walker (1987)

The fictionalised account of the real life adventurer or pirate, William Walker (Ed Harris), who with a band of mercenaries took over Nicaragua in the 1856, installing himself as President. In the film, Walker's misguided ideal of installing democracy winds up creating chaos and dissolved into a tyrannical government that was ultimately doomed to failure.
When I previously viewed this I really wanted to like it, but didn't. Upon re-watching it though I came to appreciate it more. Sure there is some sledgehammer politicking going on, (railing against the philosophy of 'manifest destiny' and including many modern day American references such as Coca-Cola bottles), and overall it has an uneven feel, but it is a bravado piece of film making that was effectively seen as ending Alex's career in Hollywood. Who else would at the height of Reagan's power effectively release a diatribe against the interference of the US in Latin America. It was on a hiding to nothing, no one likes to pay to watch themselves being criticised, and definitely not by some jumped up Brit! What must have been uncomfortable viewing in the 80's, is now an interesting curio selling itself as a spaghetti western, something it does rather effectively, with some glorious set pieces.