Mexican Films / Films About Mexico

[Reno]

Cronos, The Devil's Backbone and Pans Labyrinth are all fantastic. Maybe because I have only seen Pans once and recently it strikes me as the most remarkable of the three.

It's certainly getting a lot more hype than the earlier film, but I found Pan's Labyrinth largely repetitive of The Devil's Backbone, but without the shadings of grey or the interesting sub-plots. I also didn't respond as well to the fairy tale characters (fairytales are already so loaded with allegorical baggage) especially not the mime-like faun and thought the ghosts in the earlier film worked better. Not saying I didn't like it, just thinking it's becoming a tad overrated. There are also quite a few very similar films that have gone before, like Spirit of the Beehive and The Night of San Lorenzo, both of which I also liked better.

I sort of agree with this review:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=2497

 

[Dubversion]

I'm tempted to rent Devil's Backbone again and watch it with Pan's Labyrinth in mind.. see how they overlap / conflict. Like I say, I did think it was a brilliant film but there's something about Pan's Labyrinth that really excited me. I also enjoy seeing a film that might usually get written off as arthouse or whatever getting a decent audience rather than just critical plaudits

 

[Groucho]

Oops derail!

I'm not impressed by that review at all.

Too simplistic to simply say that the 'fantasy' elements are an escape into Ofelia's mind. Not strictly true to say that there is a chasm between the fantasy in Ofelia's head and the reality of life under the Fascists. Nor is Pans a simple retread of the themes explored by Devil's Backbone.

This bit is piss poor:

though sexism might explain why del Toro filters his young female character's crisis through a fairy tale scrim

 

[Reno]

I'm not impressed by that review at all.

Too simplistic to simply say that the 'fantasy' elements are an escape into Ofelia's mind. Not strictly true to say that there is a chasm between the fantasy in Ofelia's head and the reality of life under the Fascists. Nor is Pans a simple retread of the themes explored by Devil's Backbone.

This bit is piss poor:

Not sure about the sexism line myself, but that's how I largely interpreted the film. I just didn't think there was that much to it and I felt a bit let down by the ending.

I've watched Devil's Backbone about six times now and it becomes a richer film with every viewing, but recently had problems sitting through Pan's Labyrinth a second time, which made me feel more critical about the film than when I saw it the first time.

 

[Louloubelle]

jodorowsky's Santa Sangre

described by Barry Norman as "the worst film I've ever seen"

It's like Psycho on acid

 

[Leica]

Under the Volcano, if you haven't seen it yet.

 

[Kanda]

El Mariachi

 

[Dubversion]

Under the Volcano, if you haven't seen it yet.

Ah, good call. Tried reading the book but gave up (those aren't fucking sentences, they're torture instruments)

 

[Leica]

...

 

[Maltin]

I saw Viva Zapata! in London recently, which was pretty good.

 

[Maltin]

Other ones about historic Mexican figures (although ones I've not seen):

Juarez
Villa Rides!

Others that sound interesting:

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
The Fugitive (1947)
Old Gringo
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (can't believe I've not seen this )
Vera Cruz

A bit further north - The Alamo and Lone Star

New Mexico - The Milagro Beanfield War

 

[Groucho]

New Mexico - The Milagro Beanfield War

'sagreat film! nearly Mexico

 

[Maltin]

More I've just looked up:

The Pearl
Danzon
Like Water for Chocolate
Bandido (1956)
Mexican Hayride
The Proud Ones

 

[Maltin]

More:

Across the Bridge
Border Incident
Breakout
Bullfighter and the Lady
Captain From Castile
His Kind of Woman
Night of the Iguana
The Professionals
Touch of Evil
Two Mules for Sister Sara
Viva Villa!

Should be enough to be getting on with.

 

[blinky_bill]

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada http://www.amazon.com/Three-Burials-Melquiades-Estrada/dp/B000F8O2QU
Maybe it isn't a Mexican film, but I think it's relevant. More about the modern Mexico/Texas border and cultural tension, amongst other things. A great movie, imo the most overlooked film of the last few years.
Anybody who appreciates the novels of Cormac McCarthy should definitely see this, and anybody interested in Mexico should read Cormac McCarthy.

 

[DrRingDing]

What about that film about whatsherchops who shagged trotsky?

Thats quite good.

 

[Dubversion]

Frida.

a wonderful film

 

[DrRingDing]

What about that film about whatsherchops who shagged trotsky?

Thats quite good.

Frida Kahlo

 

[Leica]

The trouble with Frida (the film) is that it is more about Diego Rivera. The best thing about it was the passing appearance of Ashley Judd as Tina Modotti.

 

[DrRingDing]

Dubversion: If you want to wallow in Mexican culture keep an eye out for the mexican surf band 'Senor Bikini' they iz teh

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Born In East LA.

El Topo

The Holy Mountain

El Norte

Milagro Beanfield War

 

[Dubversion]

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada http://www.amazon.com/Three-Burials-Melquiades-Estrada/dp/B000F8O2QU
Maybe it isn't a Mexican film, but I think it's relevant. More about the modern Mexico/Texas border and cultural tension, amongst other things. A great movie, imo the most overlooked film of the last few years.
Anybody who appreciates the novels of Cormac McCarthy should definitely see this, and anybody interested in Mexico should read Cormac McCarthy.

a brilliant film - i banged on about it on here for ages and hardly anybody seems to have seen it.

And yes, McCarthy pisses on just about anybody still writing. Although, ironically, you should run screaming from the room if anyone suggests watching All The Pretty Horses, which was a fucking travesty. I hope McCarthy never had to watch what they did to his book

 

[rekil]

I sort of agree with this review:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=2497

That review is a bit shit, especially the sexism bit.

I thought that in Ofelia's mind, the fairies represented the guerrillas'the people in the woods' as she called them, which led me to believe that she was well aware of the political situation.

The captain's 2nd in command (Garces or Serrano?) was an interesting character. He seemed to be a regular bloke just following the path of least resistance but even this had undesirable consequences. It was his complacency that led firstly to the 2 peasants being shot then allowed Mercedes to attack the captain.

 

[Reno]

That review is a bit shit, especially the sexism bit.

I thought that in Ofelia's mind, the fairies represented the guerrillas'the people in the woods' as she called them, which led me to believe that she was well aware of the political situation.

The captain's 2nd in command (Garces or Serrano?) was an interesting character. He seemed to be a regular bloke just following the path of least resistance but even this had undesirable consequences. It was his complacency that led firstly to the 2 peasants being shot then allowed Mercedes to attack the captain.

As I said, I agree that the sexism line is a bit OTT, but I don't know in which way anything else you've got to say responds to the review. I agree with the review that the fairy tale sequence didn't compensate for the main characters being fairly two dimensional and this was handled with more complexity in The Devil's Backbone. In the end it's a positive review, it just isn't as gushing as the Mark Kermode school of film criticism.

 

[rekil]

As I said, I agree that the sexism line is a bit OTT, but I don't know in which way anything else you've got to say responds to the review.

It ain't meant to. The review said nothing to me.

 

[Elpenor]

I note that Los Olvidados is on at the BFI in June and it just happens to be fill some time on a Sunday when I’m in london before a concert I am going to at the royal festival hall. I quite liked the two Rumberas films I’ve seen, which are from a similar era of Mexican film, so think I’ll go along.

 

[trabuquera]

Recently shown on Film4 so it might be knocking about online somewhere - Radical (2023) - which is not half as revolutionary as the name implies, a rather traditional 'inspirational teacher fights the system and gets amazing results' movie which hits a lot of the same beats as Stand and Deliver and so on, but has great performances and is much less bleak than lots of recent drug-war sagas despite being set in Ciudad Juarez during the grimmest years.

 

[Sue]

I saw Maria Candelaria (from Mexico's Golden Age) at the LFF last year. Really enjoyed it.

I note that Los Olvidados is on at the BFI in June and it just happens to be fill some time on a Sunday when I’m in london before a concert I am going to at the royal festival hall. I quite liked the two Rumberas films I’ve seen, which are from a similar era of Mexican film, so think I’ll go along.

I'm a BFI member so if you want a cheaper ticket, let me know.

 

[Elpenor]

I saw Maria Candelaria (from Mexico's Golden Age) at the LFF last year. Really enjoyed it.

I'm a BFI member so if you want a cheaper ticket, let me know.

That would be amazing, thank you, will message you

 

[nagapie]

Je ne suis plus là (2019) ⭐ 7.3 | Drama

1h 52m | 13

m.imdb.com

Very hard hitting and sad.