And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Antonio Banderas stars as Pancho Villa in the true story of how the Mexican revolutionary cut a deal with a U.S. film company to make a movie of his exploits.

His goal was simple: To help finance his rag-tag army (he asked for $20,000 in gold for the right to film) and to improve his image in the U.S.

Eion Bailey plays the young film executive sent to Mexico on the dangerous mission to film war in progress for the first time ever. But the first film doesn’t exactly go over very well.

Bailey, momentarily fired, convinces his boss to try again. He’s convinced Pancho could be box office gold if they can surround battle footage with the story of his life and rise to power.

So he returns to Mexico, this time with a director, an actress to play Pancho’s mother, an actress to play his sister and a young actor (Raoul Walsh) to play Pancho as a young man.

He also has a contract that calls for the filmmakers to be consulted on all battle plans and forbids night attacks. After all, cameras of the day couldn’t film those.

Antonio Banderas as Pancho in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Alexa Davalos as Teddy Sampson in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Review:

An HBO movie marked by brilliant battle scenes and a fiery performance by Antonio Banderas in the lead role.

At the time, it was the most expensive two-hour TV film ever made ($30 million). Was it worth the expense? Well, it certainly portrays an interesting episode in the history of filmmaking, but the story might leave you wanting more … of something.

In the end, Pancho is something of an enigma to Bailey, the man responsible for portraying him so favorably on film. Pancho is fearless and charismatic. He’s something of a Robin Hood with his take from the rich and give to the poor approach to governing.

But he’s also a leader who will send woman and children into battle, and won’t hesitate to kill a woman in cold blood when she complains about her husband being executed by Pancho’s men.

Alexa Davalos plays Teddy Sampson, an actress with whom Bailey has a fleeting romance. Alan Arkin nearly steals the show as a mercenary fighting for Pancho. And Kyler Chandler plays the young Raoul Walsh.

Alan Arkin as Sam Drebben in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Eion Bailey as Frank Thayer in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Directed by:
Bruce Beresford

Cast:
Antonio Banderas … Pancho Villa
Eion Bailey … Frank Thayer
Alan Arkin … Sam Drebben
Jim Broadbent … Harry Aitken
Matt Day … John Reed
Michael McKean … William Christy Cabanne
Colm Feore … D.W. Griffith
Alexa Davalos … Teddy Sampson
Anthony Head … William Benton
Kyler Chandler … Raoul Walsh
Saul Rubinek … Eli Morton
Cosme Alberto … Abraham Sanchez
Damien Alcazar … Gen. Rodolfo Fierro
Pedro Armendariz Jr. … Don Luis Terrazas
Fernando Becerril … Priest

Runtime: 112 min.

Kyler Chandler as Raoul Walsh in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Michael Mckean as Wiliam Christy Cabanne in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Memorable lines:

Frank Tayer, about Pancho: “I’ve never seen anybody like him.”
Sam Drebben: “There isn’t anyone like him, sonny boy. If there was, he’d blow their brains out.”

Pancho Villa, holding two reels of film: “This is the battle?”
Frank Thayer: “Yes.”
Villa: “So much death. Two little circles. Magic.”

Director Cabanne, about Pancho: “I mean, really. Mary Pickford doesn’t take this long in makeup.”
Thayer: “Mary Pickford isn’t running a revolution on the side.”

Pancho Villa: “It is easy to be a president in a movie. In a movie, Pancho Villa could be pope.”

Pancho Villa: “Go home, Frank. Go where to be born is to be equal. The children of Mexico are not yet so lucky.”

Alexa Davalos as Teddy Sampson in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)

Antonio Banderas as Pancho in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)