Movie Description
Taking a vacation from his profitable private practice, a distinguished Latin American doctor (Federico Luppi) sets off on a quest to locate his former students, whom he trained and deployed throughout the disease-ridden rural regions of their unnamed country. Once he steps outside his comfortable milieu, he realizes the depths of despair rural villagers live in, as power-mad, gun-toting soldiers and guerrillas vie for control of the countryside. Gradually stripped of his former idealism, he collects a motley group of pilgrims in search of a legendary village untouched by men with guns.
Director John Sayles, who had just finished LONE STAR, one of his most acclaimed films, shot the film in Spanish, a commercially risky maneuver. The decision pays off in the greater authenticity of the film, which captures the absurd circumstances in which the country's rural population must live. Partially inspired by Francisco Gold's novel THE LONG NIGHT OF WHITE CHICKENS, MEN WITH GUNS touches on the genre of magical realism to present a harrowing portrait of a war-torn Latin American country.
| Credits | | Producer: | R. Paul Miller | | Cast: | Alejandro Springall, Damián Delgado, Esteban Soberanes, Jacqueline Voltaire, Maggie Renzi, Nandi Luna Ramírez, Roberto Sosa |
Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - Spanish
Dolby Digital 2.0 - Spanish
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. John Sayles - Director
Trailers, Filmed on location in Mexico.
Some of the research for the film was done while director John Sayles was attempting to make a cable movie called SANCTUARY, based on the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980s.
The character of Dr. Fuentes is based on Dr. Amou in Francisco Gold's novel THE LONG NIGHT OF WHITE CHICKENS.
Editorial Reviews
"...John Sayles is the most courageous and decent storyteller working in American films today..."
New York Times - Janet Maslin (03/06/1998)
"...Luppi and the supporting cast give very affecting performances....The film builds to some extremely moving scenes..."
Box Office - Ed Scheid (02/01/1998)
"...[The film] achieves great depth, at once heart-breaking and unsentimental..."
Premiere - Christine Spines (03/01/1998)
"...MEN WITH GUNS is a slow-paced trip...and Sayles keeps it pure....The pleasures are in the nuances of the relationships..."
Los Angeles Times - Jack Mathews (03/13/1998)
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