El infierno

Many of my acquaintances did not watch this film accusing it of trying to "justify" the path of a narco or of being "another film of violence", something that at this moment perhaps they are already tired of watching.

But I didn't see any of this: In "El infierno" I saw a film with a very careful rhythm (Luis Estrada has improved) that enters a world of violence that is the daily reality of many Mexicans. Like others, I started the film laughing, I ended up almost shivering. Humor, which can be criticized by telling such a story, is an effective way of making the world in which Luis Estrada introduces us bearable, exposing with simplicity and realism situations that are more complex than they can sound and where everyone plays their part.

Luis Estrada, hand in hand with Damian Alcázar presents us with a third film that we didn't think possible in Mexico, where things are called by their name and make us think about what we have got or can get at.

I assure you that this movie's legacy will still be talked about in decades to come. Certainly, the sole fact that this movie came to be speaks wonders of how great cinema can be made in Mexico, together with its box-office companion, "Hidalgo".

There is a little something for everyone: emotional dilemmas, intellectual reflection, and scenes so well composed that they're worthy of being shown in film schools. For the general public, the tasteful black comedy, the strong symbolic images, as well as the numerous occasions it gives for yelling "burn!!" (or "pedradas", in Spanish) will be the most memorable.

The ideas behind the making of this movie are definitely genius, but it still should be taken with a grain of salt. It is a very simplified view of the lower levels of the narco industry, as it only portrays the case of how a small rural town, with typical small-town values and small-town conservatism, is affected. The movie has been warmly received by the Mexican public, who after only seeing the consequences of this battle against narco forces, have no idea of what this narco business really is about, and crave any type of inside scoop they can get their hands on.

This movie presents what feels like great insight in an easily digestible way.

As a Mexican who lives in México I have to say that it is very different to read the stories about crime, death, drugs, etc. in the newspapers than watching this film that put names and faces to the people involved in this kind of lifestyle. Some of the reviewers are very offended with the stereotypes in this movie, but it is undeniable that this movie portrays just one piece of reality about a part of our society. The offensive part should be that the rest of us live our lives normally without thinking about these things. It seems that many of us live in a different country, so far from this hell, and this movie is a great remainder of the problems we have as a country. I think that many of us are indifferent to these problems; we do not even imagine that this "war" affects all of us. I have read some reviews in which the way of telling the story is questioned and criticised. Many people think that the comedy is unnecessary, that it is a safe and easy way to say this kind of things, but I wonder if people are ready to pay to watch a film that does not involve comedy or any kind of humorous situation... sad but true, our TV and cinema culture is pathetic. Good for Luis Estrada, not everything is tequila, mariachi loco, spring break and telenovelas in México.

"El Infierno" is a satirical approach to the actual social situation of Mexico. This movie was released few days before of The Bicentennial Independence Day celebration. That fact gives a plus to this movie because it shows in a "funny" way how brutal the reality in this country is. Director Estrada wants to show that there is nothing to celebrate in a Nobody's land, where the law is made for those to have the money to corrupt a whole system. "El Infierno" shows not only a harsh present, but also a hopeless future.

The main topic of this movie is, of course, drug-trafficking; but, in this case, is only a pretext to show that drug-trafficking is not the problem itself, because it is only the consequence of a very long "tradition" of arrangements between mafia and government. The most characters in this movie were very well performed. I said the most characters, because Maria Rojo's performance was not so good as the other actors. This movie is easy to see and although it contains brutal violence it will be never so brutal as the headlines at the daily news.

Estrada's "El infierno" is a must see movie. Estrada has come back again in force from La "Ley de Herodes" (Herod's Law). In that movie, Estrada made a well depicted view of Mexican society in the late 1990s and we couldn't get worse back then. How wrong we were: It has. The satire portrayed in El Infierno shows how we are really at the gates of hell in a civil war that nobody wants to see or acknowledge. The movie has spectacular shots of the San Luis Potosi Desert that serve as a framework to develop all the memorable characters in the film, like Damian Alcázar Benny that transforms itself from a naive character to a ruthless hit man; or Joaquín Cosío (Cochiloco) both salvage and family man. Even with the pessimistic mood and end message of the film, it is commendable that has been partially financed by public funds and that is having a well-deserved attendance in commercial theaters. Highly recommended.