Non tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis Tempus eget.

"Not such aid nor such defenders does the time require" - Virgil

One would surmise that Sam Houston ascribed to this motto during the siege of the Alamo, if you believe Dennis Quaid's interpretation of the man. Houston undoubtedly knew that no victory could be won by rushing to the aid of his compadres surrounded by the Mexican troops and facing execution. The pain of that knowledge must have been excrutiating to Houston, one that I am sure he took to his grave, especially after reading this, a letter from Travis:

Commandancy of the Alamo
Bexar, Fby. 24th, 1836

To the People of Texas &
all Americans in the world
Fellow Citizens & Compatriots

I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrison are to be put to the sword if the fort is taken. I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender nor retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism, & of everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country.

Victory or Death
William Barret Travis
Lt. Col. Comdt.

Dennis Quaid portrayed the larger-than-life Houston a little too subdued, too one-dimensional. Perhaps the cutting room took most of the larger parts of Quaid's role, and thus, we are left with an unfinished portrait and more so a sketch. True, Houston was not at the Alamo, but very pivotal to the story. I see Sam Houston more akin to Prometheus, and the vulture most assuredly, Santa Anna. But, I am a native daughter of Texas, and tend to elevate these men to legendary heroic stature. Afterall, these are my heroes. Thankfully, "The Alamo" did not lessen their importance or mock them in my eyes.

Yes, I enjoyed the movie last evening and was especially good viewed at the new Rave theater with awesome dolby sound. While license was definitely taken, it didn't detract from the historical record too much. Did David Crockett play his fiddle on an embattlement of the Alamo and accompany the Mexican army musicians? Probably not, but it lent a great moment to the movie. One aspect of Crockett was portrayed acurately: Crocket was a crack marksman and using his Kentucky long rifle (the other Alamo defenders used less effective Mexican guns), often picked off Mexican soldiers at a great distance. Billy Bob's rendition of Crockett proved me wrong in my pre-viewing judgement. He is wonderful in the role, and provides the deepest character portrayal. Thumbs up to Billy Bob. As I mentioned, Quaid just is not Sam Houston in my mind's eye; a good actor, but not "big" enough to fill those shoes. Emilio Echevarria, as General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, was perfect as the pompous, barbaric Mexican leader. A soulful, sad Juan Seguin was played well by Jordi Molia; left me wishing Molia had gotten a larger part. A telling line in the movie spoken by Seguin: "...the enemy of my enemy is my friend", portends Seguin's tolerance, not love of the fierce Texians; later, Seguin would join the Mexican side during the U.S.- Mexican War. Jason Patric's, Jim Bowie, was good and perhaps played the man with a little more kindness than history imparts to Bowie.

All in all, John Lee Hancock directs a good story; one that did not offend my Texan blood. That is no small feat. Movies often spark my need for more information, and I will head off to the library to find more written material about these fellows whom I last visited in grade school. Now for the weeks to come, I, too, shall "Remember the Alamo!"