El mariachi (1992)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Robert Rodriguez

Writer:

Robert Rodriguez (written by)

Release Date:

26 February 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

With a guitar in his hand and a price on his head, he wasn't looking for trouble...but trouble came looking for him.

Plot:

A traveling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal and must hide from a gang bent on killing him.

Plot Keywords:

Mariachi | Guitar | Guitar Case | Gun | Mexico

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Carlos Gallardo	...	El Mariachi
Consuelo Gómez	...	Domino
Jaime de Hoyos	...	Bigotón (as Jaime De Hoyos)
Peter Marquardt	...	Mauricio
Reinol Martinez	...	Azul
Ramiro Gómez	...	Cantinero (as Ramiro Gomez)
Jesús López	...	Viejo Clerk (as Jesus Lopez)
Luis Baró	...	Domino's Assistant (as Luis Baro)
Oscar Fabila	...	The Boy
Poncho Ramón	...	Azul's Rat (as Poncho Ramon)
Fernando Martínez	...	Azul's Rat (as Fernando Martinez)
Manuel Acosta	...	Bodyguard
Walter Vargas	...	Prisoner
Roberto Martinez	...	Prisoner
Virgen Delgado	...	Female Bodyguard

Also Known As:

El mariachi (Finland) [fi]
El mariachi (France) [fr]
El mariachi (Spain) [es]
El mariachi (Greece) [el]
El mariachi, suonatore di chitarra (Italy) [it]
Falsk mördare (Sweden) [sv]
Gitarim ve silahim (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
O Mariachi (Brazil) (TV title) [pt]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence.

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

Mexico | USA

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:18A (British Columbia) (1999) | Brazil:14 | Australia:M | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R (Approval No. 31967)

Filming Locations:

Ciudad Acuña, Coahuíla, Mexico

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Robert Rodriguez claims the other actors were "innocent" passers-by. He gave them lines as and when they were needed.

Goofs:

Continuity: The keyboard player at the bar disappears moments after playing when Azul kills the men inside.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mauricio: Good morning, Azul. Know who this is?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico (2005) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Ganas De Vivir

a bang of a debut

Robert Rodriguez has his first little/big film here that is by no means big money wise. The book written by Rodriguez, Rebel Without a Crew, illustrates this point very well, but to see the film in its present form you might wonder if it really cost more than he says. But it's this same grit that adds to its rough charm, like a slightly more cartoonish, crazy and action-packed film in the vein of Night of the Living Dead (shoe-string done with a level of truth for what the genre material needs). The budget for this film was 7000. That is the cheapest price for a film given wide release I've still heard of, and probably is. And watching this film I noticed that a lot the big hundreds of millions of dollars spent on other films, while usually bankrolled with high-powered Hollywood casts and immense crews working on special effects, they lost an intensity that this film has even in its brief quiet scenes. Plus, as in the rest of the Mariachi films, it's often got a slick, quick sense of humor where Rodriguez's compositions say almost all there needs to be said. The story shows a singing musician (El Mariachi) who is not looking for trouble, but everyone is wanting to kill a man carrying a guitar case, which he has. It's a nifty little classic of exploitation/action that was meant for video markets but doesn't compromise. It's even got OK acting.