History Film / AndStarringPanchoVillaAsHimself

* EyesAlwaysAverted: A journalist tells Thayer that [[AxCrazy Villa will kill a man just for looking at him]]. When Thayer is sent to negotiate with Villa, he keeps avoiding his gaze until Villa complains that [[EyeContactAsProof he can’t trust a man who won’t look him in the eye]].

%%* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Sam Drebin (Zero-Context Example)

* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Sam Drebin
* MakingTheMasterpiece: The film documents the making of ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_General_Villa The Life of General Villa]]'', a 1914 docudrama that, per this film's title, featured the real Villa playing himself.

** The initial footage of Villa’s ragtag army is treated with derision by potential investors. So the moviemakers provide uniforms, hire an actor to play Pancho Villa, and start inventing scenes for RuleOfDrama.

* ChildSoldier: Villa conscripts children into his army. Which doesnt stop the moviemakers from lambasting the Federals for shooting them.

* BadassBandolier: It's Pancho Villa.

A 2003 Creator/{{HBO}} original movie written by Larry Gelbart and directed by Bruce Beresford.

Griffith sends the young Frank Thayer (Creator/EionBailey) to strike a deal in which the needs of war and truth must give way to the rules of entertainment. Creator/KyleChandler plays Creator/RaoulWalsh, an up-and-coming young director, and member of Griffith's [[invoked]]ProductionPosse, who is tabbed to make Pancho Villa's movie.

Griffith sends the young Frank Thayer (Creator/EionBailey) to strike a deal in which the needs of war and truth must give way to the rules of entertainment. Creator/KyleChandler plays Creator/RaoulWalsh, an up-and-coming young director who is tabbed to make Pancho Villa's movie.

Griffith sends the young Frank Thayer (Creator/EionBailey) to strike a deal in which the needs of war and truth must give way to the rules of entertainment.

* EyesAlwaysAverted: A journalist tells Thayer that [[AxCrazy Villa will kill a man just for looking at him]]. When Thayer is sent to negotiate with Villa, he keeps avoiding his gaze until Villa complains that he can’t trust a man who won’t look him in the eye.

* DeathGlare: A journalist tells Thayer that [[AxCrazy Villa will kill a man just for looking at him]]. When Thayer is sent to negotiate with Villa, he keeps avoiding his gaze until Villa complains that he can’t trust a man who won’t look him in the eye.

Running short of money for UsefulNotes/TheMexicanRevolution, General Pancho Villa (Creator/AntonioBanderas) approaches Hollywood filmmaker Creator/DWGriffith (Creator/ColmFeore) to make a movie about his life. Griffith sends the young Frank Thayer (Creator/EionBailey) to strike a deal in which the needs of war and truth must give way to the rules of entertainment.

* AutobiographicalRole: Pancho Villa does a cameo AsHimself at the end of ''The Life Of General Villa'', as an elderly ruler in Mexico City after the Revolution has been won, pondering WasItReallyWorthIt. The answer is yes, of course, to save his beloved Mexico from tyranny!
* BadassBandolier: Of course, it’s Pancho Villa!

* ChildSoldier: Villa conscripts children into his army. Which doesn’t stop the moviemakers from lambasting the Federals for shooting them.

* DontTellMama: Drebin tells Thayer not to let his mother know what business he’s in.
* DoubleEntendre: When Drebin recruits the prostitutes as extras he quips, “Ladies, this work you do standing up.”

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: InUniverse; Pancho Villa isn’t happy about the changes made to his BackStory.

* FiringSquad: Villa throws a scare into the actors and producers with a fake execution.

-->"You know what it is to say to a whole country: 'Let me make everything that's wrong, right for you. Let me carry you all on my shoulders.'? Eventually you begin to resent the weight."

* TemptingFate: The rebels are issued with surplus Confederate uniforms from the AmericanCivilWar, which the Americans hope isn't a bad omen, given that they lost.

* BrokenPedestal: Thayer regards Villa as a heroic revolutionary, but seeing him [[MoralEventHorizon coldly execute a grieving widow]] changes his mind.

* HollywoodTactics: Literally! Villa originally intends to attack Torreon with the sun behind his troops, so the Federal defenders will be BlindedByTheLight. But that means the cameras can’t film the attack. So his troops charge towards the sun and get massacred by the Federals who can see them clearly. So Villa attacks at night, promising to recreate the battle for the cameras the next day.

A 2003 MadeForTVMovie written by Larry Gelbart and directed by Bruce Beresford.

Running short of money for UsefulNotes/TheMexicanRevolution, General Pancho Villa approaches Hollywood filmmaker Creator/DWGriffith to make a movie about his life. Griffith sends the young Frank Thayer to strike a deal in which the needs of war and truth must give way to the rules of entertainment.

!!!This film contains the following tropes:

* LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub: Drebin tells Thayer not to let his mother know what business he’s in.