Do legends ever die?

The Alamo Rating: PG-13 for sustained intense battle sequences.

The Alamo is a compelling account of the famous 1836 battle to defend Texas against the advance of the Mexican military. While Hollywood continues to assume that audiences watch war films only because of battle sequences, The Alamo depends more on historical background and key characters in the ill-fated defence by 200 outnumbered Texans. Among them are legends Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), knife-wielding Jim Bowie (Jason Patric) and William Travis (Patrick Wilson).

The Alamo is a rundown mission with a roofless church and a fortified wall. It’s been traded back and forth by the two forces, but with a recent Texas victory Davy Crockett (who prefers to be called David) and Bowie arrive at the Alamo under the assumption there would be no more conflict. “I understood the fighting was over,” Crockett says. “Ain’t it?”

Crockett walks the fine line between being a man and a myth. He tells the men he only began wearing the coonskin hat after an actor playing him wore it. Yet, they want to hold on to their image of a hero who can jump rivers and wrestle bears. Apart from being an expert marksman, however, Crockett isn’t that different from the men whose expectations of him far exceed reality. When he conveys his remorse about actions he took during a conflict with Indians, he suddenly becomes human to them, and their need to set him up as an icon is denied.

Each evening leading up to the attack on the Alamo, General Santa Ana (Emilio Echevarria) has his musicians play before the cannons fire off rounds. On one occasion, Crockett stands on the walls of the Alamo and accompanies the enemy on his violin. When the music stops there is a change in attitude, as temporary as it is, on both sides. “It’s amazing what a little harmony will do,” Crockett says. The incident is reminiscent of the unofficial Christmas truces called by German and British troops in World War I to sing hymns, only to have the shooting resume the next day.

As the battle situation grows more intense, Crockett advises Travis how to speak to the men. Although it would be easier to bolster courage by building a facade of confidence, Crockett tells him he “never learned to lie.” Travis conveys the truth about the disparity of their situation and asks, “What do you value so highly that you are willing to fight, even die for?” In the end, The Alamo is the story of fighters who knew their fate was sealed. Hope was a lost cause.

This movie is both entertaining and educational, and less gory than war movies like The Patriot or Saving Private Ryan. I found myself wondering what it must feel like for soldiers and civilians when they realize dying is inevitable. The Alamo will also provoke reflections on truth and the making of legends.

Paul H. Boge attends North Kildonan MB Church, Winnipeg. He is an engineer and the author of a novel, The Chicago Healer.