denis888
John Milius has proved everybody here that he could do a real master work of art. This is a very good mini series and it is done without false jingoism, without bombastic pathos, without silly pretense, but with a gusto, with real zeal, with real impeccable taste and vigor. John fervently studied the sources and here we see a real candid picture of a very tragic start of Americano-Spanish war of 1898. The casting is so superb that even Mr. Maxwell with his unbeatable Gettysburg would have been jealous. I was very happy to see three of Gettysburg stars here, even four - Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Buck Taylor and a cameo of Patrick Gorman. And then, here are also such luminaries as Gary Busey, Chris Noth in his arguably best role and great late Brian Keith as President McKinley. Tom Berenger as Colonel Theodore Roovelt shines all the movie through - he is loud, clumsy, arrogant, funny, sluggish, but also smart, clever, brave, audacious and unmitigated. He is very good in military roles and here Tom proved it again, Sam Elliott is another great asset, his deep resonant voice and cold look make the film very decent. Brad Johnson as Henry Nash is another great victory here, he is cowardly at first, but clever and brave later then. The excellent music, soft humor, deep sympathy to common soldiers, spellbinding scenery, marvelous battle scenes all make this movie a real gem and a real must see for all History fans, like me. I am still under deepest impression. Great job!
Jack Goodspeed
Although clearly the most historically accurate and interesting film on this subject made thus far, there were some liberties taken.Henry Nash and his "compadre" are fictional characters but are very helpful in moving the plot along. The same is true of Chris Noth's character, Craig Wadsworth.Bucky O'Neil, properly spelled "Buckey O'Neill", was a real and important person both in, and before the battle. One of the most important people in the history of Arizona, he was actually buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full honors.William Tiffany died, probably of malaria, while awaiting transport from Cuba. He was not fatally injured in the battle.The Marshall character portrayed by William Katt is, most likely,a composite of correspondent Richard Harding Davis (1864-1916) and correspondent/photographer James H. "Jimmy" Hare (1856-1946). Both obviously survived the battle and become well known newsmen.
thomas-jensen1
I did enjoy the movie a great deal and was able to look past some of the historical errors, (hard for a military historian). One major point is the inclusion of Fredrick Funston in the film. Funston is truly a character worth a film of his own, small town Kansa boy (Iola, Ks) makes good. While he did fight in Cuba it was prior to the Spanish American War. He was recovering from wounds in the US at the time of the war. He did raise a volunteer regiment, the 20th Kansas that later saw action in the Philippines where Funston and Privates Trembly and White of the 20th Kansas all received the Medal of Honor. Funston was later a key player in the great San Fransico earthquake and on the Mexican border prior to WW I. He was slated to command all American forces in WWI when he died suddenly in 1916 in San Antonio. The command then went to Pershing.
