Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 166

Section 7 Chicago Tribune, Friday, March 12, 1993 Audacious 'El Mariachi' heralds a striking new talent "El Mariachi" Directed, photographed and edited by Robert Rodriguez; written and produced by Rodriguez and Carlos Gallardo. In Spanish with English subtitles. A Columbia Pictures release; opens March 12 at the Water Tower Theater. Running time: 1:20. MP A A rating: R.

Violence, strong language, adult situations. THE CAST El Mariachi Carlos Gallardo Domino Consuelo Gomez Moco Peter Marquardt Azul Reinol Martinez Economy of means translates effectively into economy of expression in "El Mariachi," Robert Rodriguez's tight, entertaining, profoundly pessimistic Spanish-language thriller. Made on a derisory budget of $7,000, which the 24-year-old Rodriguez is said to have raised in part by renting his body for a hospital research project, this extremely independent production was acquired by Columbia Pictures after scoring a triumph at last fall's Telluride Film Festival. Though a $5 million remake is the crux of the deal, Columbia is releasing the original in a few Movie review By Dave Kehr big-city theaters, blown up from 16 mm and accompanied by a considerably remixed and clarified soundtrack. If recent experience (namely, "The is any indication, there's not much point in waiting for the English-language remake; the scruffy original is the one to see.

"El Mariachi" stars Rodriguez's co-writer and co-producer, Carlos Gallardo, as the title character a boyish, wandering musician, dressed in black tomatic weapons. His name is Azul (Reinol Martinez, playing in the gruff tradition of Alfonso Bedoya) and he is a drug kingpin who, having just broken out of jail, is out for revenge on his ex-partner, a steely eyed gringo named Moco (Peter Marquardt). With Moco's men roving the streets, with orders to shoot, kill and feed Azul to the dogs, it's only a matter of time before the natural confusion occurs, and the mariachi is beset by grinning thugs, all armed to the teeth and firing indiscriminately. The musician fights back as best he can, and succeeds in killing four of Moco's men which only increases Moco's rage and confusion. For help, the mariachi turns to the only friend he has made in and toting a guitar case, who drifts into the dingy border town of Acuna, looking for a barroom his bad luck that another stranger is in Acuna that day, also dressed in black and also carrying a guitar case, though his contains an impressive collection of knives, brass knuckles and au CATCH town Domino (Consuelo Gomez), the beautiful owner of a local saloon.

As luck would have it, Moco is desperately in love with her. The plotting is so simple as to touch something eternal, as if "El Mariachi" were one of the snappy little programmers that the old Columbia turned out in the 1950s, signed by Phil Karl-son or Don Siegel. The pleasure it yields lies not in the originality of the conceit, but in the brio of the execution in the imagination and style with which the old riffs are played. And Rodriguez has style to spare. Here is a filmmaker who is clearly in the first flush of love with his medium, making use of -each and every one of its many devices.

Though Rodriguez trots out every technique from the distorting fish-eye lens to Mack Sennett-style speeded-up motion, he is most adept with editing. He'll never use one shot when five or six will do. Rodriguez breaks down every gesture into a series of components, analyzing every action into a dozen vectors of force and every setting into a hundred isolated details. It's a bristly, active style, with more than a touch of Sergio Leone in it, and it gives "El Mariachi" an irresistible forward momentum. As lively as the picture is, though, there's something dark and brooding underneath it.

The film is, after all, the story of a sensitive young artist who seems to embody much of Mexico's culture and tradition who is transformed into a remorseless killer. Caught between an indigenous culture that has succumbed to corruption and anarchy and an imperialist greed imported from the north the musician loses his identity, his morality, and ultimately, his art. A fable of Mexico today, or of what happens when promising 24-year-old filmmakers go to work for major Hollywood studios? PG NOWtHsHOWTNG ii 1 1 iiTf mm I'li'in 1 1 1 hi 1 1 1 1 1 in iimi Hr PIPERS ALLEYMm BBT BVANSTON 'Mm WNORRIDGEJmm NORTH AVE. AT WELLS (31 2) 642-7500 CBfTRALE OF OHEEMAY (708) 6644800 4520 N.HARLEM (706) 4524000 "wSS 1 i IW 1VJrJI.J??L'2, 2 FAR Off PLACE (PC? CB4 KOMa0.mxm rJrSSJr (R) Of BFST 2 SSS 2 4-HJKT1NG 4305020 STENT Of WOMAN MftAm on BBI BESI 4 (R) 4-HOWARDS END (TO) rjWNC CMM ixSirSS, 'SHADOW Of VVOlf 3O7030 fBlS) bVbbbMMHbbbbbbbbbbWI BjajsfBajsjjrTfTrrpVBaBBBMBM SWING UDS tZMx (PGia) mm ESQUIRE a exwm 4 army darkness 530500 56 6. OAK (3121 260-0101 HJILmhT.

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5UBUHUAN WOMAN (BltWWI 6 00 UEWJF un. 700-945 Dave Kehr's star guide A thumbnail guide to Tribune movie critic Dave Kehr's ratings of current films "Unlorglven" Vi rcxindhog Day "Van Gogh" "Aladdin" "Amos Andrew "Arrny of DanXness" "El Mariachi" "A Far Off Place" "Mad Dog and Glory "Untamed Heart" "Homeward Bound" "Indochlne" "Rich in Love" The Bodyguard" "CB4 "Falling Down" -Shadow of the WoT "Swing Kids" I GOOO BFN IRIIDolbyl 70M0 SCENT OF SOMMf SCENT OF unvununui. A FEW THE CRYING rAUJriu A FAR OFF rSTOFTHE 1UUFRSBV UNFOBGIVFN rRVDc) 700-940 eOUUFRSBV A RSBY A GOOD uuwn MAD DOG AHD FIRE IN THE SWING KIDS UlOS 1 ANDREW BEST OF THE MO 7 3093J 3 GBOUHOHOG DAY (PGHUaM 7 15 9 1 eWLW.jnt?r.iLMWpY) 7: GAMf huixudv wj-stju PLACE IPGIIDdhrl 70030 Bl fiSijrlBAN NORTHWEST Tj 13) GLORY ftiWW 730-936 SKY (Fl3)(rjorj) PG-hmivl 7 00-9 JO SCEnTOF WC(Dott AM0SlANPRFWP13lfLWbv) Iftl 3KUoll 7.15-71 BEST IMDobvl 945 Cnt irfllTYBTIiri MW4 (PG-131 (PG-131 7: SW1W IIS IWitll 7fLQ5ll IT LHTfflU UAK (H)(U0ft(l 40-H ritfU 1444 FAUJNG DOWN FIRE IN THE SKY IPG-1311 I MHUODW lt7009KI f7fW0dN(Rj9ti5' HOMEWABO BOUNO (GKDorjy) 010 Dot.