching to turn and fight Santa Anna, while Houston keeps his own counsel and continues to lead the eastward retreat. Until he has the Mexican dictator where he wants him, at the banks of the San Jacinto River near today's Houston.

Just before the battle there, Houston makes an observation -- again, I'm unsure of its historical accuracy, but it certainly fits the situation and Houston's character. He speaks of the British commander Wellington who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, and how he doesn't consider himself the equal of Wellington. But he adds that Santa Anna DOES pompously call himself "The Napoleon of the West", so let San Jacinto be his Waterloo!

And in inciting the Texians just prior to the charge, Houston shouts, "Remember the Alamo!" I could have wished he had also shouted the other rallying cry, "Remember Goliad!" Or, as I read in a recently-published book, the Texians probably hollered, "Remember Labadie!", their mispronounciation of the name of the former Spanish presidio (fort) rather than the name of its nearby village. Over twice the number of Texians as were at The Alamo were massacred in the presidio of La Bahia near Goliad, on Palm Sunday A.D. 1836, a few days following their surrender -- again at Santa Anna's cruel order. But, the massacre at "Goliad" didn't figure much in this movie, so to have Houston also cry for them to remember that one, too, would have been superfluous.

Yes, my review is that this movie was a VERY GOOD film. I'm glad I saw it -- and on San Antonio Founders Day, to boot! Now I shall remember "The Alamo!" The movie (most recent edition) as well as the heroic battle!