One Man's Hero (1999)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Lance Hool

Writer (WGA):

Milton S. Gelman (written by)

Release Date:

2 August 1999 (Ireland)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | Romance | War | Western

Tagline:

One man's hero is another man's traitor.

Plot:

"One Man's Hero" tells the little-known story of the "St. Patrick's Brigade" or "San Patricios," a group...

Plot Keywords:

1840s | Epic | Whipping | Branding Iron | Irish Catholic

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Tom Berenger	...	Sgt. / Lt. / Capt. John Riley
Joaquim de Almeida	...	Cortina
Daniela Romo	...	Marta
Mark Moses	...	Col. Benton Lacy
Stuart Graham	...	Cpl. Kenneally
Gregg Fitzgerald	...	Paddy Noonan
Don Wycherley	...	Brian Athlone
Wolf Muser	...	Cpl. Schultz
Luke Hayden	...	Seamus McDougherty
Ilia Volok	...	Daniel Grzbalski
Patrick Bergin	...	Gen. Winfield Scott
James Gammon	...	Gen. Zachary Taylor
Carlos Carrasco	...	Dominguez
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Capt. Gaine
Dermot Martin	...	Seamus Fitzgerald

Also Known As:

El batallón de San Patricio (Mexico)
Héroes sin patria (Spain)
Herois sense pàtria (Spain: Catalan title)

Runtime:

USA:121 min

Country:

Spain | USA | Mexico

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Coahuíla, Mexico

Company:

Arco Films S.L.

Trivia:

The final battle in the movie is the battle of Churubusco. Some facts are stretched about the battle and there are some errors.

Goofs:

Factual errors: General Winfield Scott, commanding general of the American forces, is shown wearing three stars on his epaulets signifying the rank of a Lieutenant General. At the time of the Mexican War (1846-1848) he wore the two stars of a Major General which was the highest rank in the United States Army at the time. He wouldn't wear three stars until 1856 when he was promoted to Lieutenant General, becoming the first American since George Washington to hold that rank.

Superbly told story.

I was fortunate to attend the premiere. Now I am trying to find out when OMH will be released to the SF Bay Area so that I can tell my friends to be sure to see it.

I am very familiar with writer Michael Hogan's work in both his The Irish Soldiers of Mexico and Molly Malone and the San Patricios. Michael is a superb poet too. I happen to know too that he served as a consultant on the troop movements, the uniforms, the flags etc. when the Hools were filming in Durango.

The film depicts a little known episode in the U.S.'s quest to dominate the northern hemisphere. We know that this quest was successful, but we also know that the price in blood was much higher than any of the proponents of Manifest Destiny ever dreamed.

The acting is superb. I especially liked Joaquim Alameda for his portrayal of a renegade patriot. I think there is another great story there that perhaps the Hools should do. What did happen to him? Did he spawn Zapata?

Finally, the score, the scenery, and the battle scenes were really well done. Pity the poor lads who had to pay even more than the price named in the Military Code of Justice. That was a shame, but we must remember their memory will live on forever. Even more so now that Lance and Conrad Hool have immortalized them on film.