Classic Movie Review: 'The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez'

The tragic story of The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez remains legend in Texas more than 100 years later. A simple error in translation between a sheriff and a man accused of stealing horses led to multiple deaths and the largest manhunt in Texas history at the time. Director Robert M. Young adapted the story of Gregorio Cortes with the help of star Edward James Olmos in a lovely, muted fashion that underlines how remarkable tragedy can arise simply from our inability to communicate effectively.

Gregorio Cortez (Edward James Olmos) was a quiet farmer in Gonzales, Texas until the day a sheriff arrived and accused him of stealing a horse. The events from then on are retold from multiple perspectives with details that change via the man telling the story. The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez unfolds in the familiar style of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo and turns importantly on the way perspective and bias can affect the truth.

After Gregorio Cortez shot a Sheriff named Morris, he went on the run and his skills as a horseman and his desperation for escape led him to elude capture for days and hundreds of miles despite the pursuit of some 600 men, led by the Texas Rangers. By the time the manhunt ended, two more people, including another sheriff, would be dead but the truth of how these men died will remain a mystery open to the conjecture and bias of both sides.

Director Robert M. Young directed The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez in 1982 following a career that was of little distinction. His only other slightly well-known film was a bizarre Paul Simon vehicle called One Trick Pony, a movie that served as much as an ad for a Paul Simon record as it did an actual movie. The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez was something of a revelation for Young who flashes a good deal of talent here despite never before or after showing a similar touch.

The cinematography of The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez is gorgeous, crafting an authentic western feel that is organic yet still stands out for its harsh beauty. Cinematographer Reynaldo Villalobos had a long career in Hollywood including such hits as 9 to 5 and Urban Cowboy but he would never reach the artistic heights he reached in The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez again. This is perhaps a function of having a better story and locations than he would see for the remainder of his career.

The Criterion Blu-Ray release only serves to enhance the work of both Young and Villalobos whose work is even more remarkable when you consider that The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez was not a mainstream feature film but a made for television presentation to air on PBS stations in the early 1980’s. The film nevertheless has the look and feel of a feature film and arguably looks as good as any 80’s feature film.

Edward James Olmos delivers a remarkable performance as Cortez, capturing the quiet man who would become an unintended martyr and legend and a desperate, sad, resourceful and remorseful killer. It’s a deeply affecting performance especially considering that he wins our sympathy without many in the audience, myself included, understanding what he’s saying. The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez does not subtitle the Spanish spoken in the film and while today we would call this ‘Othering,’ it’s actually quite an effective piece of storytelling for this film.

Lack of understanding is at the heart of the drama of The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. Not subtitling the film effectively puts us in the position of the interpreter, played by character actor Tom Bower, despite how obviously unsympathetic he is as a character. Forcing us into his perspective makes Cortez even more sympathetic as we ache to avoid the misunderstanding and yet are effectively made part of the tragedy by our lack of understanding.

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez is a feast for those who love great 80’s character actors. Men with familiar faces, if not names, such as Brion James (48 Hours, Blade Runner), James Gammon (Major League), Bruce McGill (Lincoln, Elizabethtown) and Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure, Urban Cowboy), who each play pivotal roles in The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. Gammon in particular has an incredible scene and brief monologue near the end of the movie.

Another standout who gets only two scenes but still came away with an award for her work is Rosanna Desoto. Desoto was given the Golden Eagle Award by the Washington D.C area group Cine in 1982 for a pair of scenes in The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. One of those remarkable scenes is an incredibly powerful and emotional one in which we finally see Gregorio’s side of this story and come to understand the tragic misunderstanding at the heart of this true tale.

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez is available now from the Criterion Collection. It features numerous special features including a lengthy interview with star Edward James Olmos who also served as Associate Producer on the film and helped to secure the funding that got the film made. There is also a documentary discussing the importance of the film in the history of what is called Chicano Cinema and a 2016 interview with the director and cast in front of a live crowd.

The Criterion Collection has been a boon to this Summer of Classics Series I am working on though I should clarify, Criterion is in no way associated with these reviews. They merely have a large and remarkable collection of classics and their very on streaming service, alongside their incomparable library of physical media, that grants access to any number of classic films like The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.