VIVA MAX takes its basic story from a single idea. Supposedly at reasonably placid relations with our southern neighbor Mexico (the film was made in 1969, so the problems of illegal immigrants from Mexico is not considered here), what would happen if a column of Mexican troops entered San Antonio, Texas, and retook the Alamo? The idea is that the shock waves in this country (and probably Mexico) would be a "10" on the diplomatic seismograph. The symbol of the fight at the Alamo is so important in this country (particularly in the western section, and especially in the ex-Republic of Texas) that such a move would not be tolerated here.
Yet at the same time, the move might be very popular in Mexico. That country was robbed (we don't refer to it that way - we say they lost land in two wars) by Americans, and they have never been happy about it ever since. Only native Hawaiians who want independence for their old kingdom could possibly understand the feelings of the Mexican thinking about the half of their country that was lost*. Adding to the galling loss of Texas and the Southwest, the symbol of Texas Independence is a battle-site which (technically) was a Mexican victory. For, as we know, all the Americans were killed at the Alamo, and (no matter how many Mexicans got killed) Santa Anna put the Mexican flag up at the end.
(*I suppose I could also add descendants of American Loyalists (mostly Canadians now) who resent their post 1783 exile from their native land, as well as Southerners who still think the Confederacy deserved to survive. Oddly enough it would be harder to find resentment from those countries like Germany and Italy that we fought in World War II (and, in Germany's case World War I) as these - but then we have an odd type of mutual resentment balance with Japan dealing with Pearl Harbor v. Hiroshima/Nagasaki.)
VIVA MAX develops because General Maximilian De Santos is trying to prove himself to his girlfriend. She feels he is such a loser that he cannot lead his men anywhere. So he decides (on his own) to take his men into San Antonio and grab back the symbol of Texas and American land greed, and reclaim it for what it is - the symbol of Mexican military success. He does so not really knowing what his next step is - after all, he is just trying to impress his girlfriend. His second in command, Sergeant Valdez (John Astin) slowly realizes what a can of worms were opened up (Valdez and the other men thought the General got his orders for some diplomatic visit).
The Americans are not happy at all. Led by Texas National Guard General Billy Joe Halston (Jonathan Winters) and San Antonio Police Chief Sylvester (Harry Morgan) they are facing a crisis that they honestly can't fathom. They try to negotiate De Santos into leaving, but he realizes the publicity at home is on his side. He's avenged the Mexicans killed at San Jacinto and Cerra Gordo and Buena Vista and Vera Cruz by the gringo invaders. He knows that his girlfriend will have to take him more seriously in the future. Finally the Americans have no choice: they send in American troops to retake the Alamo. But the National Guardsmen turn out not to have the necessary spirit to do this (who can blame them - most are like Winters, part-time weekend warriors and full-time businessmen*). So when a confrontation occurs with both sides ready to shoot, Valdez cleverly uses a sudden surprise to give the "victory" to the Mexicans.
(*The film was dated in the period of Vietnam, but was written as a novel earlier. Nowadays, with the use of national guardsman in Iraq and Afghanistan, this view is no longer realistic).
Washington steps in, and sends in a regular Army regiment under General Lacomber (Keenan Wynn). He is less polite than the earlier negotiators, and really ready to re-blood the ground of the Alamo with fresh Mexican casualties (he also is rather bigoted - towards the end of the film he gets a merited rebuke from Winters' "Halton" about his use of derogatory language to people that Winters knows are hard working and decent). The film ends with a tactical withdrawal, but the honors of war are with Max and his men.
One wishes that old animosities were settled so easily - I suspect they cannot always be so. Ustinov's Max is well done, his flawless accent maintained in the film (in his memoirs "Dear Me" he mentions how a retired American General saw him at a San Antonio hotel and really believed he was a Mexican officer!). Astin, for a change, got a lead role and did very well with it. Winters, Morgan, Wynn, and Kenneth Mars (as a doctor in the National Guard) also were quite good. It is a pleasant film, and serves to sting us Yanquis about what our national image is south of the border.
Yet at the same time, the move might be very popular in Mexico. That country was robbed (we don't refer to it that way - we say they lost land in two wars) by Americans, and they have never been happy about it ever since. Only native Hawaiians who want independence for their old kingdom could possibly understand the feelings of the Mexican thinking about the half of their country that was lost*. Adding to the galling loss of Texas and the Southwest, the symbol of Texas Independence is a battle-site which (technically) was a Mexican victory. For, as we know, all the Americans were killed at the Alamo, and (no matter how many Mexicans got killed) Santa Anna put the Mexican flag up at the end.
(*I suppose I could also add descendants of American Loyalists (mostly Canadians now) who resent their post 1783 exile from their native land, as well as Southerners who still think the Confederacy deserved to survive. Oddly enough it would be harder to find resentment from those countries like Germany and Italy that we fought in World War II (and, in Germany's case World War I) as these - but then we have an odd type of mutual resentment balance with Japan dealing with Pearl Harbor v. Hiroshima/Nagasaki.)
VIVA MAX develops because General Maximilian De Santos is trying to prove himself to his girlfriend. She feels he is such a loser that he cannot lead his men anywhere. So he decides (on his own) to take his men into San Antonio and grab back the symbol of Texas and American land greed, and reclaim it for what it is - the symbol of Mexican military success. He does so not really knowing what his next step is - after all, he is just trying to impress his girlfriend. His second in command, Sergeant Valdez (John Astin) slowly realizes what a can of worms were opened up (Valdez and the other men thought the General got his orders for some diplomatic visit).
The Americans are not happy at all. Led by Texas National Guard General Billy Joe Halston (Jonathan Winters) and San Antonio Police Chief Sylvester (Harry Morgan) they are facing a crisis that they honestly can't fathom. They try to negotiate De Santos into leaving, but he realizes the publicity at home is on his side. He's avenged the Mexicans killed at San Jacinto and Cerra Gordo and Buena Vista and Vera Cruz by the gringo invaders. He knows that his girlfriend will have to take him more seriously in the future. Finally the Americans have no choice: they send in American troops to retake the Alamo. But the National Guardsmen turn out not to have the necessary spirit to do this (who can blame them - most are like Winters, part-time weekend warriors and full-time businessmen*). So when a confrontation occurs with both sides ready to shoot, Valdez cleverly uses a sudden surprise to give the "victory" to the Mexicans.
(*The film was dated in the period of Vietnam, but was written as a novel earlier. Nowadays, with the use of national guardsman in Iraq and Afghanistan, this view is no longer realistic).
Washington steps in, and sends in a regular Army regiment under General Lacomber (Keenan Wynn). He is less polite than the earlier negotiators, and really ready to re-blood the ground of the Alamo with fresh Mexican casualties (he also is rather bigoted - towards the end of the film he gets a merited rebuke from Winters' "Halton" about his use of derogatory language to people that Winters knows are hard working and decent). The film ends with a tactical withdrawal, but the honors of war are with Max and his men.
One wishes that old animosities were settled so easily - I suspect they cannot always be so. Ustinov's Max is well done, his flawless accent maintained in the film (in his memoirs "Dear Me" he mentions how a retired American General saw him at a San Antonio hotel and really believed he was a Mexican officer!). Astin, for a change, got a lead role and did very well with it. Winters, Morgan, Wynn, and Kenneth Mars (as a doctor in the National Guard) also were quite good. It is a pleasant film, and serves to sting us Yanquis about what our national image is south of the border.