Last night I was introduced to an obscure piece of Mexican history, courtesy of Netflix. For Greater Glory (2012) is the story of a Catholic uprising against the government of President Calles, an atheist who tried to eradicate religion, dubbing it superstition and fanaticism. So embarrassed were Mexican officials by this that it was never taught in schools and was virtually forgotten. The film was bashed by many critics, who did not like the heavy Catholic bias. I wonder if their real objection is that some people are actually willing to give their lives for their faith. I enjoyed the film, with reservations. I sat through the entire 2:20 without interruption. Andy Garcia stars. Many familiar faces are in supporting roles: Eva Longoria, Bruce Greenwood, Bruce, McGill, Ruben Blades as Calles. The oddest bit of casting is Peter O’Toole, a former hell-raiser, as an old priest. Great artist that he is, he carries it off wonderfully. I was shocked at his uncanny resemblance to an elderly female acquaintance of mine. The Cristeros Revolt, at first political, erupted in violence from 1926-29, and ended with a diplomatic truce, although Calles subsequently executed 5500 of the rebels. He remained in power until the mid 30’s and was exiled in ‘36. Apparently, he won. The film makes it seem the rebels did. Two of its stalwarts were portrayed as modern action heroes are, killing machines. I have no idea how accurate the story is historically, but I’m glad I was made aware of this heinous chapter in history. The film is not merely pro-Catholic, it’s pro-freedom. It’s hard to believe a President would try such a thing in a country dominated by Catholics. Then again, why would any oppression be a surprise, given the arrogance of human monsters through the ages? Dean Wright, who previously specialized in visual effects, sat in the director’s chair for the first time. Michael Love wrote the screenplay. I thank them and the producers for bringing the story to light. On a scale of five, three. It is rated six of ten at IMDb. Devout Catholics likely will love it. Viva Cristo Rey!
My thanks to Bad News Billy, who visited the floating book shop today and bought a bunch of chick lit for his rebellious grand-daughter - and overpaid. Actor-singer extraordinaire Johnny Feets also made an appearance. He will be heading home to upstate New York tomorrow for dinner with his siblings, four brothers and three sisters. Imagine the stampede in that household on past Christmas mornings! John, the baby of the family, turned 42 yesterday. Happy Birthday, buddy.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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