Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna is the main antagonist in the 2004 historical western The Alamo. He is based on the former dictator of Mexico of the same name.
He was portrayed by Emilio Echevarria.
Biography[]
General Santa Anna first appears in the film when he is informed by his aid, General Manuel Fernandez De Castrillon, that a group of "traitors" have been captured and executed. Santa Anna takes pleasure in it and says "It will teach the traitors not to fight back.". Santa Anna and his army of 4,000 men then arrive at the Alamo and begin the siege. After their demands for surrender are met with cannon fire, Santa Anna then has his troops raise the flag of "no quarter", meaning that "no prisoners will be taken".
Later, in the film, it is March 6, 1836 and Santa Anna orders his officers and soldiers to charge at the Alamo from three sides and scale its walls at any cost. The Mexican soldiers charge the Alamo and the Texan defenders rush to their defensive positions and pour fire on the Mexicans as fast as they can. The attack then stalls and then the Mexican columns on the West and East Walls merge and start heading towards the North Wall. During the battle at the North Wall, Colonel William B. Travis is killed while fighting off the Mexican charge, and the Mexicans then break through and the Texans hold them until falling back from the North Wall. The Mexicans then pour into the Alamo and the Texans fall back to the long barracks on the East Side. The Texans then fire cannon rounds at the Mexicans, who then charge into the Long Barracks and the Tinexans engage the Mexicans in hand-to-hand fighting, resulting in a bloody duel. The Mexicans then attack the South End of the Alamo and kill all the remaining Texans defending the Alamo, including James Bowie, Alamaron Dickinson, James Butler Bonham, and Gregorio Esparza. By 6:30 am, the battle ends with Davy Crockett being held captive and refusing to beg for his life, Santa Anna then has his troops execute Davy Crockett by stabbing him with their rifle bayonets.
In the final draft of the film, Santa Anna and his main force are pursuing Texan General Sam Houston's smaller army. Castrillon then tells Santa Anna that Houston and his men are on their way to attack. The Texans then begin their attack by firing their cannons and rifles at the first line of Mexican troops, the Texans then break through the Mexican lines and Santa Anna flees the battle, Castrillon is killed by the Texans with several melee strikes. The Mexicans are then routed into the woods and forest and are defeated by the Texans in 18 minutes. The Texans then win the Battle Of San Jancito and they capture Santa Anna while he's dressed in a common Mexican foot soldier's uniform. Santa Anna then his forced to give Texas independence and loses the war.