One of the great films of 2010 is one that more than likely you haven’t heard of.. It is in Spanish and its Mexican made and produced with mostly Mexican actors. It won the 2011 Ariel Award in Mexico. Opened to critical acclaim for its dark and bloody yet comedic treatment of the situation in Mexico in 2010. The year of its dual centennial: 100 years since the Second Mexican Revolution and 200 years since the first. Like the graphics say in the trailer: Nada que celebrar. Nothing to celebrate.
El Infierno opens with a classic scene that many will relate to. Many have lived this scene. Benny Garcia is receiving a blessing from his mother before he leaves on his journey to El Norte, or Gringolandia as it is called. He promises to send back money He strides up the dusty road from the ranchito with the palm frond porch as his mother and little brother watch sadly. During his absence the little brother will become a famous killer known as “El Diablo”.
Next scene is 20 years later, and Benny is being deported. He has a little money and has learned a good bit of English during his stay. You can see the mixed emotions on his face as Los Lobos sing Yo soy de raza de oro, Yo soy Mexican Americano. He’s somewhat relieved to be going home again. How bad could it be? The answer is very, very bad
Highway robbery, both official and civilian, assassinations. What should be decent people, now stooping to rob the dead. The stage is set. Now the story unfolds.
Beautifully shot and scripted, the comedy and tragedy both take wing. Everyone loses in the end, and in the end the old ways are carried on with a new generation. Bennies brother had become a famous narco and assassin in town. He ended up with 60 bullets from guns of an unknown enemy. Of which there were legion.
The regional cartel boss controls with an iron fist the police and political structure of the region. He’s kind of a Mexican boss hog from the old Dukes of Hazard Show, except that he is filthy rich from drug money and assorted criminal enterprise, and also will kill at the drop of a hat. He’s also overly emotional and hen-pecked. So ridiculous it could well be real life.
The film works on many levels. Murder, mayhem, mutilation and a sense of ever present doom would seem to be a poor prescription for comedy. But somehow Director Luis Estrada makes it work. All the elements of Mexican society have been compromised and there is little left to have faith in. “El Benny” as Benjamin Garcia the returning migrant is known, becomes a narco-killer and enforcer, but in the end makes perhaps, a noble gesture in a cathartic massacre of the corrupt power structure of Mexico.
The acting is first rate. The parts of “El Benny” and “El Coci Loco” are done to comic perfection. They might have become killers and soldiers in a filthy, depressing war; still the audience retains a connection to their humanity.
As far as the drug war that puts billions, perhaps trillions, in the pockets of gangsters and banksters, politicians, police and governments, no solutions are in sight. The corruption works on all levels. El Infierno offers none. As “El Coci says: In Mexico you don’t do what you want, only what you can”
Note: The release in Mexico of “El Infierno” was somewhat spotty and as far as I know it wasn’t released theatrically, but is available on DVD. However there are no English subtitles. If you speak some Spanish you should be able to follow the action.
Watch the trailer
A great film, indeed, that makes a great cople with Estrada´s opera prima: La ley de Herodes (Estrada L, La ley de Herodes, Bandido´s Films, Videomax, México 2000, 123 minutes) that reflects mexican shameful situation in a way that no one would expect: satirical and even funny if you allow me to say so.
I haven´t write a review of the picture even when I saw it at least three times, one of wich was in the cinema, mainly ´cause it´s better if I do not say other thing that: watch and enjoy it.
Only thing I should remark is that, even whe the main character is Benjamín García, El Benny (Damián Alcázar), the story takes it´s own beloved son: El Cochiloco (Joaquín Cossío), a northern narco in all its glory: family guy, drug addict, corrupt, loyal with his fiends (even whe he has to betray´em). But the name of this character, meaning “el cochino loco”, the crazy pig (which has led to thousands across the country have been dubbed so), has it´s origin in a real narco from Sinaloa state named Manuel Salcido Uzueta, the original Cochiloco, in the beginnings of narco at México, aside Ernesto Fonseca and Rafael Caro Quintero, related to murder of Enrique Camarena, DEA agent in México.
Nothing new under the sun. Anyhow a great movie and a great review.
Thank you, Edgardo.