“A time to live and a place to die. That’s all any man gets, more or less.” —Parson
Today’s quick review: The Alamo. In 1836, General Sam Houston (Richard Boone) orders Colonel Will Travis (Laurence Harvey) to fortify the mission at San Antonio, Texas, and delay the troops of Generalissimo Santa Anna, buying precious time for Houston to rally his men. Travis reluctantly turns to Colonel Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark), a wild adventurer, and Colonel Davy Crockett (John Wayne), a soldier from Tennessee, to help him make his stand.
The Alamo is a historical Western war drama that recounts the Siege of the Alamo. Outnumbered and surrounded, two hundred soldiers of the Republic of Texas hold off the Mexican army to give General Houston the time he needs to turn the tide of the war. The Alamo follows the three leaders of the Texas forces—Travis, Bowie, and Crockett—as they harry the Mexican troops and attempt to hold out for as long as possible.
The highlight of The Alamo is its character dynamics. The disciplined and efficient Will Travis, the passionate and stubborn Jim Bowie, and the canny and charismatic Davy Crockett all have a hand in the defense of the mission. Seeing them butt heads, band together, and lead their men onward in the face of certain death gives the movie its heroic spirit. This is matched by the colorful personalities of their troops, a crude but enthusiastic lot.
The Alamo also earns points for the way it portrays the logistics of the battle. The relative sizes of the armies, the key factors in the defense, and the time table before Santa Anna’s main forces arrive are never in question. The subject matter is naturally dramatic, and there are enough intermediate objectives to keep the action coming from start to finish.
As far as weaknesses go, The Alamo suffers from slow pacing and a surfeit of detail. The movie takes its time introducing each faction of troops. While the time spent with the soldiers helps give meaning to the fighting, it also keeps the movie from establishing the visceral tension seen in other war films. The Alamo is also prone to sentimentality, romanticizing its characters to a degree that some viewers will find excessive.
Give The Alamo a shot when you are in the mood for an adventurous war movie in the classic mold. Its naturally compelling subject matter and emphasis on character makes it a rewarding watch, while the battle itself offers plenty of action. However, its lengthy run time and decompressed story keep it from having the immediate impact it could have. Although The Alamo is not a must-see, the right viewer will enjoy it.
For another 1800s war drama starring John Wayne, check out The Horse Soldiers. For another historical war drama about a small force holding out against a much larger one, try Zulu. For a gory, stylized action movie about another last stand, try 300.
[6.8 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053580/). I give it a 7.0 for a broad scope and interesting characters tempered by slow pacing.