El Mariachi

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.

El mariachi... the 1992 one. It's a lesson on how to make a film, by yourself, on a small part of a shoe-string budget. Carlos gallardo is a mariachi player. But not gang banger. So when he gets mistaken for an assassin, he goes on the run to save his life. I encourage you to read the trivia section to see just how the film was made. Innerastin stuff! Which explains the high number of mistakes in the goofs section! It's totally amateur hour, but it's still fun to watch. A fight and gun-shoot-out, where no-one grunts or yells. Totally silent. Couldn't afford the foley guy. Some great scenes of familiar mexico. It's silly but fun. Most of the shots are done with the close-up lens, which is weird. Directed by robert rodriguez. Filmed in ciudad acuña, mexico, which is about three hours west of san antonio. Currently showing on the pluto channel. It looks like they tried to make a television series from this film... which didn't last long.

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.

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. ***

This film is quite well known for being made on a $7000 budget, and while that can be quite impressive... Parts of this film are far from it. But that doesn't meant this is a bad film. Not at all.

First I want to cover the more amateur feeling parts of this film that bring it down. The acting can be pretty iffy at times, sometimes coming across as quite terrible. The camera work can be a bit shoddy at times as well, with certain shots containing random camera shaking that just seems to be an error rather then stylistic choice. Audio can be strange and distracting too, generally due to the fact that the film was shot silent and then the audio was recorded on set with a cheap recording device and synced later. Also, the story is pretty cheesy and is full of little plot holes that if you're paying attention will make you go "wait...what?".

These cons do not completely take away from the pros however. I think there's a lot to be respected about this film, due to how cheap it was made. There are occasionally shots that are quote impressive and well thought out. While the story is kinda cheesy, it does get you interested when things start to heat up. There's almost a kind of fun aspect to the film where you see certain things and wonder to yourself how they were done on such a cheap budget.

It's a great first film and is an interesting film for people who want to create their own, due to the fact that it was created so cheap and creatively. It's an example of how you can start off small, but become big.