| For Greater Glory | |
|---|---|
 US Theatrical release Poster | |
| Directed by | Dean Wright |
| Written by | Michael James Love |
| Produced by | Pablo Jose Barroso |
| Starring | Andy García Oscar Isaac Catalina Sandino Moreno Santiago Cabrera Rubén Blades Bruce McGill Adrian Alonso Eva Longoria Peter O'Toole |
| Cinematography | Eduardo Martinez Solares |
| Edited by | Richard Francis-Bruce Mike Jackson |
| Music by | James Horner |
Production company | NewLand Films |
| Distributed by | ARC Entertainment (US) 20th Century Fox (Mexico) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 145 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million |
| Box office | $10,353,194 |
For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada, also known asCristiada and asOutlaws, is a 2012epichistoricalwardrama film[1] directed byDean Wright and written byMichael Love, based on the events of theCristero War.[2][3][4][5][6] It starsAndy García,Eva Longoria,Oscar Isaac,Rubén Blades,Peter O'Toole (in his last film appearance released in his lifetime), andBruce Greenwood. The film is the directorial debut for Wright, a veteran visual effects supervisor on films includingThe Two Towers (2002) andThe Return of the King (2003),[1] and was released on June 1, 2012.
The film opens with screen titles describing the anti-Catholic provisions of the1917 Constitution of Mexico. Civil war erupts when newly elected Mexican PresidentPlutarco Elías Calles (Rubén Blades) begins a violent crackdown against the country's Catholic faithful. The film depicts the carnage by showing churches being set on fire, Catholic priests murdered, and countless faithful peasants killed and having their bodies publicly hanged on telegraph poles as a warning to others.
The story shifts to Father Christopher (Peter O'Toole), a Catholicpriest, who is ruthlessly murdered by theFederales. A 13-year-old boy,José Luis Sánchez (Mauricio Kuri), witnesses the killing. Driven by love for his Faith and anger against the injustices committed against Fr. Christopher and the Church in Mexico, he joins the rebels, theCristeros ("soldiers for Christ") fighting against Calles. Their battle cry is "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" ("Long liveChrist the King"). The rebel leader, retired GeneralEnrique Gorostieta (Andy García), anagnostic, takes an interest in young José, who soon becomes his protégé. While fighting against theFederales, José is later captured in a firefight and tortured to force him to renounce his belief inGod. When he resolutely defends his faith, he is executed. The next year, Gorostieta is killed in a battle atJalisco after he becomes a Catholic. In 1929, however, agreements were made to restore religious freedoms. PopeBenedict XVIbeatified José in 2005, along with 12 other martyrs of the religious persecution.
The film is based onThe Cristero Rebellion, the 1976 chronicle of the war written by French historianJean Meyer who resides inMexico.[8]
The filming started in May 2010 and shot for 12 weeks. Production took place between 31 May 2010 and 16 August 2010. The film was shot inMexico City,Durango,Zacatecas,San Luis Potosí,Tlaxcala andPuebla. Including an ecological reserve,Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town ofSombrerete,Mexico.[9][10]
At one point the director recreates a famous photograph of the bodies of executed Cristeros hanging from telephone poles, but they are seen in the film from a moving train.
The film had a robust opening in Mexico taking first place in gross admissions at the box office, and second in total receipts, behindTitanic 3D. As of May 11, 2012, it had grossed $2.2 million.[8][11][12]
The film has received negative reviews, noting its performances and ambition but criticizing the screenplay and presentation of events. As of 2021, it holds a 35% rating onMetacritic based on 17 critics,[13] and a 20% rating onRotten Tomatoes based on 49 reviews.[14] The latter site states: "It has laudable aspirations, butFor Greater Glory ultimately fails to fulfill its goals due to an overstuffed script, thinly written characters, and an overly simplified dramatization of historical events."
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film two and a half stars, and concluded that "it is well-made, yes, but has such pro-Catholic tunnel vision I began to question its view of events."[15] Frank Scheck ofThe Hollywood Reporter criticized the film as being 'melodramatic' and 'overlong', but noted that 'Despite its profusion of violent battle sequences, the film is most effective in its quieter moments, such as the scenes in which Calles warily negotiates with the American ambassador (Bruce Greenwood) who is mainly intent on preserving U.S. oil interests'.[16] Nathan Rabin ofThe A.V. Club panned the film and called it, 'an endless, plodding educational tool of unusual bluntness and dull force, a blood-soaked primer on intolerance and religious persecution that would benefit from even the faintest tinge of moral ambiguity or narrative sophistication.'[17]
In more positive reviews,Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times described the film as an "old-fashioned, Hollywood-style epic" and said that it compared favorably to Christian mega-hits of the 1950s such asThe Robe. He was most satisfied withDean Wright, referring to his direction as "impressively spacious." The composerJames Horner also scored high marks for his score, which Holden found "uplifting without being syrupy" and which set an "inspirational mood."[18] Phil Boatwright of the "Baptist Press" called the film "a compelling, thoughtful homage to religious freedom" and said that it brought back memories ofEl Cid andA Man for All Seasons.[11]
According to Steven D. Greydanus of Decent Films,For Greater Glory may help to change the obscurity of the Cristero War in the United States. He observed that the film is "one of the most lavish and ambitious films ever produced in Mexico" and "a sweeping, handsome epic with strong performances, solid production values and magnificent locations across Mexico." However, like several other reviewers, he found the screenplay overbearing and would have liked to have seen more character development.[19]
The movie received the following awards and nominations:
AtALMA Awards 2012, got nominations:
AtAriel Awards 2013:
Nominated
AtImage Awards 2013:
Nominated
AtMovieguide Awards 2013
Won
Won
Nominated
Nominated
Mauricio Kuri[20]
