One Man's Hero

Rating:
Summary: One man's hero...
Review: ...is another man's traitor. That's the way it is: the San Patricios are heroes -rightly so- to us Mexicans and traitors -rightly so as well- to the Americans, for they fought for us and deserted them. To argue about whether they did the right thing or not is futile; it depends on which side you are on. History always has two stories to tell and that's what makes it fascinating.

However, I'm not so sure I liked this movie even if most of what it shows is true. I commend the fact that being this, to my knowledge, the only American movie ever made about the Mexican War, it does not repeat the same old clichés one finds in all those Alamo movies, where the Mexicans are but laughing hyenas and the Americans angels on the side of justice. Of course, it could hardly be portrayed that way in this case, given the unjust nature of this particular war. But I think the movie goes the other way a little too much: the Mexicans are idealized beyond recognition, and that doesn't help history either.

The truth is the United States invaded Mexico when that country was having a civil war of its own. That's why we were weaker, that's why we lost, and that should have been made explicit in the movie. Instead it goes for the 'suffering defenseless noble peasant' stereotype Hollywood always uses whenever it wants to show Mexicans in a better light. I've seen it in 'Viva Zapata!', I've seen it in 'The Magnificent Seven', in 'The Wild Bunch', in countless other pictures and, frankly, I'm as fed up with it as with the greaser one. Please portray us as normal people for once!

All that romantically patriotic menáge à trois between Tom Berenger, Daniela Romo and Joaquim De Almeida merely sinks the movie. Whoever thought those awful lines, let alone those characters? Mexicans don't talk that way! Don't do us no favors, it only makes us sound like tragic proud imbeciles! And as for historical accuracy, John O'Reilly did not "dissappeared into the mountains of Mexico" as the movie so cornly concludes, but ended his days a blind beggar in the streets of Mexico City, a fact that shames me as a Mexican. I think the San Patricios deserved better, both in real life and in the movie.

Rating:
Summary: NOT EXACTLY WHAT I HOPED FOR, BUT....
Review: ...this film is definitely NOT anti-American propaganda, as some viewers here have previously stated. Nowadays most open-minded people in this great nation of ours do not have a problem admitting the wrongs inflicted on peoples living here who at one time or another were deemed "different" or even "inferior" (i.e. Native Americans, African Americans, immigrants regardless of race, etc.). The problem is a lot of these same folks still find it painful to acknowledge that--contrary to what we would all like to think--the Yanks were not always the "good guys." That said, how, then, can we chastise other nations (Japan, for example) for supposedly re-writing history to their advantage when we ourselves are doing the same thing? No other nation on the planet teaches their children that the war against Mexico was provoked by "land disputes", as many American historians continue to claim. There weren't any. What was Mexico's was clearly Mexico's, period. I agree with those here who have pointed out the film's flaws. Yes, there ARE a few, the biggest one being: where did the Mexican bandidos learn to speak such good English?? But enough of that, as too many critics and angry movie-goers have already had a field day with this wonderful movie. Instead I'd like to point out the film's sad but accurate depiction of American mentality at the time, and that is the fact that many "decent, God-fearing" Anglo-Americans of the 19th and early 20th centuries were (I'm very sorry to say) bigotted, xenophobic warmongers. In that area of history the film hit the nail right on the head. Those who are offended by this shameful fact should instead try to stop seeing things as they want to see them and attempt to view this film as a lesson to be learned of the ugly realities of ignorance, bigotry and blind patriotism. And for that historical fact alone, so well depicted here, I would recommend ONE MAN'S HERO to anyone with an open-minded interest in U.S. history as it really happened. Peace, bro.

Rating:
Summary: A Southwest Tragedy!
Review: American's need to watch the PBS special on the American President and see how American Politics started the Mexican American war. Mexicans were not the enemy they were merely defending against the more powerful American Army. Thank God history is being rewritten to show this. War is ugly when a more powerful nation just butchers a weaker nation. Also, looking forward future film projects about what happen to the people of Mexican Descent after the Mexican American War. A people displaced and killed for their lands. American History that seems to repeat itself over and over. The movie is a must see if your interested in American history. A Good subject matter of todays view of the Mexican American War compared to the ones in the 1840's.

Rating:
Summary: Stomach Churning Propaganda
Review: As an unabashed fan of historical action films I couldn't wait to get this into the player. Two hours later I couldn't wait to return it. This film neither makes it for historical accuracy nor for swashbuckling fun. This film is highly rated among people who consider themselves as living in "Occupied America". Taking every opportunity to defame Americans, both historical figures like Gen. Scott and just general characters, this film is blatant propaganda. Among its premises are that the Mexican American War resulted from Evil White Protestants conspiring to steal land from peace loving Mexicans; that the Irish deserters were completely justified in making war on and killing their ex-compatriots; and that the U.S. Army was comprised of bigots and war criminals. While I don't deny there is a lot of room for more accurate film making than the old John Ford westerns, this anti-American tripe cannot be endured by anyone who cares about historical accuracy or who doesn't use the American flag as a rug.

I'm not trying to stop anyone from seeing it, just trying to spare those with pride in the USA from the pain of sitting through it.

Rating:
Summary: I loved this movie, and I am an American
Review: but I'm also one-half Irish.

For me, if a movie is good, it'll make me cry. (I'm a girl! Gimme a break!) This movie had me crying within ten minutes--when John Riley is listening to his men who are in the brig, awaiting the whip, for committing the unpardonable offense of having gone to Mass.

More Anti-Catholic sentiment right after that, with the Kamp Kommandant, Gaine, trying to refuse a pass to Riley so that Riley himself could go to Mass.

Riley goes to Mass and finds more US Army there, worshiping with Catholic Mexicans. (I recognized the Benediction from having gone to Catholic school for six years. That is definitely authentic.) They're Irish, and they're really concerned over the men who're scheduled to be flogged that night.

Riley rides with them and helps free his fellow Catholics, and they ride away, into the night, headed for Mexico...

...where they are ambushed by a bunch of ragged banditos, headed by de Almeida and his girlie friend, portrayed by Daniela Romos. This is where the truth and fiction become a bit blurred.

However, the fact is that the San Patricios fought on the Mexican side for Mexican land and the promise of citizenship; they probably did desert because America really was more Protestant than any other religion and had a British view of the Irish. It's true, just look in some of the publications of the day and really look at how Irish were portrayed in newspapers of the time.

They are still heroes to the Mexicans, and the town (in Co. Clare) where John Riley was born honors him on his birthday every year.

I do love this movie, but it is NOT a typical piece of Hollywood syrup--Our Hero is branded on both cheeks and his men are hung before his eyes for desertion. He is then depicted, as Tom Berenger's voice over tells us at the end of the movie, as having "disappeared into the hills of Mexico, never to be seen again."

I'm sorry that there are those that do not like this movie. I respect your opinion; I even understand why you don't like the movie. But I love it because it spoke to my soul in a way that no movie has, ever.

Here's why: Soy Irlandes y Norteamericana y Catolica. (My Spanish may suck, but you get the drift.)

Thanks for reading my review.

Rating:
Summary: Has its flaws, but well worth a look
Review: I enjoyed the movie. Granted, I am a HUGE Tom Berenger fan, but I enjoyed the premise. I didn't think the story moved too slowly. The romance was a bit dry, but I think it kept the story from being overshadowed. I find that alot of T. Berenger's roles are more about character conflict than event driven, and I think this qualifies. I thought the history was interesting, enough to make me want to go read about it myself, and I enjoyed finding something interesting about St. P's day (besides green beer, which is obviously the influence of American consumerism) I would recommend this movie to anyone who is willing to watch with an open mind, if not for the filming alone.

Rating:
Summary: A different perspective
Review: I enjoyed the movie. Granted, I am a HUGE Tom Berenger fan, but I enjoyed the premise. I didn't think the story moved too slowly. The romance was a bit dry, but I think it kept the story from being overshadowed. I find that alot of T. Berenger's roles are more about character conflict than event driven, and I think this qualifies. I thought the history was interesting, enough to make me want to go read about it myself, and I enjoyed finding something interesting about St. P's day (besides green beer, which is obviously the influence of American consumerism) I would recommend this movie to anyone who is willing to watch with an open mind, if not for the filming alone.

Rating:
Summary: Liberty and Justice for All?
Review: I had never heard of this 1998 film but the theme intrigued me. It's based on the true story of a group of Irish young men who came to United States during the potato famine and were promised immediate citizenship if they enlisted in the U.S. Army which was then waging a war with Mexico.

Tom Berenger is cast in the lead role as a sergeant who disobeys his American Protestant peers by daring to go to a Catholic Mass with a dozen of his men. This offense is punishable by a brutal lashing, after which the group goes AWOL over the Mexican border where they are first attacked by and then convinced to fight on the Mexican side.

This is a great theme and, if only there were better acting, directing and casting, I might have liked it. All the actors seemed to be reading their lines with little emotion. The romantic interest between Tom Berenger and a Mexican woman had no spark at all. The screenplay oozes with dialog that is so preachy and insipid that I almost laughed out loud. And, to top it all off, it was boring.

I watched a little more than a half hour before shutting it off. And then I thought about how that half hour was a total waste of time.

Don't waste your time on it either.

Rating:
Summary: Good theme - but horrible acting, directing and casting
Review: I had never heard of this 1998 film but the theme intrigued me. It's based on the true story of a group of Irish young men who came to United States during the potato famine and were promised immediate citizenship if they enlisted in the U.S. Army which was then waging a war with Mexico.

Tom Berenger is cast in the lead role as a sergeant who disobeys his American Protestant peers by daring to go to a Catholic Mass with a dozen of his men. This offense is punishable by a brutal lashing, after which the group goes AWOL over the Mexican border where they are first attacked by and then convinced to fight on the Mexican side.

This is a great theme and, if only there were better acting, directing and casting, I might have liked it. All the actors seemed to be reading their lines with little emotion. The romantic interest between Tom Berenger and a Mexican woman had no spark at all. The screenplay oozes with dialog that is so preachy and insipid that I almost laughed out loud. And, to top it all off, it was boring.

I watched a little more than a half hour before shutting it off. And then I thought about how that half hour was a total waste of time.

Don't waste your time on it either.

Rating:
Summary: Decent flick, but not worth buying
Review: I watched this movie on the satellite dish one day when I had nothing else to do. It was a decent enough action yarn, but not worth buying or renting. As said before, the dramatic license taken was excessive, even by Hollywood standards. The love interest was unnecessary, and the history was skewed at times. Although the unit was named The San Patricio Battalion, not quite half the soldier's were Irish. Close to another half were German Catholics and the remainder were a small mix of native born Americans or other immigrant Catholics. This is the first treatment the cinema has given the Mexican War in a long time, if ever, and I was disappointed they did not do better. The plot was stretched thin at times and overly romanticized.