I say this as any army vet from a long line of vets and a historian. This is entertaining fiction made for two groups, those who still think Ted Turner's films are reliable, and T Roosevelt's fan club.
It's become one of the more annoying internet memes, about T Roosevelt being a tough guy, a frontiersman, or a cowboy. Missing from the picture is that he was a city boy from one of the wealthiest families. Missing is T Roosevelt saying, "I don't think the only good Indian is a dead Indian, but 9 out of 10 are!"
And missing, including from this picture, is that he just loved war, though he understood and experienced little of it. The Spanish American War was just six weeks long. He was there for just half of it. He and his unit were just in a few skirmishes. And the famous charge was several thousand US troops against a few hundred badly outgunned exhausted Spanish troops.
Berenger is a great actor. He will long be remembered for Platoon and Big Chill. But he was physically wrong and a ridiculous choice for T Roosevelt. Berenger is tall, handsome, built like a bodybuilder. T Roosevelt was in notoriously poor health, pudgy, poor vision, and rode into his few skirmishes in a tailored Brooks Brothers "uniform" that cost more than most soldier's salary.
The film has plenty of other inaccuracies. Henry Nash was no bank robber. He was a school teacher who certainly didn't die wealthy. And T Roosevelt passed away from illness (in a crazy attempt to seek more adventure) two years before he's shown meeting Nash 20 years later.
There were no Spanish machine guns at San Juan Hill. There were no German troops at all aiding the Spaniards. Those are both made up to make the Spaniards more fearsome than they were and give the viewer a familiar enemy.
And author Stephen Crane of Red Badge of Courage fame did not care for Roosevelt. They feuded and were not friends. This also was made up to make Roosevelt look more likable.
When the series came out. Variety called it "corny," "imaginary" and "silly." That's my take as well.
It's become one of the more annoying internet memes, about T Roosevelt being a tough guy, a frontiersman, or a cowboy. Missing from the picture is that he was a city boy from one of the wealthiest families. Missing is T Roosevelt saying, "I don't think the only good Indian is a dead Indian, but 9 out of 10 are!"
And missing, including from this picture, is that he just loved war, though he understood and experienced little of it. The Spanish American War was just six weeks long. He was there for just half of it. He and his unit were just in a few skirmishes. And the famous charge was several thousand US troops against a few hundred badly outgunned exhausted Spanish troops.
Berenger is a great actor. He will long be remembered for Platoon and Big Chill. But he was physically wrong and a ridiculous choice for T Roosevelt. Berenger is tall, handsome, built like a bodybuilder. T Roosevelt was in notoriously poor health, pudgy, poor vision, and rode into his few skirmishes in a tailored Brooks Brothers "uniform" that cost more than most soldier's salary.
The film has plenty of other inaccuracies. Henry Nash was no bank robber. He was a school teacher who certainly didn't die wealthy. And T Roosevelt passed away from illness (in a crazy attempt to seek more adventure) two years before he's shown meeting Nash 20 years later.
There were no Spanish machine guns at San Juan Hill. There were no German troops at all aiding the Spaniards. Those are both made up to make the Spaniards more fearsome than they were and give the viewer a familiar enemy.
And author Stephen Crane of Red Badge of Courage fame did not care for Roosevelt. They feuded and were not friends. This also was made up to make Roosevelt look more likable.
When the series came out. Variety called it "corny," "imaginary" and "silly." That's my take as well.