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El Mariachi [1993]

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Actors: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Jaime De Hoyos, Peter Marquardt, Reinol Martinez
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: Video

List Price: ~~£4.99~~
Buy Used: £0.35
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New (2) Used (10) from £0.35

Rating:

2 reviews

Format: Dolby, Pal, Subtitled, Surround Sound
Language: Spanish (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Media: VHS Tape
Discs: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 78 Minutes

EAN: 5024165270837
ASIN: B00004RS01

Theatrical Release Date: February 26, 1993
Release Date: February 9, 1998
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: very good condition Sent within 1 working day by UK seller, available by email for queries.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic "prequel" to Desperado - raw, direct & compelling January 30, 2001
mattleb@itl.net (Jersey)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

This prequel to Desperado is fantastic .. it has energy and rawness that Hoolywood can not replicate. It cost pennies compared to Desperado the direction creates an incredible atmospehere.Banderas at his best.

5 out of 5 stars

a case of mistaken identity December 19, 2005
moonstix (NW England, UK)
This is the original and arguably the best of the El Mariachi trilogy; director Robert Rodriguez was 23 years old when this film was born. It was made on a 4-figure budget ... but you wouldn't know. The acting, dialogue, cinematography and screenplay is inspired and challenges the Hollywood notion that the bigger the budget, the better the movie. Dissenting locals (newsreaders, police) were brought in as actors - and you would honestly give them credence as the real thing.
The film is both funny and poignant. Rodriguez draws on low-budget techniques such as action close-ups. The use of stark contrasts is what gives the film its power: the softness of the mariachi against the viciousness of the assassin, the humour against the violence, the daytime chase scenes against the nighttime lulls. And don't be put off by the English subtitles to the Spanish dialogue - this only adds to the ambience and authenticity.
It does have it's stumbling blocks, for example Rodriquez goes to another level by exploring the mariachi's dreams a couple of times, and I'm not too sure whether it works or even whether it's relevant, but at the very least it does serve to build on the perceived love interest which otherwise would be difficult to substantiate. And it does render the film reminiscent of spaghetti westerns and Sergio Leone classics - elsewhere a simple music chord and momentary facial expression back this up.
Although set in a small Mexican town in 'the present', one of the endearing qualities of the film is the naivety of the simple story line - it packs a punch.
This film does NOT star names like Banderas, Buscemi and Tarantino - CARLOS GALLARDO plays the lead (El Mariachi - the musician himself). The stars are the director's low paid friends and local people. The true star is Rodriquez for having the sense, wisdom, passion and vision to create film masterpieces such as this. Nice sharp images on dvd, but video seems to suit it better somehow.

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