The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Tommy Lee Jones

Writer (WGA):

Guillermo Arriaga (written by)

Release Date:

3 February 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Nobody is beyond redemption.

Plot:

Ranch hand Pete Perkins looks to fulfill the promise to his recently deceased best friend by burying him in his hometown in Mexico.

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Mexican | Texas | Desert | Promise

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Pete Perkins
Barry Pepper	...	Mike Norton
Julio Cedillo	...	Melquiades Estrada (as Julio César Cedillo)
Dwight Yoakam	...	Belmont
January Jones	...	Lou Ann Norton
Melissa Leo	...	Rachel
Levon Helm	...	Old Man with Radio
Mel Rodriguez	...	Captain Gomez
Cecilia Suárez	...	Rosa
Ignacio Guadalupe	...	Lucio
Vanessa Bauche	...	Mariana
Irineo Alvarez	...	Manuel (as Irineo Álvarez)
Guillermo Arriaga	...	Juan
Josh Berry	...	Border Patrolman
Rodger Boyce	...	Salesman

Also Known As:

Three Burials: The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (Australia) (DVD box title) (UK) (DVD box title)
The 3 Burials of Melquiades Estrada (USA) (alternative spelling)
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (International: English title)
Trois enterrements (France)
Los tres entierros de Melquiades Estrada (Argentina) (International: Spanish title) (Mexico) [es]
Üç defin (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Kolmesti kuopattu (Finland) (DVD title) [fi]
Le tre sepolture (Italy) [it]
Melquiades Estrada három temetése (Hungary) [hu]
Oi treis tafes tou Melquiades Estrada (Greece) [el]
Os três Enterros de Um Homem (Portugal) [pt]
Three Burials - Die drei Begräbnisse des Melquiades Estrada (Germany) [de]
Três Enterros (Brazil) [pt]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

121 min | Argentina:121 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Turkey:107 min (TV version)

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Netherlands:12 | Ireland:15A | Brazil:14 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating) | Germany:12 (f) | USA:R (No. 42191) | Finland:K-13

Filming Locations:

Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA

Company:

Europa Corp.

Trivia:

The producers tried to sway Tommy Lee Jones from using Mexican pastel colors for the title cards, but he told them he wouldn't budge on his decision.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After the hotel scene, when Pete and Melquiades Estrada drop the girls off at their vehicle, Melquiades Estrada gets back in the truck and puts the window up, a crew member can be seen in the reflection of the window.

Quotes:

[Pete is forcing Mike to sleep besides the body of Melquiades Estrada]
Mike Norton: Hey! Hey, you!
Pete Perkins: My name is Pete.
Mike Norton: Well, Pete, the ants are eating your friend.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Three Burials: Making the Music (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd

Sad and sometimes quirky journey about friendship, loss and regret

I just had the pleasure of seeing this wholly original modern-day American western. Just when you think you have this film's plot pigeon holed it takes you in a different direction. THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA is in part a revenge story, but it's also much more than that. There are no one dimensional characters. As much as you want to hate Barry Pepper's numbed border patrol officer, you can't help but feel sorry for him. And Tommy Lee Jones' Pete will break your heart. He and Pepper have never been better and Jones' direction is natural and subtle. My only problem with the film was sometimes it got a little too quirky for its own good. But for the most part I believed every moment and really cared for these lost characters. It's one of those films that really leaves you thinking about a lot of stuff, from mortality and loss to the very real problems of racism and inhumanity. It's never preachy or self aware and isn't out to impress, it's just telling a story. I highly recommend this movie. It's by far one of the best films I've seen recently.