Columbia Pictures released El Mariachi throughout the United States on 26 February 1993.
Robert Rodriguez made this film for $7,000. When Columbia bought the film, they spent a couple hundred grand on it to improve the sound (a common problem with low-budget films) and to transfer the 16mm negative to a 35mm print. But the bottom line is that he really did make this remarkable film for almost no money.
I recommend watching El Mariachi at least once with the director’s commentary. Normally, these are useless. But Rodriguez really does present his many tricks for producing and shooting on a budget. Of course, they are all easier said than done. But aspiring filmmakers will eat it up!
I saw this film at the time at Cinema 21 in Portland, Oregon. And I was shocked. How did he do it?! This is the case throughout the film, but especially when the main character repels down a wire and lands on a moving bus. (Rodriguez explains how he did this in the commentary but it doesn’t make it any less impressive!)
But you don’t have to watch El Mriachi as an aspiring (or failed) filmmaker. It is just a very entertaining mistaken-identity film. I think it’s better than anything Hitchcock did with the form. (Are you surprised?!)
Sadly, I cannot find a good copy to embed. Almost all lack English subtitles. That isn’t too big a deal. It isn’t a dialogue-heavy film! Archive does have an English dub. And I’m all for that! The Spanish-language version is dubbed too! But this print is from a VHS so it is cropped from the 1:85:1 aspect ratio. But it still works!
El Mariachi (1993) poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
