The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez Reviews

Originally developed at Robert Redford's esteemed Sundance Institute, THE BALLAD OF GREGORIO CORTEZ recounts one of the most famous manhunts in Texas history. Gregorio Cortez (Olmos), a San Antonio cowhand, was arrested in 1901 in a case of mistaken identity. Because no one could properly translate into Spanish for him, Cortez fought back and accidentally slew a sheriff in what today might be deemed self-defense. Director Robert M. Young takes us on an 11-day manhunt as Cortez hightails it for Mexico, pursued by the legendary Texas Rangers and a small army of others, none of whom can catch the mercurial fugitive. The press made him a hero, but he turned himself in (after escaping several traps) when he learned that his family had been arrested and were being held as prisoners. Young uses flashbacks to present varying accounts of what happened. The original courthouse and jail where Cortez was held and tried lend authenticity to the setting, and the film provides a compelling historical representation of what life must have been like in the Southwest at the turn of the century, especially for Hispanic citizens and workers.