Best movie of this year hands down!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Captivating movie !

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Tough subject matter and too complex for your average Hollywood screenwriter. Big problem here is story focused on a film crew's 2 week experience with Pancho and not on say just Pancho or just the Revolution. This is a huge story with many players and much deception. and intrigue. You could have a series or a much more in depth movie to make it more interesting. Banderas performance was likable but stereotypical and demeaning in the traditional Hollywood attitude towards Mexicans of earlier times. Poncho in the movie was mostly poorly dressed, unshaven and generally dirty and greasy looking and talked like a gravelly uneducated person. This was not necessary and took away from the movie as you lost sympathy for the main character.

This film tracks very closely the content of the 1913 nitrate film of Dr. Charles A. Pryor "Associated Press Reporter and President, El Paso Feature Film Co." held by the Library of Congress as the AFI/Seffens Collection.The Banderas film credits Mary Pickford's long-time cameraman George Rosher as the cinematographer covering Villa's battles, although it appears there were a large number of foreign cameramen filming both Villa's rebel army and the Federal defenders, including Charles Pryor, with Rosher one of those confirming Pryor's cinematic efforts in the form of a notarization dated "Presidio, Texas, Jan 12, 1914."Pryor's effort "The Great Mexican War," was shown in theaters in San Francisco and Sacramento in April 1914 and later in Europe. I have jpgs of the original lobby posters if anyone is interested.

I've seen this film many times and have enjoyed it each time. HBO has done it again with this war film, early movies and mini series being: My House in Umbria and Angels in America. Loosely based on the revolutionary war hero in Mexico, Pancho Villa. The film is mostly the story of his war. After sending a message to American filmmakers to rights to actual battles filmed in order to support his war, D.W. Griffith (Actual film maker) sends a young assistant Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey)is sent to film. After being smuggled into the country, Frank gets his first look at the atrocities happening in early-1900's Mexico. Countless battles are fought and Pancho's 'crusade' brings him right to the impenetrable fortress, Torreon (actual battle site).The film smacks together war and early film-making into an entertaining, deep HBO film. Antonio Banderas was the perfect choice for Pancho and Eion Bailey held his ground. The parts of this film that fascinated me most was not the battles but the early filming techniques and rules. Set around 1915, the 2 hour film made, The Life of General Villa, is based on an actual movie made by Griffith called Birth of a Nation. Films did have to do with the war but not in the light put into the film. Villa actually attacked New Mexican lands after being given empty film canisters instead of gold. Pancho Villa is a true revolutionary hero attempting to free his people of the dictatorship in Mexico, overlooked by the US and other countries. And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself. Starring: Antonio Banderas, Eion Bailey, Alan Arkin, Jim Broadbent, and Matt Day.4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

As the blurb puts it - a story so improbable.....it must be true.... Set during the Mexican revolution of 1914 its the story of revolutionary hero Pancho Villa and his rather shrewd manipulation of the media - the Mutual Film Company led by the ever marvellous Jim Broadbent are contacted by Villa and offered to film the struggle.Star director DW Griffiths thinks its a great idea and Broadbent's nephew Frank Thayer(Eion Bailey) is dispatched south of the border with a bag containing $25 000 in gold as payment.Villa(Antonio Banderas) soon has them filming during actual battles and inspiring Frank with his dreams of a free Mexico. They return with the film but its fairly amateurish and gets laughed off screen - Frank somehow persuades his uncle to part with even more money and this time use actors like Raoul Walsh to play Villa and add some artistic licence to proceedings. There follows a very funny scene where Boradbent gets Villa to agree to only fight during the day(when they can film) and if they miss any battles to re-enact them for the cameras - Villa is appalled at the liberties taken with his lifes story but Frank explains its what the audience wants to see and will help his cause no end - something he needs as William Randolph Hearst's press empire is starting a campaign to get the US to invade Mexico to protect America's lifeblood - Oil.Its a great little movie - made by HBO its a TV movie but Bruce Beresford directs as if its for the big screen - epic adventure,lavish battles and romance all intermingle to great effect - Banderas is excellent as Villa - a bit of a ham who is far more savvy than he lets on - the scene where he plays himself as the aged El Presidente is priceless - it doesn't shy away from the cruelties of both sides either - in fact this cruelty is what finally drives the friendship between Frank and Villa apart - although the way its used in the final film is a more than ironic touch. Fine support from Broadbent and Alan Arkin as a machine-gunning Brooklyn Jew add to the rounded cast and its picked up a really good reputation on DVD and its easy to see why......