The mythology behind Robert Rodriguez’s low-budget classic is astounding. How the Texan director sold his body to science at a local drug testing facility where he wrote the script, filmed it in Mexico with a budget of only $7,000, and managed to make it through their rushed production and post-production without any crew. Just one guy behind a camera and the help of those in front of it, (and a lot of talent). This story has long inspired film students and independent filmmakers throughout the decades, proving that it is possible to just go out and make a film despite the resources you have. But for me, what’s most remarkable about this story is that the film itself is actually great! The enduring legacy of Robert Rodriguez’s debut feature is that it’s not just possible to make a film for cheap, but it’s possible to make a really awesome film. El Mariachi proves it!
The first thing that stands out to me about El Mariachi is just how fast-paced it is. Although Robert Rodriguez was still a film student, this has none of the flaws that has become commonplace for so many student films. In one of the early scenes of the film, we meet the protagonist, Mariachi (Carlos Gallardo), hitchhiking in the desert “Sin amor. Sin suerte” (or “Without love. Without luck.”). To me, it immediately gives off strong vibes from George Miller’s original Mad Max as both contain a lonely man forced to wander the wasteland. This time, the archetypal hero carries nothing but a guitar case in his hand, which proves to be instantly iconic. He is also accompanied by a small turtle who walks alongside him on the road into town, ducking into its shell as Mariachi passes him on the sun-baked road. Also iconic. At this point, we don’t know much about this character, but I’m hooked. How long has he been on screen? 30 seconds? 2 minutes? I told you this thing moved fast.
After that, our protagonist enters Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, where his luck does not improve when he is mistaken for the killer Azul (Reinol Martinez) also carrying a guitar case who is wanted by local hitmen. With that simple setup, this film is off to the races in which Mariachi must survive a series of dangerous gun fights to escape the town alive in hopes of playing his guitar another day. There’s hardly a slow beat in this film, and once the action gets going it’s impossible to look away. Even slower scenes inside bars are kept entertaining by Rodriguez’s energetic camera or quick cutting style. One of my favorite moments is when Mariachi must ride a zip-line across a public street onto the front of a moving bus. It doesn’t matter that the zip-line they used on set was homemade, or that nearly everything was shot with only one take almost like a documentary, the results are there and so is my suspension of disbelief. In 2020, it’s hard to believe Robert Rodriguez pulled this off, and in 1992 it must’ve been unbelievable… It’s truly a masterclass in economical, effective filmmaking. The camera’s use of zoom lenses, placement, and rapid cutting not only disguise the film’s low-budget, but also serve the story perfectly! Besides, those quick cuts would probably be there anyway if they had a million bucks and blocked off the city street, hired a stunt coordinator, and shot the sequence with multiple cameras. But that’s not the Mariachi way.
Anyway, the script doesn’t just pander to fun action or interesting plot setups, but the character of Mariachi is developed into an empathetic hero that is grown and challenged in interesting ways. He meets a woman named Domino (Consuelo Gomez) and falls in love, which complicates matters more. And he learns that there’s one man behind everything, Mauricio (Peter Marquardt), who lounges back on a wealthy ranch, pulling all the strings. By the end, Mariachi will come to find he has more here at stake than just his own life, and he is given new purpose to continue onward. In the beginning, he was Mad Max; but by the end, he’s become the Road Warrior, bearing a trusty dog at his side, a painful wound, and a new machine that will take him across the wasteland as he continues to wander. And there’s the turtle again. Nice touch. I love this movie.