***SPOILERS*** In the movie " The Milagro Beanfied War" we have an unlikely hero in Joe Mondragon,Chick Vennera,who in his David against Goliath fight against big land developer Ladd Devine, Richard Bradford,rallies all the people of that little New Mexican town without him even realizing that he's doing it. All Joe wanted was to irrigate and plant crops, beans, on his small strip of land so he could have enough money to pay his bills. Land that was being flooded with precious life giving water by Joe accidentally striking a water pipe! Just like Moses by striking a rock provided the children of Israel with water in the Sinai Desert. Joe who was planning together with his family to move out of his home and go north to find work is now determined to stay in place, the town of Milagro,and start a new life as a bean grower. But with big time land developer Devine determined to get his condos golf courses and swimming pools built Joe now knows he has his work cut out for him but, with really nothing to lose, he's more then willing to go all the way to do it!
Robert Redford's, who directed and financed the movie, attempt to show the movie audience in how big business or big land developers use both money and the power of local government officials,up to the governor of the state, to drive people out of their homes that they lived in for generations. In the case of the people of Milagro we see how those with power use every flimsy law on the books, that was put there to help them get what they want, to drive people like Joe not just out of business but out of town as well. It's when everything fails Devine gets his top gun Kyril Montana,Christopher Walker, together with the local sheriff's posse to get the dirty job done for him. Only to have Montana & co. facing the ends of the barrels of the outraged people in town who just when things look as bad as they could be came to Joe's, who was charged with a slew of crimes like breaking the land and water code laws to attempted murder, rescue. And it was the law that Devine used against Joe as well as themselves that that put that witch hunt against the people of Milagro to an end.
The movie shows that when people get organized and refused to be intimated they can accomplish a lot more then just leaving it up to local politicians, who are in the pay of big business interests, to do the job for them. Joe Mondragon was forced to make a stand when he saw that an injustice was being done to both him and the people of the town of Milagro. Without even realizing it Joe's actions energized the townspeople who at first were more then willing to give up their homes feeling that It was a hopeless cause on their part but later stand their ground and fight back against the likes of the powerful and well connected land developer Ladd Devine. But once they flexed their political muscles as well as their trigger fingers Devine & Co. knew that they just didn't stand a chance!
Robert Redford's, who directed and financed the movie, attempt to show the movie audience in how big business or big land developers use both money and the power of local government officials,up to the governor of the state, to drive people out of their homes that they lived in for generations. In the case of the people of Milagro we see how those with power use every flimsy law on the books, that was put there to help them get what they want, to drive people like Joe not just out of business but out of town as well. It's when everything fails Devine gets his top gun Kyril Montana,Christopher Walker, together with the local sheriff's posse to get the dirty job done for him. Only to have Montana & co. facing the ends of the barrels of the outraged people in town who just when things look as bad as they could be came to Joe's, who was charged with a slew of crimes like breaking the land and water code laws to attempted murder, rescue. And it was the law that Devine used against Joe as well as themselves that that put that witch hunt against the people of Milagro to an end.
The movie shows that when people get organized and refused to be intimated they can accomplish a lot more then just leaving it up to local politicians, who are in the pay of big business interests, to do the job for them. Joe Mondragon was forced to make a stand when he saw that an injustice was being done to both him and the people of the town of Milagro. Without even realizing it Joe's actions energized the townspeople who at first were more then willing to give up their homes feeling that It was a hopeless cause on their part but later stand their ground and fight back against the likes of the powerful and well connected land developer Ladd Devine. But once they flexed their political muscles as well as their trigger fingers Devine & Co. knew that they just didn't stand a chance!