The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

1982 film

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Robert M. Young
Screenplay by|

* Victor Villaseñor
* Robert M. Young

Based on| With His Pistol in His Hand
by Américo Paredes
Produced by|

* Moctesuma Esparza
* Michael Hausman

Starring| Edward James Olmos
Cinematography| Reynaldo Villalobos
Edited by|

* John Bertucci
* Arthur Coburn

Music by|

* W. Michael Lewis
* Edward James Olmos

Production
companies

* American Playhouse
* Corporation for Public Broadcasting
* Filmhaus Productions
* Moctesuma Esparza Productions
* NCLR
* National Endowment for the Humanities

Distributed by| Embassy Pictures

Release dates

* 1982 (1982) (limited)
* May 4, 1983 (1983-05-04) (USA Film Festival)
* August 19, 1983 (1983-08-19) (United States)

Running time

| 106 minutes
Country| United States
Languages| English
Spanish
Box office| $804,963[1]

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez is a 1982 American Western film directed by Robert M. Young[2] and starring Edward James Olmos as Gregorio Cortez.[3] It is based on the book With His Pistol in His Hand by Americo Paredes.[4]

In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."[5][6]

## Plot

[edit]

Set in Belmont-Gonzales, Texas in 1901. After a misunderstanding, a Mexican-American farmer kills a sheriff. He eludes capture and becomes a folk hero. When eventually he is caught, he is tried seven times before finally being released, after twelve years in prison.

## Cast

[edit]

* Edward James Olmos as Gregorio Cortez
* Victoria Plata as Carmen Cortez
* James Gammon as Frank Fly
* Tom Bower as Boone Choate
* Bruce McGill as Reporter Blakely
* Brion James as Captain Rogers
* Alan Vint as Mike Trimmell
* Timothy Scott as Sheriff Morris
* Pepe Serna as Romaldo Cortez
* Michael McGuire as Sheriff Glover
* William Sanderson as Cowboy
* Barry Corbin as B.R. Abernathy
* Jack Kehoe as Prosecutor Pierson
* Rosanna DeSoto as Carlota Muñoz
* Ned Beatty as Lynch Mob Leader

## Reception and legacy

[edit]

The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.67/10 based on 6 reviews.[7]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times said, "[The film] tells what sounds like a stirring story, and its plainness would seem to be an asset. But something more was needed here, if not in the way of fireworks then maybe just in verisimilitude. The events may be real, and even the settings are authentic; the courthouse in which Mr. Young filmed the trial scene is the one in which Mr. Cortez's trial actually took place. That's not the sort of authenticity that the film lacks. What it's missing is the spark, surprise and immediacy that might have made its principals feel like people, rather than key figures in a well-meaning historical pageant."[4]

### Accolades

[edit]

Rosanna DeSoto won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.[8]

### Preservation

[edit]

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016.[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Latin American cinema
* 1982 in film
* 1983 in film

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez at Box Office Mojo
2. ^ The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982) - Finding Director Robert Young - Oscars on YouTube
3. ^ Criterion Collection
4. ^ a b Maslin, Janet (October 14, 1983). "Film: 'Gregorio Cortez'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
5. ^ Carrie, Titicut Follies, Tongues United, Pariah & More Added to National Film Registry|The Film Stage
6. ^ 2022 National Film Registry Announcement - Library of Congress on YouTube
7. ^ "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
8. ^ Telgen, Diane (1993). Notable Hispanic American Women. VNR AG. ISBN 9780810375789.page 133
9. ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.

## External links

[edit]

* The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez at IMDb
* The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez at Rotten Tomatoes
* The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez: A Cinematic Corrido an essay by Charles Ramírez Berg at the Criterion Collection

* v
* t
* e

Films by Robert M. Young

Directed|

* Secrets of the Reef (1956)
* Short Eyes (1977)
* Alambrista! (1977)
* Rich Kids (1979)
* One-Trick Pony (1980)
* The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)
* Saving Grace (1986)
* Extremities (1986)
* Dominick and Eugene (1988)
* Triumph of the Spirit (1989)
* Talent for the Game (1991)
* Children of Fate: Life and Death in a Sicilian Family (1993)
* Roosters (1993)
* Solomon & Sheba (1995)
* Slave of Dreams (1995)
* Caught (1996)
* China: The Panda Adventure (2001)
* Human Error (2004)
* William Kurelek's The Maze (2011)

Written only|

* Nothing but a Man (1964)
* Amanda Fallon (1973)
* To Fly! (1976)

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