The Alamo (1960)

Plot Outline: It's 1836 and with the advance of General Santa Anna's massive 2,000 strong Mexican army through Texas, a small group of 187 brave soldiers are ordered to make a stand at the Alamo in order to buy General Sam Houston time to organise an army.

The Review: John Wayne's directorial debut is an unashamedly patriotic and larger-than-life epic which certainly matches the scope of the battle if it does little else. It's always hard to make historical films like this come to life so easily because we all know the outcome. I mean Titanic wouldn't have been the same if the ship didn't hit the iceberg or Troy wouldn't have been Troy if they didn't include the wooden horse. We know they all die at the end but you've got to put that out of your minds because it won't help the film's running time. It's quite slowly padded out and I felt myself dropping off to sleep for the most part. Watching The Duke swagger around and proclaim to love America and all that crap might be fine if you're an American but that patriotism is totally lost on anyone else. I'm a proud Brit so I'm a bit biased when it comes to American history (to hell with the Alamo, give me Rourke's Drift any day - at least we won that one). Dissention in the ranks between the regulars, the natives and the barmy Texans boils over for the good part of the film, and the rivalries and dislikes of the main characters William Travis, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett are all brought to the fore. Thankfully if you can sit through this (and believe me it takes a while) then you're treated to one of the best battle scenes that I can remember. The storming of the Alamo by the Mexican Army is nothing short of superb and realistic. Wayne uses some excellent long shots to really give you the scope of the action and the set of the Alamo which took 2 years to build is worth it - it's like being at the real thing back in 1836. Because it's a full recreation of the Alamo, then there are no half-sets to shoot the main characters on before cutting to the extras brawling away. Everything you see during the battles was built. The Mexican Army is fully kitted out with authentic uniforms. The Texans defending the mission are dressed according with top hats, suits, etc. It's all remarkably realistic. Then the fighting kicks in and eventually the defences crumble. The final few moments of the survivors desperately trying to fight as long as they can is heart-warming until it's all over. John Wayne swaggers through the film as only he can - but like most of his other roles, you can only see him as John Wayne playing John Wayne, not John Wayne playing Davy Crockett. But it's his un-denying passion for this genre that drags this film out and the film is all the better for him being in.

Final Verdict: The Alamo is quite a preachy American history film which like so many similar flicks has little meaning to people like me abroad. We don't share your patriotism for the defenders of the Alamo. It's not that I don't care, it's just it has little relevance to me personally. So the early part of the film is totally lost on me. Only when the fighting starts and the bodies start to drop does the film interest me. Still worth watching for the immense battle at the end though.

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