The version to see is the 202-minute one, restored to this length about a dozen years ago and which I have on Laserdisc (oh, those were the days). It doesn't really make for slower going, instead adding scenes which add some texture to the group of Texacans, among them Tennessee-man Davy Crockett (Wayne), his cohorts, and Jim Bowie (Widmark). Yes, it's a long while until the actual fighting begins, almost a full 2 hours, but you get to see how Crockett & Bowie meet, verbally spar with the snooty Colonel in charge (Harvey), and listen to Wayne wax poetic on the meaning of such terms as 'Republic.' Corny? Maybe. But, it touches on some basics related to the human spirit, which, when faced by a definite kind of totalitarianism, represented by General Santa Anna, will not simply bow to superior numbers. Numbers play a big role here: the odds are similar to the famous battle depicted in "Zulu" - about 185 banded Texacans against an army of 7000 Mexican soldiers. No matter how well they fortify the mission which they occupy, the small band is obviously doomed before the battle begins.
I've marked the spoilers box, so for those unfamiliar with this historical battle, you may want to stop here, but I don't think it's any secret to anyone by now about who does or doesn't survive. This filmed depiction of history becomes a somewhat unique film role for Wayne. He plays the role with his standard (interchangeable) easygoing Wayne persona but, at a bit past the 1-hour mark, a poignant point is impressed on the viewer. Crockett, after all, ambled over all the way from Tennessee to partake in this defense - it almost comes across as a death wish. Wayne, as Crockett, makes another long speech about himself to explain: he had the choice of whiling away his remaining years in a pointless manner or take a meaningful stand on something. It's not so much courage that seems to drive him as a fear of just wasting away slowly. And it's genuinely disturbing to watch him die during the battle - Wayne rarely died in his films - as if you're losing that big uncle you always looked forward to seeing about once a year.
When I was younger and acquired this film on VHS tape, I made a point of watching the big climactic battle over and over, usually neglecting the rest of it; at that time, it was the final battle which was unforgettable to me and the entire build up was rather tedious and plodding by comparison. I did like Boone's scene near the end, playing General Houston, when he vents his frustration at not being able to help the men at the Alamo. I was also intrigued by Harvey's character who, on the surface, seems like just a stiff upper-crust in-charge bore, but, if you look closely, has more guts than even all the other wild men under his command. As I got older, however, I found it more gratifying to watch the whole thing, getting to know these brave or foolhardy men, depending on your mood, who were doomed before it even began, but who fought like the toughest bastards north of the border.
I've marked the spoilers box, so for those unfamiliar with this historical battle, you may want to stop here, but I don't think it's any secret to anyone by now about who does or doesn't survive. This filmed depiction of history becomes a somewhat unique film role for Wayne. He plays the role with his standard (interchangeable) easygoing Wayne persona but, at a bit past the 1-hour mark, a poignant point is impressed on the viewer. Crockett, after all, ambled over all the way from Tennessee to partake in this defense - it almost comes across as a death wish. Wayne, as Crockett, makes another long speech about himself to explain: he had the choice of whiling away his remaining years in a pointless manner or take a meaningful stand on something. It's not so much courage that seems to drive him as a fear of just wasting away slowly. And it's genuinely disturbing to watch him die during the battle - Wayne rarely died in his films - as if you're losing that big uncle you always looked forward to seeing about once a year.
When I was younger and acquired this film on VHS tape, I made a point of watching the big climactic battle over and over, usually neglecting the rest of it; at that time, it was the final battle which was unforgettable to me and the entire build up was rather tedious and plodding by comparison. I did like Boone's scene near the end, playing General Houston, when he vents his frustration at not being able to help the men at the Alamo. I was also intrigued by Harvey's character who, on the surface, seems like just a stiff upper-crust in-charge bore, but, if you look closely, has more guts than even all the other wild men under his command. As I got older, however, I found it more gratifying to watch the whole thing, getting to know these brave or foolhardy men, depending on your mood, who were doomed before it even began, but who fought like the toughest bastards north of the border.