THE BALLAD OF GREGORIO CORTEZ (1st America Film Festival, 1992)
Robert M. Young
The film recalls the greatest manhunt in Texas history and tells of a pistol duel between cowboy Gregorio Cortez and a Texas sheriff, during which the sheriff dies. A linguistic misunderstanding is the cause. Mexican compatriots help Gregorio on his escape, during which, however, he is confronted by his pursuers before crossing the Rio Grande, arrested and imprisoned. In June 1901 a Texan sheriff kills the brother of Mexican farm worker Gregorio Cortez Lira due to mistranslation of a testimony. In self-defence Cortez shoots the sheriff and flees. After that Cortez isn`t unknown anymore and six hundred Texas Rangers hunt him across the whole country. His escape and capture became symbol of the resistance of the Mexican immigrants and are legendary up to the present day.
USA 1983; Regie: Robert M. Young; Buch: Villasenor, nach der Biographie „With His Pistol in His Hand“ von Américo Paredes; Kamera: Ray Villalobos; Musik: Michael Lewis, Edward James Olmos; DarstellerInnen: Edward James Olmos, James Gammon, Tom Bower u.a.; (35mm; Farbe; 99min; englisch-spanische ORIGINALFASSUNG MIT DEUTSCHEN UNTERTITELN).
