Most Chicano filmmakers make films that reflect their culture and ways of life, mostly through documentaries.

These documentaries allow Chicano filmmakers to properly represent their way of life, and communities that are underrepresented and improperly illustrated in modern day media, from Hollywood to television.

While the documentary styles, cinema verite and direct cinema can be very expressive, at times they can be limiting. There are times where there needs to be a Chicano filmmaker that progresses filmmaking and transcends their Chicano filmmakers. That filmmaker is Robert Rodriguez.

From an initial glance at the films that Rodriguez has directed it may appear that he presents very few Chicano views in his films.

Those views being a demystification of Latinos in the United states media, “…(a)reflective and open ended (view)…effect social change…” This misconception can be due to the fact that Rodriguez most well known films are Hollywood blockbuster films. However, when looking at Rodriguez's portfolio as a whole one can see that his films deal very much with Rodriguez's take on many aspects of Latino culture.

Many of the films that Rodriguez has written and directed deal with the idea of Machismo by through subject matter that appeals to male culture or through main characters that can be considered the image of machismo. Machismo is a word of Spanish origin that refers to a predominantly exhibited or excessive masculinity. Rodriguez glorifies this excess of masculinity through his stylized presentations of his male characters predominantly in “El Mariachi”, “Desperado” “ Sin City ”, and the segment “the misbehavers” in the film "Four Rooms". One of the actors that Rodriguez uses consistantly is Antonio Banderas(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000104/ for more information), who has acted in seven of his films many of which he is the main role.

Antonio Banderas exeplifies the Latino Hero in media society. His exehibition of Machismo combats the mass view popular media culture, a culture where very few Latinos are heroes. Some Latino actors mask their heritage in their film through the loss of an accent, through their subject matter, and also by adhereing to negative stereotypes. In Rodriguez's films Antonio Banderas never attempts to deny his heritage by acting like his contemporary white co-actors. Rodriguez uses Banderas' strong culture to make his performance stronger adding incredible drama to the film. Rodriguez shows the mainstream that not only do Latinos have the ability to be heroes but can also father heroes. Thus placing heritage at the forefront of his films.

Rodriguez has had much success in Hollywood with his very popular Spy Kids(2001), Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. Also gaining popularity Sin City that will turn into a trillogy by 2007. Although the film that gained the most popularity in the cult cinema/independant crowd is El Mariachi. The precursor to the blockbuster Desperado Rodriguez takes the audience on a journey of drugs, deception, and shoot outs. The protagonist of the film played by Carlos Gallardo(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002230/ for more information), a hero with impressive shooting skills.

The antigonist is played by Peter Marquardt(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0549682/ for more information) an American drug lord that has setup is business in a small Mexican town. This shoot up film struck a chord with the cult cinema/independant crowd not just because of the enteraining violence, but because of the timeless story of a hero saving a town from a villian. Rodriguez presents the hero "El Mariachi" concerned with communial strife, giving his take on typical Latino cinema.

home