Director Showcase – Robert Rodriguez
With Robert Rodriguez hard at work on sequels to Sin City and Machete, Tom takes a look at his career so far.
An independent film-maker of the highest calibre, Rodriguez raised the budget of $7,000 dollars for his feature length debut by partaking in medical trials, and boy am I glad that he did. A quick glance at his credits on IMDB reveals just how dedicated he is to film-making; Rodriguez often writes, directs, produces and edits his films in a startling display of efficiency considering the calibre of his output over the past two decades. He has dabbled in children’s films with mixed results but it is his violent and gritty pictures that keep his fans coming back for more.
Born in Texas, he clearly has a soft spot for the Western genre, with his El Mariachi trilogy heavily influenced by the films of Sergio Leone, and the recurring theme of vengeance throughout his filmography often leads to a large bodycount. Firm friends with Tarantino since their debuts z crowds at Sundance, Rodriguez has collaborated with him on more than one occasion and whilst the dialogue in his films is not quite as sharp as that of Tarantino’s, his films are similarly stylish and full of dark humor.
Essential Films:
El Mariachi
It pains me to think that Rodriguez was younger than me when he filmed El Mariachi, with his hard work and determination leading to his debut taking the Audience Award at Sundance in 1993 when he was aged just 24. When a travelling Mariachi is mistaken for a wanted criminal he is forced to hide from a villainous gang and must use all his cunning to survive in a treacherous environment where everyone shoots first and asks questions later. The low budget is evident but the exceptional story and impressive filming style led to a much larger budget for his sequel of sorts Desperado – Rodriguez was now firmly on the map.
Desperado
Loosely retelling the story of El Mariachi but with far more stunt-work and star power, Rodriguez found a muse in Banderas who is perfectly suited as the handsome Mariachi whose guitar case hides his arsenal of weaponry. When he becomes involved in a war with a local drug runner, the bodies are stacked high and the stakes are stacked even higher as the mariachi’s love interest becomes a key pawn in the ensuing violence. With higher production values than El Mariachi and an even tighter script, Desperado is the standout film in a fantastically violent and inventive trilogy.
From Dusk Till Dawn
A seedy mix of violence and horror permeates this edgy crime thriller which takes the audience through one hell of a crazy experience as the wanted Gecko brothers (George Clooney in his first starring role and Quentin Tarantino) kidnap a religious family and hide out in a sleazy strip club on the Mexican border. What transpires in the club will leave any unsuspecting viewer dumbfounded as the carnage escalates to unrivaled proportions forcing the Gecko brothers to unite with their captives in order to stay alive. From Dusk Till Dawn confirmed that Rodriguez was not afraid to throw the rule book aside in favour of balls to the wall entertainment and ludicrous but highly enjoyable films.
Sin City
A comic book adapation that was co-directed with Frank Miller, the genius behind the original graphic novel, Sin City is a stylish film noir that appears much like a comic strip with the monochrome visuals only occasionally giving way to vivid hues of green, red or yellow, emphasising the bleak nature of life in the miserable locale of Basin City. Three interweaving stories tell of corruption andvillainy with a star studded cast featuring Bruce Willis, Clive Owen and Mickey Rourke amongst a handful of stunningly beautiful actresses who play sexually charged but violent women.
Recommended Films:
The Faculty – Relocating the alien invasion movie to a high school was a great concept which led to this fantastic B-movie where a group of unlikely students are forced to band together to stay alive.
Once Upon A Time In Mexico – My personal favourite of the El Mariachi trilogy is often derided due to its convoluted storyline and having too many characters but if you can look past its flaws, this is a very entertaining movie that ends the trilogy in style.
Planet Terror – Arguably the better half of the Tarantino/Rodriguez collaboration Grindhouse, in Planet Terror an experimental biological weapon is released turning its victims into zombies and a rag-tag group of survivors fight to stop the infection.
Films to Avoid:
Spy Kids Trilogy? – I’m being very presumptious with the fact that I haven’t seen any of the Spy Kids trilogy but I have heard enough negative feedback from trusted film fans that indicates Rodriguez should stick with his gritty and intense adult films.
About The Author – Tom Bielby
Long time film fan and aspiring film writer, Tom is a horror fanatic who wasted far too much time at University sitting through every film in the IMDB Top 250. He is partial to foreign films and cult cinema and would love to rid the world of people who rustle their popcorn during important scenes. He can be found on Twitter under the alias @filmbantha
Are you a fan of Robert Rodriguez? Have you seen all the film mentioned here? Comment below
Tom Bielby
Can’t say I’m a fan of this guy, Tom. I’ve only seen Sin City and Desperado, and though I appreciate the first one, his style isn’t exactly my cup of tea.
Hey Ruth, I thought that he might not be everyone’s cup of tea but at least you have given his films a go. I’d imagine if you didn’t get much out of Sin City or Desperado you are unlikely to enjoy his other films.
Nice showcase! From Dusk Till Dawn is one of my favorite movies. I just watched El Mariachi recently, which was really good. I need to finish the Mexico trilogy.
Thanks Eric, From Dusk till dawn is a favourite of mine as well, I love both halfs of the film equally, and its great that Rodriguez managed to pull that off so well. If you haven’t finished the El Mariachi trilogy you are in for a treat, all three films are great fun and very well shot.
Ahhh, From Dusk Til Dawn, how you haunt my nightmares.
Nice work, Tom – I’m a fan of RR’s since I saw El Mariachi and Desperado in a single night, and like you I prefer his adult themed films to his child friendly stuff (the one about Shark Boy or whatever it was I got about five minutes into and had to leave the room!) – I think Planet Terror if (to date) his most technically accomplished work, although Machete would have to be the fun-est time I’ve had in a film in years.
Good to see you love Rodriguez as much as me Rodney! I love all of his adult films but I have to say Machete is the one I enjoyed the least. I understand that it wasn’t meant to be taken seriously and was a homage to grindhouse films but it verged too far into ridiculous territory for my liking!
Great article! I agree about “Once upon a time in Mexico” it was very entertaining movie an it’s a shame it got mixed reviews. I think Rodriguez makes really fun films, especially From Dusk till Dawn and desperado. He definetly has unique and very recognizable style.
All of his films are fun and that’s what I love about him, great to see some more love for OUATIM, such a fitting end to the trilogy that was unfairly dismissed on its release.
SPY KIDS FTW!!!!!!! Seriously…
Well that is my kids speaking, they love them!
I enjoy a lot of the films mentioned. Desperado ws a regular watch when I was a wee but younger, mainly because of Salma……nom nom nom
Hahah maybe if I ever have kids, ever being the key word, I might have to put up with spy kids but until then I’m staying away! Salma is a hottie, especially her striptease in From dusk till dawn.
I have Once Upon a Time in Mexico on DVD and still need to get Desperado and El Mariachi to complete the trilogy. I’ve seen all three movies a few times and the second one is a favorite. Rodriquez is the reason I started paying more attention to independent films…well, that and because I wanted to really learn the difference between independent filmmaking and studio filmmaking. I never watched The Faculty and have often forgot that he was connected to this film. Planet Terror, however, is sitting in my Netflix queue. From Dusk Til Dawn was scary at first but becomes more humorous with each subsequent viewing.
Thanks for your comment Nicole, I love the El Mariachi trilogy that much that I have actually sat through the commentary of OUATIM, and really enjoyed it. You should definitely bump planet terror and The Faculty up in your netflix queue as they are well worth a watch.
His book about making El Mariachi is a fascinating, worthwhile read. But my favourite film by Rodriguez is From Dusk Til Dawn.
That sounds pretty interesting Dan, I might give his book a go if I can get hold of it for a reasonable price.
El Mariachi is a fantastic little film. It was a lot lower budget than I was expecting when I saw it, but I thought it was brilliant. Though out of all of them, Desperado is my favourite. While I appreciate OUATIM it felt a little too splashy for me.
Saying that, loved From Dusk Til Dawn – a bonkers film!
I’m not a huge fan of Sin City. Yes it looks amazing, but aside from great visuals it did nothing for me. The individual stories were too isolated for me.
Thanks for reading Jaina, Good to hear you are a big fan of Rodriguez. I also think that Sin City does verge into style over substance territory on occasion but I still feel that it is one of his essential films.
Nice write up, Now I want to watch Salma Hayek the dancing vampire queen again. :-0
That is one hell of a sexy dance, Rodriguez sure knows how to pick the right ladies!
Good call on Once Upon A Time In Mexico and Planet Terror. Those are actually my all time fav RR flicks. In the special features/commentary for ‘Mexico’ you get a great idea of how capable an artist he is (esp considering how much he personally sees to in the film ) and even if the rapids fire pace or ludicrous plots aren’t your cup of tea, your respect for the guy can easily go through the roof.
Great post Tom!
Thanks for your comment Marc, I don’t often watch that many extra features or commentaries but loved every minute of the commentary on once upon a time in the mexico. Such a great insight into how he works and it is probably my favourite of his films.