El Norte

R

Released Jan 1, 1983

2h 19m

Drama

List

92%

61 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When a group of Mayan Indians decides to organize a labor union to improve conditions in their village, their community is violently destroyed by the Guatemalan army. Teenage siblings, Rosa (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez) and Enrique (David Villalpando) manage to escape the massacre and decide to start a new life in El Norte -- the USA. The two trek through Mexico, meeting a variety of characters and facing trials and tribulations on their journey toward lives as illegal immigrants in Los Angeles.

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Critics Consensus

Sensitively written, skillfully directed, and powerfully portrayed, El Norte wrings deeply affecting drama from intractable real-life issues.

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Joseph Treen

Newsweek

It ought to be required viewing -- on both sides of the border.

Nov 2, 2021

Full Review

Catherine Rambeau

Detroit Free Press

[Audiences will] get plenty for their money: powerful acting, flint-clean cinematography, a riveting story that transcends geographical boundaries, and a touch of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.

Rated: 8/10

Aug 3, 2021

Full Review

Marsha McCreadie

Arizona Republic

There is no question El Norte is one-sided, even propagandistic and sentimental at times, but its emotional and visual power supersedes some of its predictability.

Aug 3, 2021

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Michael Ventura

L.A. Weekly

Its images are so forceful, and so beautiful, that they transcend the story's simplicity and reach into a realm that can be justly called poetic.

Aug 3, 2021

Full Review

JoAnn Rhetts

Charlotte Observer

A vibrant moving picture of grim realities.

Aug 3, 2021

Full Review

Steve Murray

Bay Area Reporter

It never drags and has moments of Costa Gavras-like suspense which Nava presents in a style all his own.

Aug 3, 2021

Full Review

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Dave S

Gregory Nava's El Norte has a story that is easy to get on board with – a young man, accompanied by his sister, flees his homeland of Guatemala in order to escape certain death at the hands of the government. Hoping for a better life elsewhere, they travel through Mexico on their way to California, where they are willing to gamble on an uncertain future. While the story is interesting and the message is as timely as ever, looking at it objectively, it's not a very good movie. The acting is mediocre at best, the dialogue in the third act is embarrassing at times, the editing is often choppy, and the incredibly soppy ending detracts from the film's message. El Norte makes a noble effort to tell an important story, but that doesn't make it a good movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Gregory Nava directed the drama thriller film known as El Norte in 1983. The plot revolves around a small Mayan town in the middle of protests, conflicts, and war. The audience is introduced to Rosa and Enrique, who fled after a masquerade of friends and family. Paving the way to the south, the two siblings encounter a perpetual road of obstacles and hurdles. The stark and harsh reality of life as an immigrant and the magazine portrayal makes the entire film enticing and heart-wrenching. The film evoked immensely emotional reactions from me. I believe my understanding made the film all the more effective because my entire family is immigrants. To me, the portrayal of the unjust and insidious behavior towards the siblings made the film gravely realistic. Although El Norte was filmed in the 1980s it did not fail to capture the animosity and cruelty immigrants face in this country. The viewer watches in disbelief throughout the film as the siblings go to extreme lengths to appease and conciliate their caucasian counterparts. The theme remains intact until the last segments of a promising and bustling country. Only when the veil falls do the audience and protagonists comprehend the true picture of America. The film's intended genre was drama. In my opinion, the portrayal and sequencing of this particular film were executed to fit drama flawlessly. The extension of the climax and the protagonist's attitudes and actions toward the struggles accumulate into a triumphant drama. The consistent highs and lows coupled with the hopeful propensity exhibited by the two siblings keep the audience immersed. Based on my interpretation, a mature audience would be best suited for the themes represented in the movie. Throughout the film, the viewer is continually exposed to the real-life struggles of immigrants. Being able to interpret and comprehend this concept makes the movie all the more stimulating. The film was an eye-opening experience, and I appreciate it. The only feature I found fault was the sound effects developed in the storyline. The sound production was highly inaccurate. However, the execution of the journey, plot, and character development were indisputably immaculate. I thoroughly value the proper representation of migrant issues and the exclusion of condescending language. The siblings' extreme lengths to achieve a modicum of normality evoke emotional distraught. The message is loud and clear, and the audience is aware of it. I rate this film an eight out of ten. References El Norte. Directed by Gregory Nava. Cas David Villalpando, Zadie Silvia Gutierrez, Stella Quan. The United States. 1983. American Playhouse/PBS.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

dustin d

El Norte is a beautifully made movie that has the color palate and themes of a mural. The writing is blunt and melodramatic, but the performances are sincere enough to make it believable. Little has changed with regards to the immigration situation since the film was released.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

William L

El Norte feels like a novel that is part of a high school curriculum - socially conscious, epic in scope, and tackling unfortunate realities, while also sharing a few of the weaknesses, coming across as a bit obvious or simple in its attempts to be profound. Both of our main characters, Gutiérrez's Rosa and Villalpando's Enrique, are essentially totally without vice in a world that is pitted against them; it's not the most realistic or morally gray of dramas, but it does succeed in hammering home empathetic characters in disadvantaged situations (even before the ending, parts of the film are not easy viewing). El Norte's greatest accomplishment is depicting its characters' journey as a bridge between worlds, so shocking are the distinctions between the experience that the Xuncax siblings undergo in their native Guatemala and in Mexico compared to the gilded birdcage of the United States, before discovering that both places have assigned a low value to human life, just in different ways. Both of the leads give very solid performances; what few opportunities they have for major character development nevertheless are well-delivered. It's among the greatest of the 'American Immigrant'-themed films, even if it's not exactly subtle. It's not like the environment or themes have really faded with time, El Norte remains very relevant. (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/01/21

Full Review

Audience Member

Quite exquisite portrayal of the injustices forced upon the local indigenous population of Guatemala during its protracted civil war...but without preachiness whatever. Formed against the backdrop of a Mayan community, whose quiet dignified leaders had begun to coalesce against the brutality of the military that had seized their very productive agriculturally based economy (their lands)...the massacre of these leaders and their families that ensued -- and the perilous, tortured journey to "El Norte" undertaken by one of the only remaining family members -- a brother (Enrique) and his sister (Rosa). Gorgeously photographed and acted..deep, steady portrayals of their evolution and testing as they reach their final destination of Los Angeles. Through all, a shining humanity...these characters are neither simplified nor 'iconized'....enabling the viewer an empathic 'seeing' that is a rarity. As relevant today as when it was made in the 80's -- speaking to the world's immigrant population in both clear and fresh images and language.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

s r

1001 movies to see before you die. This film shows the plight of immigrants coming to USA. It was sad, but at the same time contrived for dramatic effect. It could have been better.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Gregory Nava

Director

Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez

Rosa Xuncax

David Villalpando

Enrique Xuncax

Ernesto Gómez Cruz

Arturo Xuncax

Stella Quan

Josefita

Eraclio Zepeda

Pedro

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Synopsis

When a group of Mayan Indians decides to organize a labor union to improve conditions in their village, their community is violently destroyed by the Guatemalan army. Teenage siblings, Rosa (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez) and Enrique (David Villalpando) manage to escape the massacre and decide to start a new life in El Norte -- the USA. The two trek through Mexico, meeting a variety of characters and facing trials and tribulations on their journey toward lives as illegal immigrants in Los Angeles.

Director: Gregory Nava
Screenwriter: Gregory Nava, Anna Thomas
Distributor: Artisan Entertainment
Production Co: American Playhouse
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1983, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2016
Runtime: 2h 19m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo

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