The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)

That was an excellent one.

Pretty Good

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The Milagro Beanfield War is a work of art. It has a premise upon which the story flows so engagingly for the viewer.Unlike all of the action adventure films of today, relying on superfluous violence and car crash scenes, the film develops the intricacies of characters, including poor migrant workers, old men, small town people, ex-hippies, et al.Everything works: theme, music, plot, characters, setting, photography, actors. Redford shows he is a highly competent director meshing all into an engaging and enjoyable experience.Without the old men in this film, it would have failed. They symbolize all that we have lost of our ancestors: simple values; simple lives; honor; social consciousness; enjoyment of life; appreciation of just being alive.Great cast,great film. I watch it every time it comes on the air, mesmerized by the world into which it lulls you with its other worldly music.Thank you, Robert Redford, for making this film. Please do some more like it.

In my point of view, this film not only talks about just a community but also shows the sights and sounds of one of the most prevalent issues that our world faces today. The film's main argument is about the major crisis of water shortage that we face today and how the multinational corporations are taking advantage of this to make themselves a fortune. In the process these global organizations are not only remorselessly exploiting and starving the poor people to death but also destroying our pristine Eco-system. Water is vitally important resource; yet it seems as though no one pays any attention to it. This film shows a disappointed community due to lack of work opportunity. All frustration comes from 'water law' which is not clear to general people and power holder takes that advantage from that law. Unfortunately, most of the developing nations' minority class like farmers and villagers has been victimized in this situation. I would like to mention one very small character, a woman through stone to people when they passing through her yard and short view where all people brought bullet with their food stamp. Director used it for showing deepness of frustration of that community people. Both are illegal but the community peoples point of view, it was really a time demand. In last scene, that woman and all people were celebrating that bean together. Coming from one of these developing or so called Third World countries, I was aware of this crisis from experience. I have grown up watching the plight and misery of people caused by various global concerns and water shortage was one of them. However, I have to admit that before watching this film, I was completely unaware of the degree and extent to which this problem have been taken due to the involvement of these greedy multinational companies. The film makers' suggestion is for us to fight for your right, if you are in right way you will get support from general people. However, this is not going to help a lot since the situation has worsened so much that only drastic measures may be the only option for us to re-stabilize the planet's problems and its Eco-system.

Robert Redford has accomplished much in his lifetime. To his credit is a long list of proud achievements, such as Movie Star, Producer, director, he can now add social activist. Take this film for instance, it's called " The Milagro Beanfield War. " It arises from the John Nichols's novel and involves a small rural town in New Mexico. Having read the novel, I was much taken by the fact, it nearly mirrors the book throughly. The book itself tells the story of how a little New Mexican village is haunted by the spirit of an aging former resident with hopes of revitalizing it's inhabitants into saving their town. The Old man begins by influencing a dispirited farmer named Joe Mondragon (Chick Vennera) to take advantage of an accidental flooding of his family's bean field by a water control system belonging to a rich land developer. The town Sheriff, Bernabe Montoya (Ruben Blades), learns as do all the town's residents of the illegal irrigation, but are curious as to see what Ladd Devine (Richard Bradford) the powerful land baron will do in response. What follows is a escalating collection of serious missteps, comical responses and official repercussions. All in all the cast which includes John Heard, Daniel Stern and Christopher Walker do well to lift this incredible film effort to the shelf of notable Classics. In point of fact, Mr. Redford can add this entertaining movie to his monumental collection of social achievements . Well done! ****

This is one of those intelligent slow-moving tales with almost no commercial potential that somehow find themselves being made thanks to the involvement of a major star or director – Robert Redford in this case, who just happens to be both a major actor and director. The plot is fairly thin, but Redford's more interested in developing character and admiring the scenery as he does so. There's a mix of Hollywood types (Walken, Heard, Griffith, etc) and lesser-known actors, and you'd expect the bigger names to look out of place. They do look different from the town-folk of Milagro, to be sure, but, for the most part they're supposed to. Walken is a cop drafted in by land developers to step on the minor irritation initially provided by a nothing farmer when he almost inadvertently diverts water that doesn't belong to him to grow the beans that cause the frictions between the townspeople and the developers to come to a head; Heard is an outcast from the city, a 60s radical and former lawyer preciously licking his wounds in a place where he thinks trouble can't find him. They're both good, as you'd expect, but they can't compete with the fascinating character contained in the lined and sun-baked faces of the locals.It's almost a fable, this story, with some mystical elements that don't always sit comfortably with other aspects of the tale. Most of these are provided by the hermit-like old neighbour of Joe Mandragon, the film's protagonist, who holds conversations with a long-dead brother who casts shadows on walls. Richard Bradford is quite memorable as the chief bad guy, a slick white-haired type. The townspeople should be allied against him but, even as the beanfield farmer makes a stand they are too apathetic and blinkered to do so. They can't believe bad things will happen to them until they do. Had they shown a little more resolve they would have found that the people plotting to destroy their village in the process of developing a leisure resort really aren't that clever themselves – it's only their own listlessness – even Mondragon wavers when the developers offer him some construction work – that puts them in the position they find themselves.Two minor weak points: Chick Vennerra as Mondragon has a tendency to overact at times and Daniel Stern as a stranded sociology major seems almost completely superfluous to the plot.