"One Man's Hero" tells the little-known story of the "St. Patrick's Battalion" or "San Patricios," a group of mostly Irish and other immigrants of the Catholic faith who deserted to Mexico ... See full summary »
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"One Man's Hero" tells the little-known story of the "St. Patrick's Battalion" or "San Patricios," a group of mostly Irish and other immigrants of the Catholic faith who deserted to Mexico after encountering religious and ethnic prejudice in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. The plot centers around the personal story of John Riley, an Irishman who had been a sergeant in the American Army who is commissioned as a captain in the Mexican army and commands the battalion, as he leads his men in battle and struggles with authorities on both sides of the border. Written by
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In John Riley's first scene as a San Patricio he asks their names to other Irish soldiers. When he asks his name to James Kelly, Riley asks him if he has any experience, and Kelly answers that he has been in His Majesty Royal Artillery. Riley replies with "Good experience, but there is no royalty here" to what Kelly answers "Yes, sir". Kelly is played by Prince Albert of Monaco, a member of the Royal family of Monaco. See more »
Goofs
General Winfield Scott, commanding general of the American forces, is shown wearing three stars on his epaulets signifying the rank of a Lieutenant General. At the time of the Mexican War (1846-1848) he wore the two stars of a Major General which was the highest rank in the United States Army at the time. He wouldn't wear three stars until 1856 when he was promoted to Lieutenant General, becoming the first American since George Washington to hold that rank. See more »
This is one of the most powerfully moving films I've ever seen. Maybe it does lack some technical expertise, but I got so totally lost in the storyline, I didn't notice that. This film is precisely what I appreciate so much about Tom Berenger: it seems that Tom Berenger can take a small episode of history and make it memorable--so memorable, in fact, that I've seen this movie only twice, but scenes from it keep playing in my mind.
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This is one of the most powerfully moving films I've ever seen. Maybe it does lack some technical expertise, but I got so totally lost in the storyline, I didn't notice that. This film is precisely what I appreciate so much about Tom Berenger: it seems that Tom Berenger can take a small episode of history and make it memorable--so memorable, in fact, that I've seen this movie only twice, but scenes from it keep playing in my mind.