El Mariachi blog

                There are many common Mexican stereotypes identified in the film El Mariachi.  First of all, the “macho” men were usually in groups, with good looking women catering to them. The violence and weapons could be classified as a stereotype.  The bandido-violence is commonly associated with the Mexican culture because of the drug and weapon cartel that they have become known for here in the United States. Movies like this portray violence that may or may not be exaggerated.

                The “Mariachi” in the film states “all I wanted was to be a mariachi like my ancestors.” His whole life revolved around his guitar and finding money to do what he thought he was born into. He wanted to follow the footsteps of his past generations, even though it appeared to be getting him nowhere in life. He felt that his purpose was to dedicate his life to singing for entertainment.

                The role of music is very important in this film. The whole film is based around this “mariachi’s” way of life. He fights for his life to do what he loves. He dreamed and lived it every day. The music played in the movie was also very significant. Every scene lead up to the next with some type of “spooky” background music. When the Mariachi was in the scene, whether he was playing his guitar or not, the music was usually very light. When Moco, for example, was a part of the scene, the “spooky” music once again played.

Machuca Film Review

In the movie Machuca, Gonzalo and Pedro form a very unlikely friendship, one that causes constant pressure on these young children lives. My first thought about the friendship between these two boys is that they need each other. Gonzalo is a very lonely kid, longing to find acceptance. Pedro is a “lower class” citizen in their culture, and he longs for the acceptance of kids like Gonzalo. Their friendship seems to also form from curiosity. They each wonder what the other’s life consist of. Gonzalo lived a rich, sheltered life and Pedro lived a wildly complicated, poor life. Also, Gonzalo’s mother is having a love affair with a wealthy older man. His father is sweet but ineffectual, and lacks the fire to fight for his marriage. He therefore escapes into his friendship with Pedro. Although they obviously notice the distinction of class, it seems as though they ignore it way more than adults would in this situation. The longing for acceptance in both of their lives seems to outweigh the social differences.

The differences between the two social classes were very obvious. One scene, Pedro noticed the Adidas shoes that Gonzalo owned while visiting his home and was over excited. This scene made it very clear that items like a pair of shoes were a luxury never experienced by Pedro. When Gonzalo accepted the ride home from Pedro in the first part of the movie, he was unaccepted by Pedro’s family. He was called a “snob” along with other names dividing their social classes.

In my opinion, the main focus of this movie is the moral test that these children endure during a time in Chile when the government is in an uproar. Their friendship ultimately becomes impossible to bridge. During the uproar in the church when the parents were disputing the priest’s decision to accept the “poor” kids into the school, one mother made the comment “you cannot mix apples and pears.” This comment makes it very clear that these “upper class” citizens feel that are above families like Pedro’s. Both families should value each other as equal citizens of the country, but unfortunately that is not the case.

Under the Same Moon Blog Discussion

          Under the Same Moon was a very touching film and very relevent to the topic of cultural diversity. It seemed as though Rosario had a few different reasons for leaving Carliots in his grandmothers care as she left for the states. One could quickly assume that she appeared to want to make a better life for only herself, but after finishing the movie, and seeing how quickly she was willing to return when she felt that Carlitos needed her, it was obvious that she was trying to make a better life for both of them.
          I believe that the decision was a very difficult one for Rosario to make. She made the decision with the best interest of her family in mind. It was obvious that this was very hard for her to do. She was going to marry a man simply to gain citizenship for her and Carlitos. She thought of Carlitos in almost every scene and it seemed to be very upsetting for her even years later. When she called him on the pay phone in the beginning of the movie, she became very emotional when it was clear to her how much Carlitos missed her.
          Carlitos had to grow up very fast living away from his mother. He was left to take care of his sick grandmother and raise himself. He had to work at a young age and kind of be the "man" of the family. Rosario also had problems living so far away from her son. Like any mother who loves their child, she missed him deeply and lived with that decision to leave him every day. She spoke several times of wanting to go home to be with him.
          I do believe that a mother in the United States would make the same decision to better the life of their child. It is kind of the same context as giving a child up for adoption. It takes a very un-selfish person to make such a kind hearted decision to better the life of a child in the means of giving them up. I personally do not know how it would feel to be away from my child for years, or a lifetime, but I could only imagine that I too would have that decision on my mind every day.