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El Mariachi (Carlos
Gallardo) just wants to play his guitar and carry on the family
tradition. Unfortunately, the town he tries to find work in has another
visitor...a killer who carries his guns in a guitar case. The drug lord
Moco ( Peter Marquardt) and his henchmen mistake El Mariachi for the
killer, Azul (Reinol Martinez), and chase him around town trying to kill
him and get his guitar case. The local bar owner Domino (Consuelo
Gomez), helps El Mariachi out of this case of mistaken identity. |
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Review: Not
only is “El Mariachi” the starting point of the Mariachi Trilogy that
consists of “El Mariachi”, “Desperado” and “Once Upon A Time In Mexico”.
It was the movie that started the career of writer/director Robert
Rodriguez. Costing only $7000 to make, who would imagine that such a low
budget foreign film could spawn two sequels and become a staple in young
filmmakers' “how-to” collection? Not me, I jumped on the bandwagon with
“Desperado” like most everyone else. I originally bought this one to see
where it all started and ended up liking it not for the movie itself,
but for the commentary and other special features. The story is pretty
straightforward and I can't really comment on the acting because I don't
understand Spanish, but it is a truly fast paced action oriented movie
with style. I find that early movies of popular directors are an
interesting way to see how they grow. Go watch “Evil Dead” and then
“Spider-man 2” for a good example. Note- I know they are Sam Raimi films
but they just popped into my head -End Note.
Picture and
Sound: Again, for the budget the movie looks great and sounds great. The
only thing missing is an English audio track. At least Rodriguez's
commentary is in English.
Special
Features: The “10 Minute Film School” featurette documentary is
priceless. Watch the movie with subtitles first, then the featurette,
and then watch the movie with the commentary on. You will see this movie
in a different light.
End Note-
If you are a fan of the other two movies, you will probably be
disappointed with El Mariachi. But, if you want to see where it all
started give it a shot. If you are an amateur film maker, or just want
to know how films are made, then this is a must see. That's why I enjoy
it.
Until we
see El Mariachi VS The Punisher,
keep
reading.
Mitch
Emerson
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