
In this fictionalized biography, young Pancho Villa takes to the hills after killing an overseer in revenge for his father's death. In 1910, he befriends American reporter Johnny Sykes. Then a meeting with visionary Francisco Madero transforms Villa from an avenging bandit to a revolutionary general. To the tune of 'La Cucaracha,' his armies sweep Mexico. After victory, Villa's bandit-like disregard for human life forces Madero to exile him. But Madero's fall brings Villa bac... (Full plot summary below)
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In this fictionalized biography, young Pancho Villa takes to the hills after killing an overseer in revenge for his father's death. In 1910, he befriends American reporter Johnny Sykes. Then a meeting with visionary Francisco Madero transforms Villa from an avenging bandit to a revolutionary general. To the tune of 'La Cucaracha,' his armies sweep Mexico. After victory, Villa's bandit-like disregard for human life forces Madero to exile him. But Madero's fall brings Villa back to raise the people against a new tyrant...
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| Ozus' World Movie ReviewsDennis SchwartzIt might be the hammy Beery's best movie role ever. |
| EmanuelLevy.ComEmanuel LevyThough Jack Conway gets creit, it's Howard Hawks who's responsible for this exciting biopic of the legendary revolutionary leader, well played by Wallace Beery, and one of MGM's biggest hits of 1934. |
| Goatdog's MoviesMichael W. Phillips, Jr.In casting the homely Wallace Beery as one of the heroes of the Mexican Revolution, Hollywood announced its intentions: they weren't going to take it seriously. |
| User ReviewKayla KIf this movie could be less shooting on horse back it would be hilarious because Pancho Villa is a comedic genius. Shut up, ....please. |
| User ReviewByron BA bit of a bore. However, the worst movie in 1934 is probably 10x better than that raking in big bucks at the theatre tonight. |
| User ReviewBrian HThe main reason to see the film is to see the always fascinating Wallace Beery. It's the epic history of Pancho Villa, from his childhood when his father is killed to his life as a bandit to his friendship with an American newspaper man to his partnership with Mexican leader Francisco Madero. The film plays sort of like a history lesson with way too many titles to fill in the historical background. It grew a bit tiresome and I lost interest early on. But I still enjoyed Beery's lovable, gruff Villa and the excitement from the chanting of "La Cucaracha" and his signature "Shut up!" response. I'd only recommend this for Beery or for someone who is very interested in Mxican history. |
| User ReviewKaren JPretty sure this film is not completely accurate historically but interesting nonetheless. Wallace Beery is great as the bandit who fought for the peons, Pancho Villa. Pancho is depicted as a violent, illiterate with a love for Mexico and a Robinhood complex. Overall worth watching. |
| User ReviewGreg WThe life of the famous Mexican bandit and revolutionary is told in this exciting action drama. |
| User ReviewSimon DWallace Beery plays Villa as a stereotype which takes away from the role that Pancho Villa played in the history of Mexico and frankly makes them all a bit ignorant for following him. We need a more accurate portrayal. |
| User ReviewLes EJam-packed with racist b.s., this reminded me of the original Scarface in a bad way. This lacks that film's great focus and drive. Beery's portrayal is equally crude and self-contradictory, but less overtly cro-magnon than Muni's. Villa is depicted alternately as a coward, homicidal bully, rapist, and pitiable hero. The symbolism is driven into the ground. This pastiche has nothing to do with any specific stereotype or revisionist agenda, but is just erratic and broad. There are some great battle scenes thanks to Wellman, and many nice establishing shots no doubt left over from Hawks remaining footage. But Conway carries the show, in ham-handed fashion. A few interesting sequences carry it along, and interesting portrayals of the media and foreign powers. But it's largely a failed, moralistic epic of racism too lacking in any real knowledge of it's subject to distort or inflate. |