El Mariachi (Film Review)

1992 Columbia Pictures
Written and Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gómez, Reinol Martinez, and Peter Marquardt
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 81 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 7/10

El Mariachi wanders around Mexico with his guitar case, wanting to play music for the people. Unfortunately for El Mariachi, there's another man around town who carries a guitar case...only this one is filled with guns. That man is Azul, a violent criminal wanted by the area's biggest drug lord, Moco. After a brutal case of mistaken identity, El Mariachi hides out in the apartment of Dominó, a beautiful bartender who allows him to play music for her patrons. As El Mariachi's feelings for Dominó grow amorous, Moco begins to tighten his net around the city. Will El Mariachi realize his musical dreams, or be drawn into a violent web from which there is no escape?
Robert Rodriguez only had $7,225 to spend on his first feature film, 1992's El Mariachi, forcing him into a lot of ingenious improvisation. At its core, El Mariachi is cheap action schlock, but after seeing the majority of Rodriguez' bigger budget work created after this, perhaps this micro-budget environment is where Rodriguez flourishes best. El Mariachi's action scenes are fun and hyperkinetic, even though the squibs sometimes go off too late and Rodriguez has to use the same stunt man (with a mustache, with a wig, etc.) as El Mariachi's victim over and over again. Likewise, Rodriguez presents the dusty border town of Ciudad Acuña essentially as is, as he doesn't have the money to dress it up, resulting in an incredible sense of local flavor that dissipates as this Mexico trilogy of films, of which El Mariachi is the first, goes on with ever-increasing budgets.
Portraying the titular character before Antonio Banderas took over for the next two films, Carlos Gallardo brings a fun levity and charm to the role that enhances the breezy nature of the film. As Dominó, Consuelo Gómez exudes an enigmatic energy that imbues the character with a magnetic air of mystery. Perhaps because he only has 81 minutes to work with, or perhaps because he has a chip on his shoulder to prove himself with his low budget, Rodriguez seems invested in making each frame here as enjoyable as possible. Even quiet character moments in Dominó's apartment are entertaining and fun, with frequent shots to her dog, and interesting blocking. In fact, on first watch, El Marachi seemed to be earning a special place in my heart, until the final ten minutes, where plot logic fails completely and the film suddenly becomes clumsy and overwhelmingly silly. Still, the first 70 minutes, with their low-budget grain, brisk and airy pace, and genuine and lovely sense of place and character, still make El Mariachi a worthwhile experience.