Synopsis
El Mariachi just wants to play his guitar and carry on the family tradition. Unfortunately, the town he tries to find work in has another visitor, a killer who carries his guns in a guitar case. The drug lord and his henchmen mistake el Mariachi for the killer, Azul, and chase him around town trying to kill him and get his guitar case.
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Cast
- Carlos GallardoEl Mariachi
- Consuelo GómezDomino
- Jaime de HoyosBigotón
- Peter MarquardtMauricio
- Reinol MartinezAzul
- Ramiro GómezCantinero
- Jesús LópezViejo Clerk
- Luis BaróDomino's Assistant
- Oscar FabilaThe Boy
- Poncho RamonAzul's Rat
Recommendations
- 80
Chicago Reader
Juicy, adroit, and likable. - 80
Washington Post
This brilliantly naive, low-budget shoot-'em-up presents every action as if it were brand spanking new. - 78
Austin Chronicle
While the story may be a common one (for the action genre, at least), Rodriguez, who wrote, produced, shot and edited the entire film himself, has a uniquely straightforward wit that makes what might otherwise have been just another shoot-'em-up something more than that. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Enormously entertaining. - 75
ReelViews
A gripping, tautly-paced action flick that outdoes most of Hollywood's similar output. This is clear evidence that film quality often has little to do with a production's budget. - 70
The New York Times
Mythic pulp has its allure, and it also has its limitations. El Mariachi displays no real emotion except a profound appreciation for the genre film making that has inspired it, and a delight in manipulating the elements of such stories. - 70
TV Guide Magazine
The unrelenting tempo is bolstered by Rodriguez's camera work and editing: nearly every frame seems to have been shot with a careening, handheld camera, and they're cut together in a skillful, fluid fashion that enhances the tension and pace of the 80-minute chase. - 70
Variety
Spanish lingo crime meller has a verve and cheekiness that's partly a smart wedding of such influences as Sergio Leone, George Miller and south-of-the-border noir.
