Reviewed by: For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada by Director Dean Wright Ron Fernández, Film and Media Review Editor (bio) For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada Director Dean Wright. Dos Corazones Films, Newland Films, ARC Entertainment. 2012. 145min. It may surprise many to know that a religious war was fought in North America in the 1920s. In the wake of the Mexican Revolution and the Constitution of 1917, a government-led anti-clerical movement tried to contain the sprawling power of the Catholic Church, suspending holy services, burning icons, banishing priests from political involvement, and executing those who continued to provide the sacraments. Those who defied the new laws called themselves Cristeros, and Dean Wright’s film, For Greater Glory, tells the story of their civilian crusades during the Cristero Revolt of 1926–1929. The movie follows the uprising, training, and marshalling of Cristero forces in preparation for a series of bloody campaigns against the Mexican army. Before recruiting retired general, Enrique Gorostieta (Andy García), the group is a rag-tag bunch. To gain the confidence of his fractured army of civilians, Gorostieta confronts the rebels’ ill-placed confidence, observing that they lack three hallmarks of military stratagem: central command, decent weaponry, and unhindered ammunition supplies. Other leaders include Catholic priest and warrior Father Vega (Santiago Cabrera), and rogue freedom fighter Victoriano “El Catorce” Ramírez (Oscar Isaac), who don’t want to serve under one chief, be it Gorostieta, or any other. But, they must set aside their reservations if they are to stand against the Mexican army. Weighing their criticisms of the General’s leadership style against his successful track record in battle, the Cristeros choose to serve under him, allowing Gorostieta to teach them how to effectively strike against superior forces and supply lines, with a resiliently precise strategy. Gorostieta is pitted against his former ally and leader, President Plutarco Elías Calles (Rubén Blades). Torn by his loyalty to country, Gorostieta must balance his ideals and patriotism against worries for the safety of his wife, Tulita (Eva Longoria), and their family. Calles is portrayed as a ruthless man, willing to stop at nothing to crush the rebellion. Ordering a crackdown, Calles’ administration does its best to undermine the power of the rebels by planting false stories about the mass execution of civilians and through shock and brutality, hanging crucified bodies from trees and telegraph poles, and killing children suspected of collaborating. The Mexican leader is hemmed in on all sides, as peace at home and world opinion are threatened. Their neighbor to the north, the United States, is concerned (as throughout the Mexican Revolution) with protecting oil and economic interests, and harbors suspicions of Bolshevik forces in Mexico. U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (Bruce McGill) wants a diplomatic resolution to the war, and dispatches Secretary of State Morrow (Bruce Greenwood) to meet with President Calles. The Cristeros have a formidable enemy in Calles and his regime, and Calles has a lot to protect, but isn’t backing down. In one of their clandestine meetings, Calles tells Morrow, “In my experience as a revolutionary, a small group of determined men can bring down a government.” The bulk of the film follows the Cristeros in their war against government forces, who battle not only the guerilla army but also public sentiment. The Cristero women abet the war by smuggling ammunition to their ranks, and even children are willing to fight for the cause, a practice continued from the Revolution of 1910, where children also participated in the struggle and were killed. By slaughtering children who join the opposition, the government has taken the wrong side of justice. The film seems eager to show the system is corrupt when love and common sense are absent from the rule of law. Yet the movie seems divided on Gorostieta’s stance on faith and practice. A self-described “military man” and atheist, Gorostieta initially accepts the job of leading the rebel army for money and his broad belief in the exigency of religious freedoms. First he encourages the renouncing of religious illusions, saying...