El Norte

Movie Information

In Brief: A beautifully shot — with some incredible fantasy sequences — and emotionally engaging film about two refugees from Guatemala making their way to the United States and the reality of what they find as opposed to what they expect. Splendid on nearly every level, though compromised a little by melodrama that might have been more subtly handled. Definitely worth catching.
Score:

Genre: Drama
Director: Gregory Nava
Starring: David Villalpando, Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez, Alicia del Lago, Ernesto Gómez Cruz
Rated: R

A strikingly made and dramatically compelling film, Gregory Nava’s El Norte (1983) could have been little more than a straightforward drama about two young people — Enrique (David Villalpando) and Rosa (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez) — making their way to the presumed “good life” in the United States. Put in simple terms, that’s essentially what this is. But the film strives to be more than that. The story — though occasionally on the melodramatic and contrived side — is carefully structured so that the pair’s experiences in America are ultimately a kind of replay of their family’s experiences in Guatemala, suggesting that the lot of the lower class is a universal one. But more than this, the film extends and enhances the story by the inclusion of incredibly arresting dream and fantasy sequences — some of which indicate the inevitable tragic fate of one of the characters. (This is frequently referred to as “magical realism,” but all but one fleeting moment is clearly presented as fantasy. Of course, people — especially, if they’re trying to make a film sound more literary — tend to drop this term in a fairly haphazard manner.) Additionally, the film’s soundtrack is generally first-rate. The use of an excerpt from Mahler’s Fourth Symphony (meant to evoke a child’s view of heaven) when the pair see their first American city (San Diego) laid out before them at night is perfect. All in all, a moving, compelling film that ought to be better known than it has come to be.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present El Norte Friday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.  at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library).  Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

SHARE
About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.