MaximumMadness What more can be said of "El Mariachi"? Truly? It's gone down into the history books of pop-culture for its ferocious ingenuity and rampant creativity, and has for the past twenty-five years become a beacon of inspiration for virtually all low-budget and wannabe filmmakers. A simple story told through creative visuals despite a non-existent budget, the film is an absolute revelation. It rocketed director Robert Rodriguez to stardom and proved to the world the power of indie cinema... showing beyond a shadow of a doubt that you don't need a big-budget and big-names to sell a film... just talent, dedication and a passion to tell a story.In an unnamed small Mexican town, the titular nameless Mariachi (Carlos Gallardo) arrives, seeking out a job to prove himself and earn some much-needed money to get by. But little does he know that a peculiar twist in fate will soon emerge, as at the same time, a career- criminal called "Azul" (Reinol Martínez) also arrives in town... and in his possession is a guitar-case full of weapons. Due to a classic case of mistaken identities, the mariachi soon finds himself in the cross- hairs of Azul's enemies, included the dreadful crime-boss "Moco" (Peter Marquardt), and must struggle to survive... all the while, the mariachi also attempts to romance a beautiful young woman (Consuelo Gómez) who takes pity on him.The film's production has become the stuff of legend, and for good reason. Rodriguez and his small, dedicated team managed to put the film together using barely-functional equipment, favors from friends and neighbors, and a budget of only about $7,000. And yet, the result is a solid and satisfying action-thriller that still holds up for the most part thanks to the manic and infectious energy of all involved and some clever twists and turns. Without the money to afford spectacle set- pieces or even convincing props, the film instead uses creative means and sharp writing to accomplish its goals, leading to many a genuinely thrilling and exciting moment. It's a real-life fairy-tale of success if ever I've seen one, and still manages to inspire even as it feels a bit more antiquated and dated over time.The cast is a lot of fun, despite mainly being made up of friends and volunteers, and everyone plays their roles very well. Gallardo in particular being quite good as a sort-of average "everyman" whom is thrown into a hellish fight to stay alive. Even though the role would eventually be recast with the excellent Antonio Bandares in the sequels, Gallardo knocks it out of the park, and you can't help but root for the mariachi in every single scene. I also really enjoyed Consuelo Gómez in her role of Domino, the woman whom the mariachi falls for. She's perhaps not the most developed character, but she and Gallardo share a great on-screen chemistry, and she does very well with the material. And of course, Marquardt and Martínez are both quite good as our slimy villains, and you'll just love hating both of their guts.But we all know the real star here is writer/director Rodriguez, and you definitely see his genius on display throughout the entire film. While his more recent works have earned a very mixed reception, the fact remains that the man is a great director and knows how to entertain an audience with some flair and gusto. He's got a great eye for composition and uses this well in the film's many action sequences. A chase that includes a zip-line and a ride on top of a bus in particular being absolutely jaw-dropping in its execution. And he constantly and cleverly finds ways around his limitations and make the lack of budget work for the film creatively. For a director who was in his early-20's at the time of production, this is really surprising stuff to behold.There's a reason why "El Mariachi" took the world by storm back in the 90's. And there's a reason why it's still talked about and studied to this very day. While not a particularly complex tale, it's very well-structured and well-executed, and it shows how raw talent and passion can overcome even the greatest of odds. There's no other way around it- the film's awesome and inspiring and well- worth checking out. And so, I give it a very good 8 out of 10. A must-watch thriller for all fans of film and entertainment!

TheFilmGuy1 This film is quite well known for being made on a $7000 budget, and while that can be quite impressive... Parts of this film are far from it. But that doesn't meant this is a bad film. Not at all.First I want to cover the more amateur feeling parts of this film that bring it down. The acting can be pretty iffy at times, sometimes coming across as quite terrible. The camera work can be a bit shoddy at times as well, with certain shots containing random camera shaking that just seems to be an error rather then stylistic choice. Audio can be strange and distracting too, generally due to the fact that the film was shot silent and then the audio was recorded on set with a cheap recording device and synced later. Also, the story is pretty cheesy and is full of little plot holes that if you're paying attention will make you go "wait...what?".These cons do not completely take away from the pros however. I think there's a lot to be respected about this film, due to how cheap it was made. There are occasionally shots that are quote impressive and well thought out. While the story is kinda cheesy, it does get you interested when things start to heat up. There's almost a kind of fun aspect to the film where you see certain things and wonder to yourself how they were done on such a cheap budget. It's a great first film and is an interesting film for people who want to create their own, due to the fact that it was created so cheap and creatively. It's an example of how you can start off small, but become big.

bts1984 For a movie that is so minimalist, 'El Mariachi' doesn't offer little and doesn't leave much to be desired. Generally speaking, the "minimalist philosophy" is practically omni-present in this movie. The story is simple, most actors are amateur, the scenario is real, and efficiency and the use of the brain replace any needless effects. Just about everything is authentic and economical. Not a bad way of thinking: makes it all the more realistic and at the same time keeps the costs lower.Nothing is overdone, even the action in it - although, I can't lie, this is a very violent movie at times and there is some disturbing content. But even the most shocking violence is kept in an acceptable league - that is, hardly more than the necessary. On the other hand, despite being a crime story, there is a good deal of clever humor (natural humor instead of bad taste humor or forceful humor).Time shows that this movie has gone down in history as a great success. And rightfully so. It has aged with dignity and is now old enough to be considered a little classic.The story of a good-natured mariachi who only wants to offer his music in exchange of very little money but is confounded with a violent criminal who looks nothing like him dressed in a similar style and carrying a guitar case just like his (however with guns and knives inside) is quite thrilling and involving.Peter Marquardt is great as Moco. Moco can be funny at times and yet he is so arrogant and cruel that you really hate him. But if he amuses you and at the same time fills you in hate that only means that the actor does his role very well. Carlos Gallardo is terrific as the mariachi. Consuelo Gómez is splendid as Dominó. Dominó is hot, sexy, beautiful and yet she has a strong personality: she has a devilish sense of humor, she can be aggressive in a sensual way, she has that exotic but severe look and she is obviously a powerful woman, a woman with guts. You gotta love her for all that. Dominó is one of the hottest women in cinema ever although, to be honest, the woman who manicures Moco's hands is just as hot.I find it cute and funny that the little turtle of the movie is credited. Not that it doesn't deserve. Why shouldn't animals deserve such honor? Tito Tortuga is great in its minor role as the turtle that crosses a road.All in all, an enjoyable movie. I only don't like the ending because Dominó is killed and the mariachi gets his hand shot. At least Moco gets what he deserves, but unfortunately too late for Dominó and the mariachi. Title in Portugal: 'El Mariachi'.

Terrell Howell (KnightsofNi11) In 1992, a little known director by the name of Robert Rodriguez surprised everyone at the Sundance Film Festival with his low budget action thriller El Mariachi. There isn't a whole lot too this film but that might be what makes it so great. It's a straightforward story about Robert Rodriguez's own "man with no name character." But instead of literally being called The Man With No Name, our protagonist is simple called El Mariachi. El Mariachi is a traveling guitar player whose only dream is to carry on the legacy his guitarist ancestors established. He has to take a detour from this dream when he is mistaken for someone with much more sinister intentions than he. A man by the name of Azul is taking out a drug dealer's men trying to get his money the drug dealer owes him. Moco the drug dealer sends his men out to find and kill Azul. The only problem is his men don't know what he looks like and their only identifier is that he wears all black and carries a guitar case filled with guns. Unfortunately for El Mariachi, he also fits this description minus the firearms. And even though the story is fairly simple, it feels like a lot happens in this film, especially for one that only runs 80 minutes.The most defining thing about El Mariachi is its independent feel, which doesn't hold the film back at all. In fact, it gives it a much more intense and gritty feel. It's lack of glamour and glitz makes it a lot more visceral and, to me at least, more exciting. Rodriguez directs this film with a very rough around the edges feel to it. There are a lot of close ups and plenty of quick hand-held shots that put you into the middle of the action, but due to the low budget aura of the film you don't feel shoved into the action, instead just precariously placed there to watch it all unfold in a very real sense without being over dramatized. You have to respect El Mariachi for what it is and if you do you can enjoy it much more.Like I said before, El Mariachi delivers a lot in under 90 minutes. Amidst the great low budget action sequences there really is a great story, despite any simplicity there is on the surface. The film gives us a quick and intense opening sequence in which Azul breaks out of jail and finds out he wont be receiving his money from Moco. We are then introduced to our protagonist and what he stands for. Then we are quickly thrown into the heat of the story as Azul goes on a killing spree for revenge, and El Mariachi is chased down as a result of these actions. The film never has a dull point, which isn't saying much for such a short film, but it still makes it much more enjoyable overall. And even though we see a simple storyline on the surface, we are actually delivered a very well constructed protagonist. He is somebody we are really able to feel sorry for. He pursues such a pure dream of being a renowned guitarist just like his ancestors before him, and yet he has that dream trashed and scattered by the evil of the world. He begins the film as pretty much the only character with good intentions. The rest of the cast, albeit small, are all greedy scoundrels who taint El Mariachi's good hope. In hindsight, it is actually very depressing. And then of course the film ends with a bittersweet set up for Rodriguez's sequel to El Mariachi, Desperado.El Mariachi is simply awesome. For something so low budget and so limited, Rodriguez does great things with this movie. It's a short but fun ride that begins strong, entertains in the middle, and ends with a bang. This film shows how much can be done with so little and how you can still make a great movie without an overtly complex concept. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I highly recommend it.