The Alamo Movie Analysis

Crisp, James E. Sleuthing the Alamo: Davey Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc, 2005.

Did you know that Texas was actually once Mexican territory? You may wonder why Texas is one of the 50 states in America today, and what were the events leading up to the Mexican American war. But why does a simple mission church relate to all of it? The battle of the Alamo was one of the most gruesome battles in American history. Today the Alamo Cenotaph stands 60 feet tall in the heart of San Antonio to honor all of the brave men and women who lost their lives for the freedom of Texas. Today America would be very different if the Mexican American war had not occurred.

Sleuthing the Alamo is a very interesting book written by James E Crisp that was published in 2005. The book focuses on talking about unveiling the myths that occurred during the Texas revolution. Myths such as Davy Crockett’s death are explained in this book which is probably the centerpiece of this text. Not only does it unveil some myths but it tells us some anecdotes that happened back then. James E Crisp reveals this information by using reliable sources such as books, documents, paintings, films and among others.

This was a war movie so it contained the violent scene of bombarding and murdering. Although it was illegal to have slaves in Texas but some did carry slave which violated the laws. As well as the film portrayed that the Mexicans are hard hearted, they were so rude in nature. The film was set in The Alamo. The movie set version of The Alamo chapel façade forward 30-40 feet more than exact structure. It was because the director wanted to show The Alamo chapel and interior of the fort in one shot. It was the largest and most expensive set which was overbuilt in North America which comes off 51 acres. The exterior scenes were shot in Texas between Jan-June 2003, near Austin. The film main scene of the Mexican attack on The Alamo was done under harsh weather conditions – battles scenes were shot in cold rain for hours to make scenes realistic. The costumes worn by two different parties were peculiar. The Texans wore long hat, coat, pant, and shoes whereas the Mexicans set of clothes were colorful, they worn clothes composed of different color like red, white, black, and white with peacock like a hat. And finally, I think that this important history is very much relevant in creating Texans who are living in this 21st century. This history helps Texans to be proud of their past and feel great for their

The battle at the Alamo is one of the most significant events in the Texas Revolution, as well as in both Mexican and American history. For Mexican President and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, it was a tale of determination and holding to the principles of a strong, central government. For Americans living in Texas, the Alamo was a venture of small scale Revolutionary ideals; a people should be able to democratically express how they feel their homeland to be governed. As we know, both countries experienced the extreme opposites of their desired outcomes, if only initially. The tales of this specific point in time are many, though some certainly contain many varying details from the next. However, most can hardly be proven, as

While the Texas Revolution began as colonists in the Mexican province of Texas rebelled against the Mexican authority for political and economic reasons, many historians believed that there was a racial and cultural factor in the conflict. Historians such as Eugene C. Barker, a prominent history professor and an expert in Texas history, based his argument of a racial war on Sam Houston’s speech to the Texas volunteer army at Refugio. In his book, Sleuthing The Alamo, James Crisp comes to Sam Houston’s defense and disproves Barker’s argument by taking a closer look at the speech and the details associated with it.

The events that began on February 23, 1836 have roots that span as far back as 1808. This exploration into the events and carnage that took place before, during and after the Alamo will only go back to the events immediately leading up to the Alamo. Mainly the frame of mind the Mexican government had regarding the Texas settlers and the reasons leading to the confrontation at the Alamo.

All through history there has been a plentiful measure of occasions; some are substantial and ready to change the course of history, while some are little and have minuscule influence in the advancement of today's general public. At the point when initially brought into the subject of Texas Independence, James Crisp's, the creator of Sleuthing the Alamo, surveys a lot of data that paves the way to address given by Sam Houston, concerning the theme of accepting Texas Independence from Mexico. At the point when Crips goes over this discourse he is amazed by the word usage of the location and wasn't anticipating that it should give such a stunning component. With the stun of the discourse, Crips had a right personality to go on a noteworthy chase

Thousands of Americans, who changed citizenship and received large tracts of land from the Mexican government, rebelled in Texas in 1835 for several reasons, including Mexico’s abolition of the locally popular Texas provincial government and its inability to

Travis drew out his sword and drew a line. For those who wanted to stay and defend the Alamo as strong serving men had to cross the line. All 200 men crossed the line but one. The 200 men that chose to stay at the Alamo was mainly because of the letter that Travis sent out for support and therefore, the soldiers stayed and fought for liberty. A native of France that was a veteran of the Napoleonic wars known as Louis Mosses Rose, the soldier did not see a reason for him to stay and die for something Rose did not believe in. This soldier did not care for the letter that Travis sent out nor the liberty of Texas; however, the letter did impact the soldiers. It motivated the soldiers to fight with passion. The soldiers grew hope and patriotism, regardless that all 200 men were free to leave but yet staid at Travis’s side to fight for liberty.

The book, Beyond the Alamo: Forging Mexican Ethnicity in San Antonio, was written by Raul A. Ramos. It was well written and backed up with good research. As I read the book, I realized how history doesn’t have a definitive conclusion; it’s an infinite series of events that have shaped us to where we are today. The book showed how certain factors contributed to the tension between the Tejanos and other groups, which led to certain outcomes. I believe the author did a great job in writing this book with the Tejano perspective of the Anglo intrusion because it well illustrated those who gave up their lives in defense of freedom against an oppressor.

“Remember the Alamo!” became the battle cry of the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. Despite being ten years following the battle of the Alamo, the rally cry still incited deep-seeded emotion for many Texans.

In January of 1836 about 145 Texans were fortified in the soft walls of the Alamo also known as Cottonwood. Some of the important people here were lieutenant Colonel William Berret Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crocket. Meanwhile Santa Anna drove his troops into Texas in the dead of winter to level the Alamo. They arrived and began their siege on February 23. Fighting Ensued for about 13 days with minimum casualties. But on the 13th day of battle March 6, 1836 Santa Anna ordered a surprise attack from all sides in the dead of night. All defenders of the Alamo died that night.

We see a large contrast between the American characters and Mexican characters in the film. The American characters are chivalrous, courageous and dressed in a typical “Western” fashion; raccoon fur hats, formal wear or button down shirts while the Mexican characters are depicted as cowards and womanizing drunks in sombreros, ponchos or soldier uniforms with darkened skin. These negative depictions of Mexicans are used as a contrast from this perfect image of what it is to be “American”. For example, the General Santa Ana is portrayed to be a weak leader who is detached from the battle and who is preoccupied with exploiting women. In contrast to Davy Crockett who is able to band together with others to fight and protect Texas while on the battle front. Griffin uses these historic Alamo figures to emulate what it means to belong to America. The idea of Americans not backing down against a threat is portrayed through figures like Davy Crocket.

Texans are full of pride and have been since the term Texan was created. The Texas revolutionary war was a great battle between Mexican Republic and the Texas Colonists. The Texas Revolution was also known as the Texas War of Independence. What will be discussed throughout the research paper are the battles that took place throughout the revolutionary war. The paper will explain how these battles shaped the way Texas Independence was won and how it shaped the future for Texan colonists. The battles of Gonzales, Goliad, The Alamo, and the final battle of San Jacinto played the biggest roles in the Texas Revolution