The Alamo Forever

John Wayne had an excellent director's eye.

Shot in luscious technicolor The Alamo is a good looking movie. The Texas prairie pops off the screen for the viewer, but is also well set in the background, almost as if it swallows up the characters.

Those characters are well costumed, especially the Mexican Army. Tell us again how the Duke didn't like Mexicans.

There's a bit of John Ford in Wayne's direction, which makes a lot of sense. Look at the scope in this shot:

One see's three layers of Alamo defenders and the Mexican Army in the background.

While the 2004 version of the Alamo, interesting on its own terms, is already receded, John Wayne's Alamo was filmed to last, to be viewed over and over again, and to be appreciated.