Gregory Nava's 1983 El Norte announced the arrival of a gifted storyteller with a uniquely humanistic perspective on the immigrant experience (Roger Ebert hailed the film as “a Grapes of Wrath for our time”). El Norte affectionately tells the multi-layered story of two siblings—brother Enrique (David Villalpando) and sister Rosa (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez)—who flee north from Guatemala, through Mexico, and into the U.S. to become illegal aliens in California. Despite limited resources and a cast consisting largely of Hispanic unknowns and non-professionals, Nava (with co-writer Anna Thomas) created an honest and compassionate film of great visual beauty, emphasizing the colorful palettes of Guatemala and Mexico. Divided into three sections (persecution in Guatemala, the harrowing journey through Mexico, and life in Los Angeles), El Norte is at various points thrilling, tragic, humorous, and heartbreaking (with a fascinating production history—explored in the extras—involving nerve-wracking tales of border crossings, search-and-seizure, and the tenacity of filmmakers bolstered by the courage of their convictions). The Criterion Collection's Blu-ray edition (the film is also newly available on DVD) is absolutely gorgeous, sporting a restored high-def transfer supervised by Nava, who also provides an audio commentary. Other extras include an hour-long “making-of” documentary, Nava's award-winning 1972 student film The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva (based on the title character's Civil War diary), a gallery of location-scouting photos taken in Chiapas (Mexico), and an accompanying booklet. A pivotal classic of independent filmmaking, the long out-of-print El Norte is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (J. Shannon)
El Norte
Criterion, 140 min., in K’iche’, Spanish & English w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD or Blu-ray: $39.95 Volume 24, Issue 2
El Norte
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