William Walker and his mercenary corps enter Nicaragua in the middle of the 19th century in order to install a new government by a coup d'etat.
Direction
Alex Cox weaponizes anachronism like nobody else dared.
Acting
Ed Harris's eyes go from idealist to dead in real time.
Score
Joe Strummer's jittery guitars haunt every conquest.
Director
Alex Cox
Ed Harris
William Walker
Richard Masur
Ephraim Squier
René Auberjonois
Maj. Siegfried Hennington
Keith Szarabajka
Timothy Crocker
Sy Richardson
Captain Hornsby
Xander Berkeley
Byron Cole
John Diehl
Stebbins
Peter Boyle
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Marlee Matlin
Ellen Martin
Alfonso Arau
Raousset
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
Munoz
Gerrit Graham
Norvell Walker
William O'Leary
James Walker
Blanca Guerra
Yrena
Miguel Sandoval
Parker French
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Cox made this as direct protest against Reagan's Contra funding—Universal hated it and buried the release.
The 'based on a true story' title card appears mid-film after Walker has already gone full tyrant, mocking the very idea of heroic biopics.
MX
US
