The History Channel DVD set The Alamo is really a collection of four separate programs, all related in some way to the events of the battle of the Alamo. "Remember the Alamo" takes a fresh look at the events of that fateful battle, and dispels many myths and inaccuracies along the way. "The Real West: The Battle of the Alamo" also focuses on the Alamo battle, while "The Real West: The Texas Rangers" explores the nature of the Texas volunteer forces that patrolled the borders and fought against Mexico, and "Biography: Davy Crockett: American Frontier Legend" takes a look at one of the legendary figures who died at the Alamo.

Remember the Alamo

This 90-minute documentary is the real star of The Alamo. The program establishes the cultural, political, and social context of the Texan war for independence and the battle of the Alamo. While it's often used as a slogan for "fight for freedom against tyranny!", we learn that the real motivation for the battle lay more in land expansionism and, interestingly, the Texans' refusal to outlaw slavery even though the Mexican government had abolished it. Later in the program, we learn about the ways in which the Alamo battle seeped into popular culture and was distorted by racism and politics to depict the conflict as "good white men vs. evil Mexicans."

I knew the general outlines of the war between Texas and Mexico, and about the battle of the Alamo, but "Remember the Alamo" filled in the details and showed this slice of U.S. history in its fascinating historical perspective. The filmmakers do a commendable job of showing both sides of the story, and refusing to settle for any easy conclusions about who was right and who was wrong. The U.S. eventually got Texas, and as we know, the victors are the ones who write the history books; it's no surprise that the battle of the Alamo has been portrayed as a beacon of U.S. patriotism and bravery against tyranny. The real, well-rounded story is not black and white, but in shades of gray, and while this may shock some viewers who are used to the pop-culture treatment of the Alamo, it is definitely eye-opening and very insightful.

The Real West: The Battle of the Alamo

The second piece on the Alamo is only worth watching if you're a true Texas history buff; while "The Battle of the Alamo" does focus more closely on the actual battle, it has little to offer that hasn't been covered already (and covered well) in "Remember the Alamo." This program runs 46 minutes.

The Real West: The Texas Rangers

This 46-minute piece will be of most interest to aficionados of the Old West in general and Texas history in particular. The first part of the program introduces the Texas Rangers and outlines their role in Texas history. We then get into more and more detail about specific leaders and members of the Rangers, as well as in-depth discussions of the battles they fought against the Mexicans as well as the Comanches, and their evolving tactics and weaponry. It's a bit too detail-focused and lacks a certain sense of perspective; in the end, I found that it didn't really add much to my appreciation of Texas history and culture.

Biography: Davy Crockett: American Frontier Legend

The final program in The Alamo is an episode of Biography focusing on Davy Crockett. The 43-minute documentary traces Crockett's life and varied career from his Tennessee roots to his death in Texas, painting a picture of a character who came to embody the ideals of an expanding United States fascinated with the idea of "manifest destiny." With various historians commenting on various facets of his life, this program does a reasonably interesting job of exploring both the myths about Crockett and the real facts. It's not the highlight of the Alamo set, but worth watching if you are interested in Crockett.

The DVD

The Alamo is a two-DVD set, with the discs in individual keepcases inside an attractive paper slipcase. The first disc contains "Remember the Alamo" and "The Real West: The Battle of the Alamo," and the second contains "The Real West: The Texas Rangers" and "Biography: Davy Crockett: American Frontier Legend."

Video

All four programs are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, as shown on television. The image quality is satisfactory, coming in at a notch above average. Colors on the whole are good, looking bright and natural, but the image does tend to be soft, with a touch of grain, some edge enhancement, and occasional compression artifacts appearing. "Remember the Alamo" and "The Texas Rangers" look a bit cleaner and brighter than the other two; "The Battle of the Alamo" is particularly soft-looking, and "Davy Crockett" is a bit grainy with a slight brownish tint on occasion. Overall, all four programs are perfectly watchable.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack for all four programs is satisfactory, offering a clear if not outstanding listening experience.

Extras

There are no special features for this set.

Final thoughts

The first of the four documentaries in The Alamo, "Remember the Alamo," is an outstanding historical documentary that uses modern research to show the real historical context and significance of the Alamo battle: it's not a clear-cut "good vs. bad," but a more realistic and much more interesting situation. The overall package of The Alamo doesn't live up to the standard of the first program, though. "The Battle of the Alamo" basically repeats much of the content of the first program, except that it's not as insightful, and the remaining two programs, "The Texas Rangers" and "Davy Crockett: American Frontier Legend," are more targeted toward viewers with a strong interest in the Old West and Texas history to begin with. Overall, I'll give this set a "recommended"; it's a bit uneven, but worth seeking out for the excellent "Remember the Alamo" program.