History--Alamo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History--Alamo - Essay Example People with a strong knowledge of the historical events at the Alamo were also able to point inaccuracies in parts of the film (McCrisken & Pepper, 2005 p. 22). The earlier Western films starring John Wayne such as Rio Bravo, Fort Apache, and also Rio Grande were in many ways typical examples of the milieu of the Western, and how that genre portrayed the white settlement of the Western states during the 19th century. These motion pictures were not however generally based upon actual historical events (McCrisken & Pepper, 2005 p. 23). John Wayne often played the role of the brave gunfighter attempting to make things better, or the lawman fighting (often alone) the less savoury gunfighters that brought anarchy to the West. John Wayne in the majority of his Western roles plays heroic characters from his youth in Fort Apache through to his later middle age in films such as True Grit (Carter, 2008 p. 83). Occasionally the milieu of the Western would throw up a film that intended to be a highly accurate portrayal of real life historical events, such as The Alamo, starring and also directed by John Wayne. Though John Wayne was not overtly attempting to be very patriotic the film arguably generates the ideological meaning that the successful breakaway of Texas from Mexico was a significant event in the history of the United States itself. As well as a beneficial development for the people of Texas because they escaped the misrule of the Mexicans and went on to gain greater freedom as part of the United States (Carter, 2008 p. 166). Naturally enough John Wayne cast himself as the main figure in the story, Davy Crockett, the man that American folklore most readily identifies with the brave resistance against the Mexican army despite being heavily outnumbered, and easily overcome in the end. The Alamo was made during the golden era of the milieu of the Western, its