El Mariachi (1992) interests me because it was such a landmark of independent filmmaking – made as virtually a one-man effort for $7,000 by a 24-year-old Texan (Robert Rodriguez) (plus $200,000 post-production), it made over $2 million. (Though the film was made in Mexico and in Spanish, I’m counting it as an American film because made by an American who has since spent his career in the US film industry).
A question I raise in my paper is whether a filmmaker’s ability to work for little money without capitalists looking over his shoulder is likely to affect his view of capitalists. I see this as an important issue because digital filmmaking and Internet distribution might actually make these working conditions a realistic possibility.
On the evidence of this film, it seems the answer is that the new economics of filmmaking might affect part, but not all, of the message. In the film, the eponymous hero (Carlos Gallardo) just wants to travel from town to town to sing his simple poetry accompanied by his acoustic guitar. But the capitalists (i.e., the bar owners) prefer one-man electrified bands and their tacky contemporary music.
This may be more a comment about modern tastes than about capital. But, after all, the problem with capital constraints is that they force obedience to these tastes.
El Mariachi ultimately loses his love, his guitar, and his ability to make music because of a vicious drug lord. Our hero takes his dead girlfriend’s motorcycle (given her by the drug lord) and takes off down the road, bent for a life of violence.
In the film there are two guitar cases. One holds el Mariachi's guitar, the other holds guns. When the powers that be take the art, the artist is left only with violence. So it’s hard to make art in this world – maybe not because of capitalists, but always because of their close kin, the rich and powerful.
Ironically, after his success with this film, Rodriguez was able to get lots of money to make movies. He went on to make violent John Woo-type films – Desperados (1995) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), and From Dusk to Dawn (1996), a vampire western.
Right on! On a side note, check out the cheap bass guitar at http://www.bassguitarstore
Posted by: cheap bass guitar | January 17, 2005 at 12:19 PM
Filmmaking is also work that can easily make mnore money...
but aside in landmark thats also a nice combination
Posted by: Juno888 | June 27, 2007 at 05:51 AM
Yeah.. I heard lot about this movie.My friend was telling me that movie was too average type. It is one time move.
Posted by: Watch Movies | November 05, 2009 at 07:24 AM