El
Norte
1983
Director: Gregory Nava
Starring: Zaide Silvia Gutierrez, David
Villalpando
El
Norte tells
a story we all know, but manages to do it in a manner I have never experienced
before. The issue of illegal immigration
into the United States is confronted head on, with a touch of melodramatics but
also a great deal of steely-eyed realism.
The film was released in 1983, but given that immigration has become
such a hot button topic in politics today, it’s a film that demands to be seen
again.
The
film is broken up into three discreet episodes.
In part one, we meet Enrique (Villalpando) and Rosa (Gutierrez) living
in a small village in Guatemala. The
country is going through some frightening political wars, and their father is
killed for being a rebel. Their mother is
carted away by the army, so the two siblings decide to head for “El Norte,” dreams
of money and comfort in their eyes. Part
two is focused on their passage through Mexico, itself dangerous, and their
plight in crossing the American border.
Part three deals with their economic and daily realities living in Los
Angeles, and itself contains a clear story arc.
Apparently,
this film was originally produced by PBS with the intention of airing it as a
mini-series, but it was so well-received on its own, the decision was made to
give it a theatrical release. For me,
this helped explain the film. I could
clearly see how the first part was the first installment of the mini-series,
and it also explained away the tendency toward the melodramatic at certain
stages. In my head, I guess, I think of
this as a really strong mini-series. It
makes more sense that way, at least for me.
