When
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States was aroused
to respond to unprovoked aggression. When the United States
performed a similar act of aggression against México in 1846
and marched triumphantly in México City in 1848, world public
opinion was not mobilized against Washington. The Mexican
War has been forgotten north but not south of the border-at
least not until the release of One Man's Hero,
directed by Lance Hool. The film focuses on one fighting unit
in that war -- the San Patricio Battalion, named for St. Patrick.
The San Patricios were Irish who left the potato famine in
Ireland to go to the United States, where they were promised
American citizenship if they joined the army. But not all
were given citizenship, and they were flogged for attending
Catholic mass along with Mexicans when they were assigned
to a post on the border. Some 500 Irish then decided to defect
to México, but President James Polk launched aggression against
México in pursuit of "manifest destiny" soon after they resettled,
whereupon they were granted Mexican citizenship in exchange
for their services as soldiers fighting for México. The leader
of the San Patricios is Captain John Reilley (played by Tom
Berenger), whose loyalty to México is assured when he falls
in love with Marta (played by Daniela Romo). After heroic
battle with the Americans, the San Patricios who have not
died in the war are eventually captured, tried, and convicted
of treason. The film also contrasts the conduct of two American
generals -- the brutal Winfield Scott (played by Patrick Bergin)
and the more honorable Zachary Taylor (played by James Gammon),
but Scott prevails over Taylor by executing the surviving
San Patricios except for Reilley, whose cheeks were instead
branded with the letter "D" for "deserter." One Man's
Hero should shock American audiences into understanding
why gringos are hated in México. Produced with funding from
México and Spain, the Spanish title Héroes sin patria
(Heroes Without a County) is certainly more dramatic and meaningful
than the enigmatic One Man's Hero, but neither
title gives sufficient attention to the brave Irish who were
a credit to their ancestry, reciting poetry in the prelude
to defeat in battle. However, the film might have made even
more impact if it pointed out that Henry David Thoreau developed
his theory of civil disobedience to explain why he refused
to pay taxes to support the war, and that Abraham Lincoln
actively opposed the war as a member of Congress at the time.
It is simply too late to indict President Polk and General
Scott for war crimes but perhaps not too late for an American
president to apologize to México, though the United States
is unlikely to return Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico,
and Utah as Yugoslav forces were forced to retreat from Kosovo.
The two-year delay from completion of the film to general
release in Hollywood speaks volumes about the controversial
nature of the film, which the Political Film Society has nominated
for three awards -- as an exposé and a film raising consciousness
of the need to improve human rights and to resolve conflicts
peacefully. MH
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