El Mariachi/Desperado
(1993/1995)
review by Billion$Baby

Robert Rodriguez's originally straight to video intentioned debut cost a measly $7000 dollars only. The cost was to rise in post-production after Colombia Pictures bought the film, but most of those additional funds were spent on an English dub! Just as Bad Taste was to launch Peter Jackson's career, El Mariachi was to do the same for writer/director Robert Rodriguez.

Only two aspiring actors were used in the film, Rodriguez managed to get impressive enough spontaneous performances out of normal people. According to the director, this was because those normal folks felt less intimidated or self-concious because instead of being surrounded by a crew, they were just acting in front of Rodriguez who was also operating the camera and lighting the scenes. Being the editor also saved Rodriguez money, as little or no time was wasted on unnecessary footage.

The plot surrounds a case of mistaken identity as an unlucky guitar case carrying musician arrives in a new town at the same time as a killer using a guitar case to carry his weapons around in. In an almost farce like way, we then watch the metamorphosis of El
Mariachi, as the guitar player is forced to change his way of life. All of the way through, Rodriguez utilises cost-cutting or imaginative techniques to achieve the end result - an enjoyable action film with a healthy sense of humour.

What makes the film stand out is the budget. Until you consider it's limitations, it's a distinctly average but still enjoyable 80 minute actioner which is full of charm and often features the cool use of different camera speeds. El Mariachi is highly recommended for all aspiring film-makers or fans of impressive low-budget cinema and an excellent first chapter in this franchise.

Desperado

There are some who refer to Robert Rodriguez as the "great first half, crap second half" guy. Actually I'll tell you who - my parents when I lent 'em From Dusk Till Dawn without bothering to tell them that it was a film of two halves. Here I could actually use exactly the same description. This film is a classic that's just on the right side of cheese (with some brilliant shoot-out sequences and dialogue) for the first hour or so and then the last third of the film is really turgid stuff.

The showstopper several minute opening sequence with Steve Buscemi explaining to Cheech Marin the mythos of El Mariachi, the soda drinking man in black carrying a guitar case full of weaponry, is one of the very best intros I've ever seen. In both the dialogue and action stakes. Desperado also has a great Quentin Tarantino cameo to make note of and a very cool appearance by Danny Trejo as an knife-throwing assassin.

Banderas plays El Mariachi this time around. I was never a huge fan of Banderas but after seeing his performance in Four Rooms just a couple of years back, I've warmed to him. Rodriguez's sequel has a few discrepancies which are easily ignored, the obvious one
surrounding El Mariachi's left hand! And it's pleasing to see the original El Mariachi actor Carlos Gallardo turn up in a semi-starring role.

What keeps the film highly watchable stuff for the first two thirds is the great witty dialogue from characters played by Buscemi, Tarantino, Cheech or the jokes about the American tourists fused with some blistering action sequences and cool photography. Then
...boo!!! It really starts to hum badly from around the point where Banderas starts playing Salma Hayek like a six stringed guitar.

Not just visually but on a scripting level too, all of the witty characters have been killed off and we suddenly have a cheesy as hell love scene, an injured little boy being rushed to hospital, and a disappointing cop-out of an ending where the camera just fades to white instead of showing any action.

Apparently an end action sequence was shot but after being told of the cuts required by the MPAA for an 'R' rating, Rodriguez just removed it altogether. Desperado scrapes by with a mark of three. Rodriguez could have delivered a $7 million classic but he really lost his way in the woefully predictable and thoroughly nauseating last third of the picture. What a shame, let's all hope that Once Upon A Time In Mexico stays fresh and enjoyable all of the way through.

This flipper two movie disc has some great extras:

-Information packed commentary tracks for both films from the director.

-A 14 minute featurette where Rodriguez shows us raw and finished footage from "El Mariachi" explaining some of his money saving techniques or explaining how they managed to do certain stuff on a miniscule budget.

-A highly enjoyable Rodriguez black and white short
movie (10 minutes) called Bedhead.

-A ten minute Desperado featurette where the director shows us comparisons of storyboards, reheasal footage and the finished film.

-Two music videos from Desperado.

-Trailers and filmographies for both films.

Sadly El Mariachi's anamorphic print is rather grainy (annoyingly the $7000 version's full-frame footage, presented by Rodriguez on a featurette, is of better quality) and has 2.0 sound only with optional subtitles (no English dub but who wants that anyway?). And sometimes the film seems to suffer in it's matted 1,85:1 ratio, I'd have preferred a full-frame presentation myself. As for the other side of this flipper disc, Desperado's anamorphic print impresses and
this sequel is presented in 5.1 sound. So two generally enjoyable films, pleasingly presented with a generous package of extras as well