El Mariachi (DVD)

Flawless works of art are fairly infrequent. The 1990s managed only a few. Rodriguez's directorial debut is definitely one of them (in case you're interested, the other main one was 'Song 2' by Blur). A stylish romantic drama, where even the huge number of comically stupid villains fail to detract from the sense of brutal reality, and where you manage to get well into the closing credits before realising how indescribably cheap the whole thing was. Famously shot for about $5,000, with money Rodriguez raised by undergoing medical trials, El Mariachi has been a totem for aspiring film-makers ever since its release. Sadly, people neglect to remember that actually ...  Read the complete review

note: appears in part on The Student Room El Mariachi is the very first film from director Robert Rodriguez, who went on to direct his "Mexico trilogy", including Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Most recently, he is famed for his films Sin City and Planet Terror (part of the Grindhouse epic). Considering its exceedingly low budget, this is a superbly crafted and economic film, costing only $7000 to make initially, and then being spruced up by the studio after his first attempt impressed them. When reading about the numerous techniques he utilised to save money, this is an extremely impressive film. El Mariachi follows an ...  Read the complete review

Novice director Robert Rodriguez attracted the attention of Holywood with this film. The Mariachi of the title is a wandering musician, looking to make his way or at least find a temporary job. But as he approaches town, the local mobster has tracked down his enemy Azul. The opening scenes as the gunmen enter the jail, then suffer a reversal of fortune, show what Rodriguez' talent can accomplish with very little. They set the scene for the potent mix of violence, corruption and black comedy that makes up El Mariachi. As the impoverished Mariachi looks for work, his fate takes another return, and he is mistaken for the notorious Azul. This leads to dramatic ...  Read the complete review

Anyone who knows a bit about film will have heard the story of how Rodriguez made this film for only $7000 and broke into hollywood. The film is a great example of editing and creativity with small crew and budget. The thing is though that $7000 was the cost of the film, processing and a few props. This sort of movie could only be made in Mexico. You certainly couldn't run down streets in the UK toting guns and firing at people without getting into trouble or spending a lot of money. Rodriguez has access to evrything he needed and thats what helped him in getting this made. But he still should get credit as the film has great energy thanks to his quick editing ...  Read the complete review

I love Hong Kong cinema - City On Fire, A Better Tomorrow, etc... and was sceptical when a friend suggested I try Rodriguez's first film - bear in mind at this point I hadnt seen Desperado with Antonio Bandypants, so was uncorrupted by this follow up. El Mariachi is a gritty film, with beautiful touches that any low budget film could learn masses from. This is a must see, preferably before Desperado, but if not, dont worry. The main character is a stereotypical "unlikely hero" and Rodriguez does a fantastic job of sucking you into the plot, and sumpathising with the hero. There is so much from his work, and that of Hong Kong Cinema, that is often ...  Read the complete review