Pancho Villa: The Centaur of the North - Season 1

Pancho Villa: The Centaur of the North is loosely based on the truth.

Mexican general Pancho Villa is known as a revolutionary and a bandit. Despite the fact that it is mentioned in every episode that it is not entirely based on truth, the television series sticks well to history. As far as we know, because there is also a lot of speculation. That makes a historical factual account difficult. The result is that Pancho Villa: The Centaur of the North is a history lesson that you should take seriously. There are still a few things to note at the level of detail.



The biggest problem with the series is that the acting is rather wooden and amateurish. Although the actors are gradually getting better at their roles, it all remains a bit of a make-or-break situation. Ultimately, it doesn't bother me enough to stop watching. However, I imagine that not everyone can see through it. I remain attracted to the well-known character whose actual story has been obscured by previous films and documentaries. Pancho Villa himself generously participated in this. He starred in several films and took the time to show his version of the story. Pancho knew how to use the media early on. In that respect he is a forerunner of the present day.

The series follows Pancho from wage slave to his violent death.

The series follows Pancho from wage slave to his violent death. When he found out that the landowner he worked for raped his sister, Pancho (his name at the time was José Doroteo Arango Arámbula) shot him dead. In the series, he wounds the landowner. That is why he becomes a bandit and calls himself Pancho Villa. He only became politically involved later. At that moment he becomes the well-known general who seizes every revolution to go to war again. At first with great success. As the years pass and as power changes, his success diminishes. In fact, he is ultimately defeated by modern fighting techniques brought over from Europe.



The way in which the story of Pancho Villa: The Centaur of the North is told is comparable to a series like Narcos. In this case, Pancho himself tells the introductory stories. The time in which it takes place is so chaotic that the interpretation given is desperately needed. The various main characters and the successive changes of power, revolutions and struggles would otherwise be impossible to follow. Even with all those introductions and explanations with old images, the story remains difficult to follow. The conclusion that can be drawn is that poor Mexico has a very turbulent history. It is therefore logical that traces of this can still be seen today.

The series also focuses on the dark side of the revolutionary general.

Pancho Villa: The Centaur of the North is not exactly an adoring hero story. The series also focuses on the dark side of the revolutionary general. He obtained money for his struggle through extortion, was tough on his own people and was just as violent as those around him. Executing people for nothing was also the most normal thing in the world for him. The fact that he had approximately twenty-four wives and therefore gave birth to a large number of children is not concealed. This, in addition to the already impressive story, makes Pancho Villa: The Centaur of the North a series worth watching if you like history. You have to be able to see through the wooden way of acting.