For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada (**1/2)

Sometimes movies are a nice way to get a primer on a less-known historical event, and I confess my ignorance about Mexico’s Cristero War of 1926–1929. This followed President Plutarco Elias Calles’s attempts to enforce strict rules against the Catholic Church, including criticism of the government by priests and the wearing of clerical vestments in public. Understandably, the drama is presented from the point of view of the rebels and their “fight for freedom,” as the opening titles put it. There are no subtitles, as the dialogue is all in English.

Primarily, the story focuses on Enrique Gorostieta Velarde (Andy Garcia), a general with atheistic leanings hired to lead the scattered rebels. Other segments follow one of the female contingent of Cristeros (Catalina Sandino Moreno) who transported ammunition and other equipment; President Calles (Rubén Blades) and his efforts to contain the rebels; a barely teenage boy swayed to the rebel cause by an elderly priest (Peter O’Toole); and a few of the other Cristero leaders, who included priests. Eva Longoria has a small role as the general’s devout wife. Although O’Toole lifts his few scenes, and I enjoyed watching Bruce Greenwood, as the American ambassador, negotiate with the Mexican president, most of the strongest sequences are with Garcia. The exceptions are the ones in which he forms a father-son bond with the boy. Although not as corny as it could have been, this relationship is the most obviously fictionalized thing about a movie that simplifies, but does seem to be basically accurate as to the important facts about the rebellion.

What it doesn’t do is present a historical context or explain why the president believed that the Church needed to be suppressed. It is clearly meant to be inspirational, and even if the historical figures portrayed here had all been as uniformly heroic and brave as is presented, what is inspirational is not always compelling. However, in this case it is at least competent, and, under first-time director Dean Wright, a veteran visual effects producer, it’s always nice to look at, including the brief but frequent battle scenes.

IMDb link

viewed 5/23/12 7:00 pm at Ritz East [PFS screening] and reviewed 5/23/12