This offbeat historical drama is another in a line of hard-to-categorize films from cult director Alex Cox. Ed Harris stars as William Walker, an idealistic doctor, lawyer, and journalist who, at age 32, led a bloody revolution and installed himself as president of Nicaragua under orders from Cornelius Vanderbilt (Peter Boyle). Harris's performance is terrific, the violence is effective and well-used, and the film conveys an uncompromising political viewpoint without ever lapsing into preachiness.