Old Gringo (1989)

★★
Old Gringo is a movie so full of half-baked ideas that I gave up trying to find reason in the motives of its characters. There are scenes that are oddly disjointed, as if something was left out that would provide a better explanation. The movie is not helped by Jane Fonda's allure or Gregory Peck's commanding presence. In the absence of these two actors, Old Gringo would have turned out a lot worse.

The movie takes place during the Mexican Revolution, a bloody era during which revolting Mexicans sought the ousting of President Porfirio Diaz and the establishment of a new constitution. In Washington D.C., writer Ambrose Bierce (Peck) is the speaker at a convention of writers. Instead of explaining his methods and offering insight, he rips into everyone and walks out. Harriet Winslow (Fonda) was at the convention, but she did not see his face. Later, we learn that she has accepted a job in Mexico, teaching children on a hacienda. Her goal is to accomplish something that she never thought she could before. That's the extent of her explanation, and it isn't much for us to get interested.

At the hacienda, she is thrown into the middle of a shoot-out. General Tomas Arroyo (Jimmy Smits) takes over the place and establishes his base there. Life pretty much continues as normal. Winslow doesn't leave, for some unexplained reason. Perhaps she is drawn to Arroyo, or maybe the coincidental presence of Ambrose Bierce has something to do with her decision.

Arroyo became involved in the revolution because his mother was raped by the hacienda's previous owners, and he wants to make Mexico a safe place. Bierce is on a personal quest. He vowed to a long-ago lover that he would one day write a poem so beautiful that it would inspire tears in everyone who read it. He figures that being in the middle of the revolution will inspire him. He even wants to ride with Pancho Villa. Winslow, on the other hand, doesn't have a convincing reason to stay. She is attracted to Arroyo, even though he's a really nasty person.

There is some nice cinematography in the film. The Mexican countryside is a vast place, and we see the beauty in the desert landscape. The look of the film isn't enough to save it, though. Improbable situations and unconvincing chemistry are the main problems with Old Gringo.

© 2000 Silver Screen Reviews