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One Man's Hero
It's a rare film indeed which can rival the epic sweep of Lance Hool's One Man's Hero, and you'll probably find yourself lost amid its stunning cinematography the minute you pop the disc into your DVD player. The tale, which is loosely based on a true story, recounts the adventures of a group of Irish soldiers, forced to fight for the United States during the Mexican-American War. However, after their supposed comrades persecute them for their religious beliefs, the group attempts to defect to the Mexican army. One Man's Hero succeeds as both a fine piece of narrative storytelling and a glorious reminder that deeply held beliefs are worth living — and dying — for. Watch the movie once for its beautiful visuals and riveting storyline, then play it again and marvel at the incredible editing by Mark Conte (the battle sequence stretching from 56:00 to 58:40 is particularly stunning and contains some of the finest editing to be seen in motion pictures). MGM's DVD offers both widescreen and pan-and-scan versions of the film — always a welcome touch, especially since both transfers are gorgeous. Regrettably, however, the disc contains no other special features, not even a trailer. But the lack of extra goodies does not diminish the raw power of the movie itself, which is well worth a spin. Braveheart admittedly is a better film, but One Man's Hero is a worthy companion piece.
—Joe Barlow
