The truth is there will never be a complete historically accurate alamo. Apr 08, 2004 the alamo is invoked in so many patriotic discussions that trying to be realistic can lead to criticism as, indeed, this new version of the alamo has gotten. What were the historical inaccuracies of the movie, the alamo. Myths surround alamo history san antonio expressnews. 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.
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. 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. Remembering the alamo history smithsonian magazine. The alamo is an entertaining movie with a good heart that tries to accurately present the history of this famous american event. The 2004 release of the alamo culminated what had been a long and public.
In fact, it didnt even border alamo square, the large area of land in the middle of the surrounding buildings and walls. It is more of a high school sendup of the battle, with some notable historical inaccuracies, as well as some worthwhile attentions to detail. Parents need to know that this movie has intense battle violence with many deaths. The actors match the actual combatants pretty closely in age travis was 26, bowie, 40, crockett,50, houston, 40, santa anna, 42. The truth is, i only started wearing that thing because of that feller in the play they did about me, says crockett. With the release this month of the new movie the alamo, filmgoers far too young to remember the 1960 epic, an outsize drama showcasing wayne as. With dennis quaid, billy bob thornton, emilio echevarria, jason patric. Nonetheless, quaids role had been significantly reduced from the first version. Many of these roles were inflated just for hollywood production and entertainment. May 02, 2014 the alamobilly bob thornton, jason patric, dennis quaid, patrick wilson, emilio echevarria 2004. To relieve the alamo, fannin would need to march north. The alamo there have been many movies about the historical events that occurred in the alamo and the alamo 2004 is another one of them.
The alamobilly bob thornton, jason patric, dennis quaid, patrick wilson, emilio echevarria 2004. The 2004 release of the alamo culminated what had been a long and public struggle to make this film. A few minor historical inaccuracies pop up throughout the film most notable to alamo buffs is the characterization of juan sequin but are not significant enough to change the overall story. When they do not appear in time travis makes a stirring speech that persuades everyone to stay. In reality, the chapel of the alamo was much further back then what you saw in the movie. Apr 01, 2004 small it may be, but the shrine to texas freedom looms large in the annals of courage. How historically accurate is the 2004 film the alamo. Austin, tex, sept 28 fire caused by an apparent lightning strike destroyed the set of the 2004 disney remake of the alamo, officials told reuters on wednesday. As i have grown older, i realize that this movie version does not exactly hold true to some of the actual historical events that occurred in texas in 1836, but this is also the case for most alamo movies, with the possible exception of disneys alamo 2004 directed by john hancock, however the color, scenery, music and excitement of john. The last scene in the movie shows the spirit of crockett playing his fiddle on the top of the alamo and then looking out on the horizon. Jun 30, 2010 what were the historical inaccuracies of the movie, the alamo 2004.
Mar 06, 2016 180 years anniversary of the alamo, so why not talk about a bad 2004 movie that was based on this historical even and was a disaster. 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. In this updated version, the hero of the alamo, david crockett is very ably played by billy bob thornton. 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. At times, adds the director, he used 12 cameras at once and. Jan 22, 2018 the alamo 2004 this movie actually tried to follow the history of the battle, including the associated politics of mexico concerning the empresario system that was used to bring the settlers in. In a conference with crockett and bowie, travis states that fannin in goliad is preparing to relieve the alamo and will be ready to march south by the end of the week. The movie tries to investigate the characters of davy crockett, william travis, jim bowie, and sam houston. It is more of a high school sendup of the battle, with some notable historical inaccuracies, as. Apr 04, 2018 parents need to know that this movie has intense battle violence with many deaths. The battle to capture the alamo during the initial rebellion had been bloody but the real bowie, like houston, travis and stephen austin, had left the siege considerably before the final assault on the alamo.
It is as if billy bob thronton was born to play the role of davey crockett. Dennis quaid, billy bob thorton, jason patric, and patrick wilson screenplay. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in the alamo 2004. Since 1915 there have been about 12 movies on the alamo, the latest being the rather rambling but slightly more authentic billy bob thornton effort in 2004. Conventional wisdom in hollywood is that any movie named the alamo must be simplistic and rousing, despite the fact that we already know all the defenders got killed. Howards expressed interest was based on his desire to correct the historical inaccuracies found in the john waynedirected the alamo 1960, a creature of the cold war and waynes rightist politics. Firefighters from lake travis rescue work to put out a smoldering fire in the wall of a building on the set of the 2004 movie the alamo north of dripping springs on wednesday, sept. The picture also stars richard widmark as jim bowie and laurence harvey as william b. But what is missing is similar to what is absent from the wayne movie. I want to know were there any historical inaccuracies in the movie, the alamo 2004 because it seems that the actor who portrayed santa anna was too old as compared with the historical accounts of the battle. This movie has a somewhat of a distortion of the historical events, this is because the traits, mannerisms and the importance that some of. Hardin, a historian at victoria college in victoria, tx. The film explores the political motives behind not only the battle, but the whole texas revolution.
You know, we shot three or four times more film on it. The alamo education staff offers the following free resources to help history educators tell the story of the alamo. But the only great version, which most people relate to, is the john wayne version in 1960 okay, thats my opinion and yes, im a john wayne fan. Nov, 2010 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. Many of the characters in the film specifically davy crockett were portrayed as larger than life figures. If we dont know it, we find out in the first scene. 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.
There are some historical inaccuracies and some unnecessary obscenities in the alamo, but this heroic tale is told in good faith and lifts up cardinal virtues. Not the one youre familiar with, but one that occurred a quarter century earlier. Characters drink and smoke and use some strong language, including insults like catamite that might be unfamiliar to todays audiences. This 2004 version of the story of the alamo is the most accurate telling to date.
Initial reports put the figure at around 150, and today there are 189 known. 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. Jul 14, 2011 unlike these alamo imposters, the 2004 alamo film actually takes you back in time and makes you live the alamo experience. Well, the actual day siege, of which the movie portrays. The series of tracks unimaginatively named the battle of the alamo parts 1 through 6 is a series of brassbased cues with rather repetitive snare drum counterpoint. Alamo movie set burned by fire san antonio expressnews. Sep 28, 2011 austin, tex, sept 28 fire caused by an apparent lightning strike destroyed the set of the 2004 disney remake of the alamo, officials told reuters on wednesday. The 2004 film the alamo was the first to show crockett being executed. In 1836, mexican forces took the alamo mission, near what is now san antonio, texas, from a small band of. Leslie bohem, stephen gaghan and john lee hancock producers. Unlike these alamo imposters, the 2004 alamo film actually takes you back in time and makes you live the alamo experience. While stating this bit of truth might be sacrilege in certain parts of texas, hancocks 04 film is the sole alamo movie on the big screen or. The alamo is invoked in so many patriotic discussions that trying to be realistic can lead to criticism as, indeed, this new version of the alamo has gotten.
The scene where crockett fights the daguello with his fiddle is simply amazing, while the nighttime bombardment of the alamo is quite horrific. And his sweeping theme introduced in what were defending comes off as an imitation of the theme from rob roy. Sam houston dennis quaid organizes a rebel army to liberate texas from the brutal rule of mexican dictator general santa anna emilio echevarria. In this version, travis believes that by the time santa annas full army arrives, reinforcements will come from goliad, the nearest rebel fort. The alamo 2004 i have to say is one of the best movies i have seen in a long long long time. 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.
With any movie about the alamo, the key question is why did they stay. Hancocks version was purported to be the most accurate of all the alamo films, but various interpretive liberties were taken, such as building the movieset version of the alamo chapel facade forward 30 to 40 feet 12 m more than the extant and presumably historically correct structure. He regularly cracks the audience up and gets the best lines of the movie, right up to the end. Everyone in the alamo is killed made clear at the very beginning of the movie. The absolute best historically accurate westerns true west. Here is a movie that captures the loneliness and dread of men waiting for two weeks. 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. Some people try to use those scenes as proof that the movie contains historical inaccuracies. With the release this month of the new movie the alamo, filmgoers far too young to remember the 1960. What were the historical inaccuracies of the movie, the. But the only great version, which most people relate to, is the john wayne version in 1960. The alamo is a 2004 american western film about the battle of the alamo during the texas revolution. The script has an impressive grasp of the historical situation but the amount of facts presented may be overwhelming for.
The alamo the alamo vividly portrays the story of the famous battle of the alamo in san antonio, texas. The advance buzz on the alamo was negative, and now i know why. Characters drink and smoke and use some strong language, including insults like catamite that might be unfamiliar to. A bold attempt to retell the story of the battle of the alamo is let down by the unrelieved.
Any movie that deals with such a powerful symbol takes a great risk but the alamo is a rousing success. 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 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. Jul 11, 20 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.
Travis, and the supporting cast features frankie avalon, patrick wayne, linda cristal, joan obrien, chill wills, joseph calleia, ken curtis. What were the historical inaccuracies of the movie, the alamo 2004. Jul 28, 2018 as i have grown older, i realize that this movie version does not exactly hold true to some of the actual historical events that occurred in texas in 1836, but this is also the case for most alamo movies, with the possible exception of disneys alamo 2004 directed by john hancock, however the color, scenery, music and excitement of john. But hands down, the almao 2004 and simply put the 2004 alamo was an outstanding movie. Fire destroys set of 2004 alamo remake in texas reuters. In 1836, mexican forces took the alamo mission, near.
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