Remember this Alamo?

Rating: 7/10 (4 September 2013)

Was another version of the Alamo a good idea? Judging by the box office results the answer is no, but this one professed lofty intentions, to make it as close to the real story as possible, with just a few changes here and there.
According to the earliest publicity, the decision to make another Alamo movie was born from the alarming state of world affairs, and the desire to remind Americans how they had made sacrifices in the past for ideals they believed in.
Whatever the motivation, the filmmakers had to overcome the problem that movies set in the early 19th century are often stuffily costumed and talky. As one commentator said, the Alamo era is a bit like Charles Dickens meets the Old West.
The 1960 version overcame the problem with three high profile stars – John Wayne, Richard Widmark and Laurence Harvey as Colonels Crockett, Bowie and Travis respectively. However, the makers of this version, which is beautifully crafted in every department, went for characters that seem overwhelmed by events, but in the process they may have made them a little too lacklustre.
Even the music set the tone for the two versions; Carter Burwell's elegant but restrained score versus Dimitri Tiomkin's mighty opus for the 1960 version.
Thanks to the movies, Australians also have a fair idea about the events at the Alamo. Like Americans we watched Fess Parker's Davy Crockett go down swinging Old Betsy, and then John Wayne go out with a bang a few years later – not forgetting Arthur Hunnicutt as Davy in "The Last Command" who has the best line in any Alamo movie when he says to Sterling Hayden's Jim Bowie before the Mexican assault, "They'll eat snakes before they get in here Jim".
Those earlier films inspired me to read Walter Lord's "A Time to Stand", which still holds up as an even-handed history of the event. I also became aware of the controversy over whether Davy Crockett was executed after surrendering or went down fighting as he had done in film after film.
Billy Bob Thornton plays Davy in an anti-heroic fashion. His Crockett is likable and his performance is a thoughtful one – whether it is the performance that was needed is debatable.
Sam Houston, played by Dennis Quaid, appoints William Travis and Jim Bowie to defend the Alamo with a small garrison against the Mexicans. Travis is played by Patrick Wilson and although youthful looking, gives one of the best performances in the film. Jason Patric plays Jim Bowie, who like Crockett is weighed down with his status as a living legend; he also engages in an intense rivalry with Travis.
The Mexican army arrives many thousands strong. Santa Anna, played by Emilio Echevarría in the manner of a demented mafia don, orders that the mission be captured and the defenders destroyed. After days of bombardment, Travis informs the garrison that they can expect no relief, and that any man who wishes to escape is free to go. None leave and the Texans are all killed during the battle – except Davy Crockett who is taken prisoner, proves defiant, and is executed.
The depiction of the final battle is the most accurate of any version. Played out at night, the long sequence features a breathtaking panorama of the Mexicans closing in on the Alamo.
Although the film ends with Sam Houston's victory at San Jacinto, it cannot overcome the attempts to cut the legend down to size. If this was the filmmaker's goal, they succeeded all too well. But in so doing, surely they fell short of fulfilling their expressed wish to create a film to provide inspiration during a time of crisis and stress. If they are looking for the reasons why the movie failed, it could be as simple as that.