El Mariachi

I know the budget for this film was somewhere between 5000 and 7000 dollars, but I would like to comment more on the pacing and frenetic film style Rodriguez bestows upon us. Low budget or not,this film has energy. It never lets down for more than a few minutes and the editing is amazing. Robert Rodriguez has such a knowledge of film-making that he makes this movie look like a million bucks easy. The film isn't perfect, but on sheer energy alone it will entertain you more than most over-blown Hollywood action films.

Having experienced director Robert Rodriguez's most recent film, the zombie horror pastiche Planet Terror (2007) - which was sold as a double bill with Quentin Tarantino's femme-exploitation revisionist film Death Proof (2007) as a modern-day homage to low-budget 70's drive-in cinema - I couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed by its obvious disregard of the low-budget format in favour of CGI, explosions and A-list cameos. Now, although Planet Terror was hardly a big budget affair, it was clearly the work of an experienced filmmaker with his own studio and facilities and a collection of superstar friends willing to turn up and do a couple of days work at a reduced fee. However, with this, his first film, Rodriguez creates a perfect example of the grindhouse ethos in a more contemporary sense; i.e. a violent, low-budget exploitation picture with a minuscule cast of mostly no professional actors and with almost every single technical role carried out by the director himself.

Unlike Planet Terror - which is a good film and one that I did enjoy - the final result here is lively and inventive, with none of the generic clichés and nodding irony of that more recent project. It not only shows the efforts of low-budget film-making at its best, but uses the same shortcomings of low-budget film-making to its advantage. In this respect, it reminds me of something that Roger Corman might have produced in the 1970's, with the exploitative reliance on violence and the corruption of innocence as its central theme, and the excitement and imagination that permeates the direction of Rodriguez from the first frame to the last. The film can obviously be approached as a minor-key riff on the very noir-like notions of mistaken identity, small-town corruption and the vision of the mysterious gunslinger, with Rodriguez creating his own blend of "Mexploitation" cinema that would continue with the bigger-budgeted sequel/re-make Desperado (1995) and the third instalment, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), which just might be the director's best film (or at least, the most entertaining). You can also see certain parallels with a film like From Dusk till Dawn (1996) and the proposed Machete (2008), though really; these films come nowhere near the verve, grit and vitality of the film in question.

If you can get past the technical limitations, the use of the Spanish language and the reliance on non-professional actors, then El Mariachi (1992) is a great film. Not a masterpiece, but simply a great film; one that offers entertainment value and some genuine no-budget ingenuity and - if watched with the added bonus of the director's commentary function - an effective, makeshift film school. I suppose you could always disagree that the film is more successful as a result of the low-budget, as I guess there are some elements here that audiences might see as shoddy or indeed comical due to the lack of funds and experience. Nonetheless, the film really does use these limitations to further the story and the occasional moments of light comedy, not to mention the creation of those enigmatic dream-sequences, which Rodriguez claims were shot simply to use up the last few feet of film on each reel. It all works though, creating a film that is wild, violent, funny, charming and above all else, unpredictable.

I really appreciate this work from Robert Rodriguez. The so-called low-budget film, shot for just $ 7,000, and Rodriguez put his heart and soul into this film. He was a director, a screenwriter, a producer, he did effects, he did absolutely everything except acting. He was even tested for some drugs because they paid him for it, all to raise money and make a movie. From that aspect, the film looks extremely good. However, some flaws are visible, such as the camera or wooden acting, at times the film is too raw, but all this is understandable.

What could easily be viewed as just a simple B-movie turns into an impressive, gritty and action-packed independent feature from director Robert Rodriguez. It's the volatile, gripping story of a wandering guitarist who arrives in a small Mexican town looking for a big break, but unfortunately a case of mistaken identity makes him the target of the town's cold-blooded boss and his vile henchmen who are bent on killing him. Shot for a remarkable $7,000, and featuring a cast of newcomers and generally unknowns, this formidable little feature still packs a punch with violent, pumped-up action scenes and credible performances. Nothing ever truly breathtaking, but a respectable showing nonetheless. ***

When rival Moco's attempt on his life fails badly, Azul decides to leave his jail cell and claim revenge. Little is known about him as he heads away from the jail but they know his aim as he is carrying a guitar case full of guns and is dressed all in black. At the same time as Azul kills the first of Moco's men, a young mariachi drifts into town looking for steady work in the town's many bars. Unfortunately for him he is carrying a guitar case and is also dressed mostly in black. Already down on his luck in terms of career, the young man suddenly finds himself with a case of mistaken identity and is the target of Moco's armed gangs.

Unashamedly low-budget, Robert Rodriguez's debut feature film is a great example of how to produce a winning low budget film. The plot is a simple case of mistaken identity that is played out with a good pace and action that lacks multi-million explosions but still has enough about it to be exciting and engaging. The writing is not the best, but then that is not what made this film so famous, no what did was Rodriguez's unique style as director. He takes the simple story and injects it with humour and energy that make it much better than the budget or the written script would have suggested. He borrows heavily from others (Sam Rami is one of the more obvious) but it doesn't feel like he has stolen anything, just used it to do his own thing.

The cast aren't that great though, and the method of dubbing everything is pretty evident in most scenes (but not too bad for me personally because I was reading the subtitles anyway). Gallardo is solid lead but lacks his own style and charisma and it is obvious throughout that the visual style and comic air to the film is carrying him. Gomez is OK but not pretty or a presence enough to do it for me I'm afraid. Marquardt is a bit too hammy and lacking in teeth for the main villain, but Martinez's Azul is a big man and fits the bill well.

Overall this is an energetic film that works well despite the limitations of the budget and cast. You do have to forgive it some things but it is easily quite fun and flows forward well and is certainly worth a look and infinity better than the big-budget excesses of its second sequel – Once Upon A Time In Mexico.