One Man's Hero

"One man's hero is another man's traitor."

1999 2h 1m EN

😐

5.4

MID

★5.4TMDB · 23

WesternActionDramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

One Man's Hero tells the little-known story of the "St. Patrick's Battalion" or "San Patricios," a group of mostly Irish and other immigrants of the Catholic faith who deserted to Mexico after encountering religious and ethnic prejudice in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. The plot centers around the personal story of John Riley, an Irishman who had been a sergeant in the American Army who is commissioned as a captain in the Mexican army and commands the battalion, as he leads his men in battle and struggles with authorities on both sides of the border

“One man's hero is another man's traitor.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Tom Berenger
Captain John Riley
Joaquim de Almeida
Cortina
Daniela Romo
Marta
Mark Moses
Col. Benton Lacy
Stuart Graham
Corporal Kenneally
Gregg Fitzgerald
Paddy Noonan
Don Wycherley
Brian Athlone
Wolf Muser
Cpl. Schultz

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lance Hool
Writers: Milton S. Gelman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Mexico, Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United States of America, Mexico, Spain.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lance Hool, shot by João Fernandes. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ernest Troost. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mark Conte shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tom Berenger and Joaquim de Almeida and Daniela Romo carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "One man's hero is another man's traitor.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0120775 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lance Hool directs. João Fernandes behind the camera. Ernest Troost scores. Mark Conte cuts. Produced in United States of America, Mexico, Spain. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

127 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 3 countries: United States of America, Mexico, Spain.
3Directed by Lance Hool, shot by João Fernandes. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ernest Troost. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mark Conte shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Tom Berenger and Joaquim de Almeida and Daniela Romo carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "One man's hero is another man's traitor.".
8IMDB entry: tt0120775 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 23 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: João Fernandes
Original score: Ernest Troost
Editing: Mark Conte
Production design: Peter Wooley
Costume design: Matthew Jacobsen
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: One Man's Hero (1999)

Also by

Lance Hool

Community reviews

What people are saying

SPDonlan2024-07-20
Terrific material; terrible movie. By the nineteenth century, Irish catholic soldiers had centuries of experience abroad, in the service of the British Empire, as well as in continental armies and across South America. Here, the St Patrick's Battalion, a largely Irish unit, defends Mexico in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). There are complex subjects here – American imperialism and racism, patriotism and pan-religious loyalties – all in the period of the Great Famine (1845-1852). But the film is so melodramatic, so poorly produced, directed, and acted, that it’s difficult to trust any of it, even by the standards of historical accuracy in film.

Production companies