Desperado (1995)
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Written by: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Carlos Gallardo, Carlos Gómez, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Joaquim de Almeida, Quentin Tarantino, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Tito Larriva
DESPERADO (1995)
Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Available on Arrow Video Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray
Set years after the events of EL MARIACHI, the unnamed, travelling guitarist arrives in Santa Cecilia, hot on the trail of fearsome druglord Bucho, who he promises his best friend Buscemi (Steve Buscemi) will be the last on his hitlist after seeking revenge for the loss of two of his loves. However, taking out Bucho will be his most difficult mission to date, for more reasons than he first realises.
The follow-up to his $7000 independent movie El Mariachi, Robert Rodriguez takes his idea and cranks it up to 11 in his bigger budget sequel DESPERADO as once again the maverick filmmaker makes a budget movie look like something much bigger, in this case making a $7 million movie look like something you’d have to spend $30 million on to make.
The first film’s star Carlos Gallardo is replaced by Antonio Banderas for this outing but still produces the film and also stars alongside Banderas as his brother in arms, a fellow gun-toting mariachi named Campa, who’s introduced in the opening credit sequence.
DESPERADO is one hell of a sexy movie, in every meaning of the word. The action is bigger, the laughs are better, there’s lots of explosions, there’s hot sex scenes set to the seductive sounds of Santana featuring the outrageously gorgeous Banderas and Salma Hayek… there’s Danny Trejo brooding around town, armed with a set of throwing knives. Everything about this movie is just *chef’s kiss*. The gun choreography is high energy and absolute thrilling to watch unfold on screen. It has a touch of the elaborate about it and wouldn’t look out of place in a comic book but yet remains grounded in the reality that Rodriguez and Gallardo established in the first film. The innocent mariachi, with his boyish good looks, has evolved into this experienced stud of a badass, who’s passion for revenge and cleaning the streets of the drug-pushing scumbags is insatiable. He has become a myth, a boogeyman in his own right, from the very description that originally landed him in hot water through mistaken identity. People whisper and tell tales of the mariachi, dressed in black, who carries a guitar case full of guns. His reputation proceeds him and some are foolish to dispel him as just a folk tale. El Mariachi is the Mexican John Wick of the 90s and boy does it still know how to knock your socks off 30 years on.
Antonio Banderas is the perfect choice to play the Mariachi. He convincingly portrays the action hero, with his adeptness to the footwork and choreography required of such a skilled gunslinger – talent that he also wonderfully displayed in Zorro several years later. Not only can Banderas meet the demanding requirements of the action scenes, but he shows he’s able to deliver the laughs too with his expressive performance during more humorous moments in the film, as it follows in its processor’s footsteps with its cheekiness. Being such a versatile, charismatic actor, Banderas brings it all – the calm professionalism, the humour, the anger, the passion, the romance, the determination – everything that is required for the El Mariachi character. He also does a bit of singing too in the opening segment, which anyone who’s seen him in Evita or on-stage in Phantom of the Opera will know he’s more than capable of. Is there nothing this man can’t do?!
Salma Hayek is terrific as the Mariachi’s love interest Catalina, who runs the local book store cafe. Her and Banderas sizzle on-screen together and share plenty of wonderful scenes throughout the movie. Hayek shows she has a knack for comedy as her character provides quite a few laughs, especially early on, often at the Mariachi’s expense. She plays the leading lady role well, and provides some great scenes that are far from one-dimensional or simply damsel in distress roles – she protects the Mariachi from getting himself killed and she looks after him when he’s injured, as well as being the beautiful woman on his arm who he must protect. She’s no meek and mild shrinking violet though. The character of Catalina is a spicy señorita, who’s managed to run her own business all this time, and her partnership with the Mariachi is just that – a partnership in every sense of the word. She brings the things she’s good at to the relationship and he brings his. She’s not a push over but has made the best out of a rotten situation in town and the arrival of the mariachi could be the change she’s been waiting for.
The supporting cast in DESPERADO is insane – you’ve got the formidable Danny Trejo stalking around town, Steve Buscemi as Mariachi’s best friend, Joaquim de Almeida as the unhinged crime boss Bucho…. there’s even Quentin Tarantino as the pick-up guy who cracks a wicked joke at 100 mph to a less than enthused bar owner. From the perfecting casting to their passionate performances, the film couldn’t have been cast any better.
When it comes to the film’s soundtrack, DESPERADO hits the high note. Tito and Tarantula’s Back To The House makes for a terrific background to the Mariachi’s entrance into the bar, run by the scene-stealing ‘short bartender’, Cheech Marin. All he has to do is stand behind the counter, belching and chewing his cocktail stick to add such flavour to the film, as he often laughs and plots with criminal bookkeeper Tavo, who’s played by Tito Larriva – yes, the guy whose songs accentuates various scenes of the movie. Another of his tracks, the smokey, blues number Strange Face of Love, is also used effectively in a joint scene between Tavo and the Mariachi, which concludes in a memorable way.
In addition to Tito’s input is Dire Strait’s Six Blade Knife, Link Wray and His Raymen’s Jack the Ripper and other songs that complement the thumping attitude of this Mexican Western, bringing rebellious rock n flavour to the film. This adds to the overall sensation and experience of watching this stellar piece of action cinema.
Robert Rodriguez has done what many filmmakers fail to do – he took the seed of an idea and transformed it into a legend with his sequel DESPERADO. Visually it’s such a spectacle as bad guys are catapulted through the air from gun shot and explosions, but it also excels in the quieter scenes too. Everything about the film just oozes excitement that it hardly ever comes up for air.
The perfect evolution for the gun-toting mariachi, DESPERADO encapsulates everything you could possibly want, and plenty more you didn’t know you needed, from Rodriguez’s Mexico saga. A truly outstanding slice of cinema.
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Disc 2 and 3 of Arrow Video’s Mexico Trilogy feature Desperado on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray, with a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative by Sony Pictures, original uncompressed stereo audio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio, and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The film looks terrific on Blu-Ray, allowing the colours and tones to really pop on screen and immerse yourself in Rodriguez’s world.
Audio commentary by writer-director Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez deep-dives into the making of the movie in this audio commentary for Desperado. For both Desperado fans and filmmakers, budding or professional, you do not want to miss this!
Lean and Mean, a newly filmed interview with Robert Rodriguez (17 mins 19 secs)
Robert Rodriguez describes with passion about making Desperado, which he initially penned as a remake before Columbia Pictures decided to screen El Mariachi theatrically, thereby switching it to a sequel. He talks about taking to the editing seat again and pushing to film a lot of it himself, including learning how to operate a steadicam. He discusses the various actors he got involved with the movie and what drew him to those particular actors for the roles and what it was like working with them. He also comments how he would edit on the shoot so he’d be able to cut trailers whilst filming to inspire the actors and get them pumped up for their future scenes. A fascinating interview.
Shoot Like Crazy, a newly filmed interview with producer Bill Borden (11 mins 21 secs)
Bill Borden talks about his experience and working with Robert Rodriguez and becoming used to his different method of filmmaking, as well as other elements of the production. He also regales with a funny story about working and crossing the border with a load of guns for the shoot.
Kill Count, a newly filmed interview with stunt coordinator Steve Davison (8 mins 10 secs)
Steve Davison recalls the stunt approach and preparation for the movie, working with Banderas and Hayek on the bar scene and the rooftop scene to create these awesome looking visuals.
Lock and Load, a newly filmed interview with special effects coordinator Bob Shelley (8 mins 50 secs)
Bob Shelley talks about the guns used in the movie and how they approached the fire and blood filled scenes, such as creating new ways of making blood splatter as seen in the scene involving the Mariachi’s hand.
Game Changer, a newly filmed appreciation by filmmaker Gareth Evans (6 mins 42 secs)
The Raid director Gareth Evans gushes about his love for El Mariachi/Desperado and how Rodriguez’s ’10 minute film schools’, especially the method of making a video storyboard, helped shape his approach to filming in Indonesia.
Ten More Minutes: Anatomy of a Shootout, an archive featurette narrated by Rodriguez (10 mins 33 secs)
Textless opening (“Morena de mi Corazón”) (2 mins 39 secs)
The performance of Morena de mi Corazón from the beginning of the movie, sans credits.
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