Film Review: Old Gringo (1989)

Few things illustrate Hollywood’s power as the way global perception of Mexican Revolution is almost exclusively built on American films (with possible exception of 1960s Italian film makers and their leftist re-interpretation of those events through so-called “Zapata Westerns”). This is hardly surprising, because the Revolution actually coincided with the birth of Hollywood, with many Hollywood pioneers actually fighting in Mexico as mercenaries or volunteers and revolutionary leader Pancho Villa actually using emerging American film industry for his own PR purposes. Hollywood films about Mexican revolution are, however, relatively rare in past few decades, and one of the last was Old Gringo, 1989 period epic directed by Luis Puenzo.

This film is one that provide a little bit more authenticity than others, because it was based on the novel by famed Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, itself inspired by real life events and unresolved mystery of disappearance of American writer Ambrose Bierce. The plot begins in 1913 Washington, D.C. where Harriet Winslow (played by Jane Fonda), spinster schoolteacher, finally decides to escape her oppressive and hypocritical surrounding for the sake of adventure and accept the job of governess at hacienda of wealthy aristocratic family in northern Mexico. When she arrives there, she finds hacienda to be battlefield in conflict between government troops and Pancho Villa’s revolutionaries led by General Tomas Arroyo (played by Jimmy Smits). The latter win and take control in hacienda and one unusual person who helped them is mysterious old American gentleman (played by Gregory Peck) who explains that he came to Mexico in order to die in war, seeing it preferable to dying from illness or old age. Both men find Harriet attractive and that creates tension, especially after Arroyo decides to stay on the hacienda, partially motivated by his own past and desire to settle personal scores. As times goes by, Arroyo, despite all of his revolutionary rhetoric, starts to behave like tyrannical and oppressive aristocrat and neglects his military duties, leading old American to try to shock some sense into him, with ultimately tragic results.

Old Gringo looks like all those “larger-than-life” epics that Hollywood used to make in 1950s and 1960s. Made possible by the stellar clout of Jane Fonda, who was Carlos Fuentes’ friend, it had very large budget which is quite visible in scenes that feature hundreds and thousands of extras, including rather spectacular combat. Luis Puenzo, Argentine director best known for winning Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with his drama The Official Story, handles those resources quite well, but seems too limited by the script he co-wrote with Aida Bortnik. First part of the film, which introduces characters and exotic setting of revolutionary Mexico where bloody conflict goes hand in hand with joie d’vivre, is much better than the second, which turns into overlong melodrama burdened by cheap Freudian psychology. One of the examples is long dance scene that almost looks almost as exhausting as roller skating in Heaven’s Gate. Biggest problem of the film is, however, the casting. Jane Fonda, then in her early 50ies and despite all the good work she did for women of her age in 1980s, simply isn’t that convincing as a femme fatale that would make two men make so many self-destructive decisions. Her performance suffers because she completely lacks chemistry with much younger Smits who does his best, but simply can’t overcome bad dialogue and characterisation. What ultimately rescues this film is Gregory Peck, veteran star of Hollywood’s golden age. He saw Old Gringo, just like the character he was playing, as an opportunity for his last hurrah on big screen and delivered another grand performance, easily displaying charisma, wisdom and gravitas, while at the same time making Ambrose Bierce look human and vulnerable. This wasn’t enough to prevent this film from turning into major box office flop, but Old Gringo, will all of its flaws, is good enough to be recommended for audience that appreciate old school Hollywood epics.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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