Purely Joyful Movie!

Great Film overall

Excellent adaptation.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The film hijacks a complex social conflict and turns it into a David and Goliath story of good guys versus bad. In so doing, it whitewashes the historically reactionary role of the Catholic Church in Mexico. One cannot imagine how such an approach would convince or educate any viewer, including those not at all familiar with the history of this conflict. As befits a one-dimensional propaganda film, the performances are mostly flat and cartoonish.It is ironic that a movie that purports to represent a popular struggle in defense of religion pointedly ignores the main protagonists: the peasants themselves, both as individuals and in their collective action. Throughout the movie, neither the peasant forces, nor the government soldiers that are sent against them are ever depicted as real human beings.This movie's celebration of faith and charisma—reduced to the cry 'Long Live Christ the King!'—is a crude effort to obscure the underlying class conflicts that gave rise to the real Cristeros, a social movement that is not widely understood .... Victorious in the Mexican Revolution, the Constitutionalist Army, led by Venustiano Carranza, Álvaro Obregón and Calles, had defeated the peasant armies of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. The new regime was incapable of resolving a central issue over which the Revolution had been fought, the redistribution of land.The slow and erratic pace of land distribution under Carranza, Obregón and Calles confirmed to the peasantry the military government's timidity in confronting the large and powerful landowners. The immense properties of the church constituted an important source of economic stagnation and social instability. Efforts in the 19th century to force the church to rent out its land to others, let alone to surrender ownership, met with fierce opposition.According to historian Jesús Silva Herzog the peasantry and the working class confronted a "demonic triumvirate:" the great landowners, the military, and the Church. "Three tragic words define Mexican history: haciendas, sacristy and barracks." Lacking a revolutionary party and isolated from the workers, the rebellion of Mexican peasants was hobbled by the Catholic Church. Desperate peasant and Indians threw themselves into battle during the Cristero War ideologically imprisoned by Catholic dogma.Had the Cristero War merely pitted the government of President Calles against the Catholic establishment, it is unlikely that the unprecedented brutality—the mass repression of peasants, the burning and looting of their towns—would have taken place. Historically, ruling classes reserve this kind of gross brutality to the rebellion of the most oppressed: peasants, workers or slaves.

There's no doubt that the subject matter of "For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada" - the Cristeros War of Mexico in the late 1920s - could make for an interesting and even entertaining movie. But to tell the truth, I felt kind of unsatisfied at the end. One of the most expensive Mexican movies made (though low budget by Hollywood standards), I will say that the movie (for the most part) looks pretty good. But the movie is saddled with a substandard script. The movie is both too long and not long enough. It unfolds at a pretty slow pace, and there are a number of scenes that could have been eliminated. But at the same time, it doesn't go into detail enough on a number of important points. The motivations of the characters are more often than not vague, and there are a number of unanswered questions for those unfamiliar with this part of Mexican history. While I wouldn't call this movie terrible, it is unsatisfying. Though on a positive note, it will probably get you to do some research about this conflict.

What strikes me most about Dean Wright's directorial debut are the ever present contradictions. 'For greater glory' naturally brings to mind brave warriors, glorified figures of history and that certain aura achieved through cinematic means. Surely, one would expect those characters to be so noble, so brave, so unique whose more earthly cry "FREEDOM" brings our tensed emotions to climactic crescendo. However, the assumption proves wrong as the characters offer us a more profound cry of their cause filled with piety and evangelical radicalism: "Long live Christ the King!" Is it the ideal that humans are ready to live for, fight for and die for? Perhaps in the first century persecutions but in the 20th century after the death of God had been acclaimed? Isn't that a historical irony but also a historic moment when we view this film based on THE CRISTERO REBELLION by a historian Jean Meyer? While considering reviews, one could draw an intriguing conclusion: film scholars seem to like its artistic aspects, its scale of undertaking but never make any particular indication of their straightforward enthusiasm towards its explicit religious references. Among highly positive remarks, Stephen Holden of the New York Times regards the film's grandeur as "impressively spacious" comparing this Mexican production to Hollywood's greatest epics; Phil Boatwright refers to the film as "homage to religious freedom." And yet, film scholars also appear to be in contradictions to one another. Among less positive reviews, Roger Ebert criticizes the movie as having too strong "pro-Catholic tunnel vision;" and Lauren Markoe of Religion News Service observes its "battle to preserve religious freedom." Yet, Steven D. Greydanus, addressing various aspects, especially its theme "far too little known" calls CRISTIADA "the right movie at the right time." Is it reasonable, though, to be politically incorrect and let oneself follow the footsteps of 'straightforward' enthusiasts? Along with its solid production, great cinematography, overwhelming shots in Mexico's beauties, including Tlaxcala, Puebla and haunting score by James Horner hailed by Stephen Holden as "uplifting without being syrupy," Dean Wright's film is a truly epic scale production. But what may strike a more subtle viewer most is its explicit profoundity. I allow myself for that contradictory phrase because it seems to resemble the core idea of the director's point. This strength lies in its characters. CRISTIADA manages to capture spirituality within the very concrete medium that cinema is, reflects Christian motifs and displays them explicitly in order to affect diverse audiences.Actually, this very point is best resembled in the opening words...somewhere in between 'poles apart' lies human heart which is marked by various ideas being at war within the walls of its perceptions. Skipping the entire political context of the time, the masonic policies, McGivney's Knights of Columbus, Mexico's relations with the USA (though memorably personified by Ambassador Dwight Morrow) and Mexico's president, the Nero-like "anti-Christ" Plutarco Elias Calles (played by Ruben Blades... perhaps the only character who is not allowed for any complex, implicit portrayal of human being - he is simply bound to be evil), the characters face unbelievable tribulations. Christians, as a matter of fact, no less the victims, the scapegoats of the story than in supreme epics like QUO VADIS, are the peacemakers and yet, they are depicted by means of great contradiction between two priests whose ideas stand in utter contrast: Father Christopher (Peter O'Toole) and Father Vega (Santiago Cabrera). While the former one, the figure of "kindness and heroic virtue" (Greydanus) played magnificently by Peter O'Toole with his characteristic charm and effective psychological input does not believe in war and indefatigably follows his Lord, the Prince of Peace, the latter one, pope Julius II's figure alike, resorts to fighting. Out of necessity or with slight fanciness? Something intriguing for a debate...Those two priests surely have followers, their brothers in soul who instill totally different understanding of a victory blessed Anacleto Gonzalez Flores (Eduardo Verastegui) who clearly echoes Father Christopher with his peaceful resistance (here, a mention must be made of female characters committed to the cause and represented best by Adriana); Victoriano Ramirez (Oscar Isaacs) nicknamed "El Catorce" - "the 14" with whom one must win respect of toughness, readiness to kill all the enemies among the Federales. Is there anything that may unite them? Within the suffering of hearts, torments and quests, there is a piece of white bread lifted up by the priest, bread which becomes the Body and Blood of Christ, the source of relief and strength for the journey of faith.The incarnation of torments is General Enrique Gorostieta played by Andy Garcia, practically the leading character among the adults. Most viewers will probably identify with him because his storyline is that of a real journey: from a skeptical veteran of two wars, sick and tired of living memories as "general-turned-businessman" (Greydanus), a soap manufacturer, he is ready for a challenge and undergoes development. Can he rise for greater glory? Can he, as an atheist, transcend into a believer in a cry "Long live Christ the King!" In all this, he is a believer of something timeless - freedom. And that is what he fights for with honor and dignity. His journey towards faith is filled with horns of doubt especially when one boy's innocent death leads him to dark storms of soul.The boy character inspires him, leaves us in reflective awe, touches the hearts of the brave, surprises the learned, ridicules idols, brings to shame materialists with his youthful enthusiasm and pure love - Jose - one of such characters who TRULY make those films authentic and brings genuine tears. He could have been a devoted altar boy, yet, destiny led him elsewhere...to being a martyr and bravely go home. If there is any victory, it belongs to those relatively unknown heroes whose crown is the cross engraved deeply in land with their innocent blood.I wish you profound experience

With a meta-critic rating of 35 and a user score of 72 you can assure that there is something fishy going on with the ratings of this movie.This movie, if it can even be called one, is actually a two hour plus piece of propaganda from the religious right (yes, we have one in Mexico) to try to justify the actions of a group of people who started refusing state provided secular education and was handled very poorly by the government.Of course the movie never mentions the numbers of teachers that were assassinated by the cristeros, which started the reaction by Calles' government.Not worth wasting your time on it.