Movie Review - The Alamo - Spoilers

[quade 3]

Interesting film.

Not really sure what all the hullabaloo is about when people say it makes Mexicans look bad. I'll agree that it makes Santa Anna look bad, but then again, he was a jerk anyway.

Very nice cinematography.

-spoilers and discussion follows -- you've been warned -

Loved the fact that they showed Crockett as a guy that just happened to have had a lot of crap written about him, showed up expecting one thing (to be handed a big section of land) and got totally screwed over. Loved Billy Bob's gradual recognition of the situation and thought his portrayal of Crockett was very interesting. Don't know how much of it is based in fact, but most of the legends are covered.

I do have a couple of questions for the historical battle folks and maybe somebody that knows something about how battles where fought in those times can tell me the answers to a couple of questions that simply where NOT explained in the film.

Question #1 -- Early in the film there is a statement that The Alamo protects much of the area and that as The Alamo goes, so goes Texas. Why? Maybe I'm just stupid, but it doesn't seem to me that The Alamo sits on any particularly important line of drift (like a mountain pass or river) that could protect and block the progress of Santa Anna and his men. In fact, The Alamo gets attacked from all sides in the final battle so . . . why didn't Santa Anna just, you know . . . go around it?

Question #2 Each day, just around sun set Santa Anna's band plays music and at the end of it Santa Anna's cannons beat the ever living shit out of The Alamo. The Alamo itself has cannons. Why, after say, the second time this happens, doesn't The Alamo fire its cannons AT THE BAND when they start to play music? I mean . . . it's just stupid.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Douva 0]

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Question #1 -- Early in the film there is a statement that The Alamo protects much of the area and that as The Alamo goes, so goes Texas. Why? Maybe I'm just stupid, but it doesn't seem to me that The Alamo sits on any particularly important line of drift (like a mountain pass or river) that could protect and block the progress of Santa Anna and his men. In fact, The Alamo gets attacked from all sides in the final battle so . . . why didn't Santa Anna just, you know . . . go around it?

I just saw the movie myself. The Colonel who made this statement may have believed it, but it wasn't true. The Alamo was not particularly strategic to the defense of Texas, and the only thing accomplished by attempting to defend it was the motivating factor "remembering the alamo" had on the rest of the Texicans.

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Question #2 Each day, just around sun set Santa Anna's band plays music and at the end of it Santa Anna's cannons beat the ever living shit out of The Alamo. The Alamo itself has cannons. Why, after say, the second time this happens, doesn't The Alamo fire its cannons AT THE BAND when they start to play music? I mean . . . it's just stupid.

I'm sure the Mexicans would have fired on the Alamo with or without the band.

I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[quade 3]

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I'm sure the Mexicans would have fired on the Alamo with or without the band.

Oh, most certainly. That wasn't my point.

The band playing before their nightly attack was a terror tactic and mind screw. If I had been at The Alamo, I would have wanted to deny Santa Anna the satisfaction of screwing with me like that.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[crzjp20 0]

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Question #1 -- Early in the film there is a statement that The Alamo protects much of the area and that as The Alamo goes, so goes Texas. Why? Maybe I'm just stupid, but it doesn't seem to me that The Alamo sits on any particularly important line of drift (like a mountain pass or river) that could protect and block the progress of Santa Anna and his men. In fact, The Alamo gets attacked from all sides in the final battle so . . . why didn't Santa Anna just, you know . . . go around it?

Question #2 Each day, just around sun set Santa Anna's band plays music and at the end of it Santa Anna's cannons beat the ever living shit out of The Alamo. The Alamo itself has cannons. Why, after say, the second time this happens, doesn't The Alamo fire its cannons AT THE BAND when they start to play music? I mean . . . it's just stupid.

1. like said before it wasnt a stragic place or spot, i mean it is freaking flat land with nothing around for miles and miles. But it was a state of mind. Example: vietnam, we the americans never lost a major engagment, but most people say we lost the war. Why? casue we lost the war at home, people didnt want to fight. (not trying to stir stuff up about vietnam, just an example so lets stay on track). The comander who made that statment probly saw it as if they lost that battle, then the texans would not want to fight, that they would be discouraged, and even scared. But it was exactly the oposite, it became a war cry. Why didnt santa anna go around it? casue he was stupid.... but when you go around an enemy emcampment you stand the risk of having those people who you passed coming back and hitting you in the weakest part, the rear. That is probaly one of the reasons.

2. why shoot the band, it would have just been a waist of valuable amunition.


anyways, just my opinioons and observations. I havnt seen the movie yet, but i plan to

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Fear is not a confession of weakness, it is an oportunity for courage.

[airann 1]

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why didn't Santa Anna just, you know . . . go around it?

If Santa Ana did go around the Alamo, the people of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma would know a lot more words in Spanish. (Nearly 1/3 of the USA.)

They say that if Santa Ana had not been delayed at The Alamo; then we would not have been ready nor nearly as pissed off at San Jacinto.

You see, Santa Ana's Army comes waltzing in all puffed up about our butt whoopin at Alamo and 750 Texans were mad as hell & waiting on his happy ass. It didnt hurt that they got drunk and went to sleep either. Anyway, we came down on 1500 of their army and we won.

When Sam Houston gave the order to Fire! at San Jacinto; in place of Charge! the Texas troops yelled -Remember the Alamo! Mutha F..kers!!!!

New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma, or 1/3 of the USA, -You're Welcome.

The Score:
TEXAS- Gen. Sam Houston - shot in the ankle, 7 dead Texas heros
MEXICO- 600+ dead, 700+ allowed to surrender
Santa Ana was found the next day hiding in tall grass dressed as a common foot soldier.

They should make a sequel.
Hey Ya'll - Texas rulz!

~AirAnn~

[AggieDave 6]

The actual quote is "Remember the Alamo, remember Goliad!"

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[StevePhelps 0]

[Alamo was not particularly strategic to the defense of Texas, and the only thing accomplished by attempting to defend it was the motivating factor "remembering the alamo" had on the rest of the Texicans.