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Men with Guns

January 01, 1970

Not to be confused with Men with Guns (1997 Canadian film).

Men with Guns (Spanish: Hombres armados) is a 1997 American political drama film edited, written and directed by John Sayles, inspired by the 1992 novel The Long Night of White Chickens by Francisco Goldman. It stars Federico Luppi, Damián Delgado, Damián Alcázar and Mandy Patinkin. The executive producers were Lou Gonda and Jody Patton.[3]

Men with Guns
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Sayles
Written byJohn Sayles
Based onA character from The Long Night of White Chickens
by Francisco Goldman
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySlawomir Idziak
Edited byJohn Sayles
Music byMason Daring
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Classics
Release dates
  • August 30, 1997 (1997-08-30) (Telluride)
  • March 27, 1998 (1998-03-27) (United States)
Running time
127 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
Budget$2.3 million[1]
Box office$910,773[2]

Set in an unnamed Latin American country, it is the story of one man's discovery of what actually happened in the political history of his nation as well as his students. It was filmed in Mexico and most of the crew were Mexican.

Plot synopsis edit

Dr. Fuentes is a medical professor/doctor near his retirement and his wife has recently died. He taught a group of seven - he views this as one of his greatest accomplishments - that trains young people to provide health care to impoverished citizens in the outlying hill country, where small agricultural communities struggle to survive.

Fuentes has recently heard rumors that his former students are lost and possibly dead, so he musters up the courage and travels into the outlands to investigate. It is not until he begins his journey that he discovers a world much different than the one he had imagined existing for his students as he finds himself encountering guerrillas and soldiers. As Fuentes digs into the jungle in search of his students, he discovers that men with guns have reached them first, his students being menaced by many men with guns (Hombres Armados). This indicates military forces who use torture and execution to intimidate people. He discovers that the guerillas from opposition political groups are only marginally less aggressive.

On his journey he accumulates a few travelling companions: Padre Portillo, a fallen priest who has lost his faith; Domingo, a deserter from the Army without a country; Conejo, an orphan who survives by stealing; and Graciela, a woman who has turned mute after she was raped by the military. Fuentes finds that his journey is revealing but also perilous the deeper he ventures. He ends up travelling into the hill country, looking for his last student, who is rumored to be living in an Edenic village high in the mountains, safe from the violence which has engulfed the countryside. As the doctor and his companions get closer to this half-mythical place, the journey becomes a quest for both safety and an assurance for Fuentes that his life has had some meaning.

Cast edit

Background edit

Principal photography was done in thirty-seven shooting days in January and February 1997 and filmed in over forty locations.

John Sayles' films tend to be politically aware and social concerns are a theme running through most of his work. This film's idea came from his friends, one of whom was the novelist Francisco Goldman. He had an uncle who was a doctor in Guatemala and was involved in an international health program. A few years later he came to find out that most of his students, whom he had sent off to serve as rural doctors, had been murdered by the government that supported the program.

Sayles does not name the country in the film, and the music he uses is quite eclectic and not tied to any specific Latin American country. This is because Sayles did not want people to think that it can "only happen in El Salvador, that can only happen in Guatemala or Mexico". He felt the film has universal overtones and the events portrayed in the story could have happened anywhere on the planet.[4]

Filming locations edit

The movie was filmed entirely in Mexico, in 40 locations, including: Mexico City; Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl; Pueblo Naranjal, Xonotzintla, Soledad Atzompa, Soledad de Doblado, Zongolica, and Jalapilla, all in Veracruz; Palenque and San José Babilonia, both in Chiapas.

Release edit

Men with Guns was first presented at the Telluride Film Festival, Colorado, on August 30, 1997.[5][6] A few days later its international debut was at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 1997, which caused a small amount of confusion as Kari Skogland's film Men with Guns also debuted four days later at the same festival.[7]

It opened in the United States on March 27, 1998.[8]

The film was featured at various international film festivals, including: the Deauville Film Festival, France; the Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival, Spain; the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scotland; the Helsinki International Film Festival, Finland; the Reykjavik Film Festival, Iceland; and others.

Reception edit

Critical response edit

Roger Ebert, film critic writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, liked the film, and wrote, "Men With Guns is immensely moving and sad, and yet because it dares so much, it is an exhilarating film. It frees itself from specific stories about this villain or that strategy, to stand back and look at the big picture: at societies in collapse because power has been concentrated in the hands of small men made big with guns."[9]

Critic Jack Mathews liked Sayles' straightforward unadorned style, and he wrote, "Men With Guns is a slow-paced trip, with a lot of translated conversation, and Sayles keeps it pure. The actors are said to be speaking in four dialects, and there's nothing about the film, other than the ill-conceived couple (Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody) used as comic relief, to give away its American origin. Sayles has never been a visual stylist, and his latest film is as straightforward and plot-bound as any of the earlier ones."[10] Andrew Johnston wrote in Time Out New York, "The title of John Sayles's latest film suggests a Tarentinoesque lark, but don't be fooled: There are no wise-cracking hit men to be found here. Men with Guns is a somber rumination on the nature of violence and the sometimes disastrous effects of good intentions. While not as epic as his last film, the masterful Lone Star, it's still another bold triumph for one of America's most independent-minded filmmakers."[11]

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 89% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on twenty-seven reviews.[12]

Awards edit

Wins

Nominated

Soundtrack edit

An original motion picture soundtrack was released by Rykodisc on February 24, 1998. The CD contains twenty-three tracks (00:43:10), and includes songs heard in the film and the film score written by Mason Daring.

The music is universally Latin in flavor. The various styles include: cumbias, the Colombian dance music; a brass band; an orquestra, of Mayan culture; Peruvian Susana Baca singing a cappella; El General's funky hip-hop; and Mason Daring's bass marimba and Spanish guitar-driven score.[14]

References edit

  1. ^ Gerry Molyneaux, John Sayles, Renaissance Books, 2000 p 240.
  2. ^ Box Office Mojo web site.
  3. ^ Men With Guns at the American Film Institute Catalog.
  4. ^ Men with Guns, Sony Classic Pictures Official Web Site, production section.
  5. ^ Levy, Emanuel (September 4, 1997). "Men With Guns". Variety. from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  6. ^ Willman, Chris 2013-05-22 at the Wayback Machine. Entertainment Weekly, "Fathers and Guns: Cinema Tales from Telluride," issue #396, September 12, 1997.
  7. ^ Brian D. Johnson, "The sacred and the profane: Toronto's festival gets stars, big movies and cinematic curiosities". Maclean's, September 8, 1997.
  8. ^ Vulcan Productions web site, September 4, 1997.
  9. ^ Ebert, Roger. Chicago Sun-Times, film review, March 27, 1998. Accessed: August 4, 2013.
  10. ^ Mathews, Jack. Los Angeles Times, "Sayles Again Goes His Own Way With Effective Guns," March 13, 1998.
  11. ^ Johnston, Andrew (March 5, 1998). "Men with Guns". Time Out New York.
  12. ^ Men with Guns at Rotten Tomatoes. Last accessed: November 28, 2009. Accessed: August 4, 2013.
  13. ^ Film Festivals 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine web page, SSIFF.
  14. ^ Moerer, Keith. Amazon.com, Editorial Review.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
with, guns, confused, with, 1997, canadian, film, spanish, hombres, armados, 1997, american, political, drama, film, edited, written, directed, john, sayles, inspired, 1992, novel, long, night, white, chickens, francisco, goldman, stars, federico, luppi, damiá. Not to be confused with Men with Guns 1997 Canadian film Men with Guns Spanish Hombres armados is a 1997 American political drama film edited written and directed by John Sayles inspired by the 1992 novel The Long Night of White Chickens by Francisco Goldman It stars Federico Luppi Damian Delgado Damian Alcazar and Mandy Patinkin The executive producers were Lou Gonda and Jody Patton 3 Men with GunsTheatrical release posterDirected byJohn SaylesWritten byJohn SaylesBased onA character from The Long Night of White Chickensby Francisco GoldmanProduced byR Paul MillerMaggie RenziStarringFederico LuppiDamian DelgadoDamian AlcazarMandy PatinkinCinematographySlawomir IdziakEdited byJohn SaylesMusic byMason DaringProductioncompaniesIndependent Film ChannelClear Blue SkyAnarchist s Convention FilmsLexington Road ProductionsDistributed bySony Pictures ClassicsRelease datesAugust 30 1997 1997 08 30 Telluride March 27 1998 1998 03 27 United States Running time127 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguagesSpanishMayanKunaNahuatlTzotzilEnglishBudget 2 3 million 1 Box office 910 773 2 Set in an unnamed Latin American country it is the story of one man s discovery of what actually happened in the political history of his nation as well as his students It was filmed in Mexico and most of the crew were Mexican Contents 1 Plot synopsis 2 Cast 3 Background 3 1 Filming locations 4 Release 5 Reception 5 1 Critical response 5 2 Awards 6 Soundtrack 7 References 8 External linksPlot synopsis editDr Fuentes is a medical professor doctor near his retirement and his wife has recently died He taught a group of seven he views this as one of his greatest accomplishments that trains young people to provide health care to impoverished citizens in the outlying hill country where small agricultural communities struggle to survive Fuentes has recently heard rumors that his former students are lost and possibly dead so he musters up the courage and travels into the outlands to investigate It is not until he begins his journey that he discovers a world much different than the one he had imagined existing for his students as he finds himself encountering guerrillas and soldiers As Fuentes digs into the jungle in search of his students he discovers that men with guns have reached them first his students being menaced by many men with guns Hombres Armados This indicates military forces who use torture and execution to intimidate people He discovers that the guerillas from opposition political groups are only marginally less aggressive On his journey he accumulates a few travelling companions Padre Portillo a fallen priest who has lost his faith Domingo a deserter from the Army without a country Conejo an orphan who survives by stealing and Graciela a woman who has turned mute after she was raped by the military Fuentes finds that his journey is revealing but also perilous the deeper he ventures He ends up travelling into the hill country looking for his last student who is rumored to be living in an Edenic village high in the mountains safe from the violence which has engulfed the countryside As the doctor and his companions get closer to this half mythical place the journey becomes a quest for both safety and an assurance for Fuentes that his life has had some meaning Cast editDon Francisco Garcia as a man walking Federico Luppi as Dr Fuentes Damian Delgado as Domingo the soldier Dan Rivera Gonzalez as Conejo the boy Tania Cruz as Graciela the mute girl Damian Alcazar as Padre Portillo the priest Mandy Patinkin as Andrew Kathryn Grody as Harriet Roverto Sosa as Bravo Carmen Madrid as Angela Dr Fuentes s daughter Esteban Soberanes as Raul Angela s fiance Alejandro Springall as Carlos Dr Fuentes s sonBackground editPrincipal photography was done in thirty seven shooting days in January and February 1997 and filmed in over forty locations John Sayles films tend to be politically aware and social concerns are a theme running through most of his work This film s idea came from his friends one of whom was the novelist Francisco Goldman He had an uncle who was a doctor in Guatemala and was involved in an international health program A few years later he came to find out that most of his students whom he had sent off to serve as rural doctors had been murdered by the government that supported the program Sayles does not name the country in the film and the music he uses is quite eclectic and not tied to any specific Latin American country This is because Sayles did not want people to think that it can only happen in El Salvador that can only happen in Guatemala or Mexico He felt the film has universal overtones and the events portrayed in the story could have happened anywhere on the planet 4 Filming locations edit The movie was filmed entirely in Mexico in 40 locations including Mexico City Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl Pueblo Naranjal Xonotzintla Soledad Atzompa Soledad de Doblado Zongolica and Jalapilla all in Veracruz Palenque and San Jose Babilonia both in Chiapas Release editMen with Guns was first presented at the Telluride Film Festival Colorado on August 30 1997 5 6 A few days later its international debut was at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5 1997 which caused a small amount of confusion as Kari Skogland s film Men with Guns also debuted four days later at the same festival 7 It opened in the United States on March 27 1998 8 The film was featured at various international film festivals including the Deauville Film Festival France the Donostia San Sebastian International Film Festival Spain the Edinburgh International Film Festival Scotland the Helsinki International Film Festival Finland the Reykjavik Film Festival Iceland and others Reception editCritical response edit Roger Ebert film critic writing for the Chicago Sun Times liked the film and wrote Men With Guns is immensely moving and sad and yet because it dares so much it is an exhilarating film It frees itself from specific stories about this villain or that strategy to stand back and look at the big picture at societies in collapse because power has been concentrated in the hands of small men made big with guns 9 Critic Jack Mathews liked Sayles straightforward unadorned style and he wrote Men With Guns is a slow paced trip with a lot of translated conversation and Sayles keeps it pure The actors are said to be speaking in four dialects and there s nothing about the film other than the ill conceived couple Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody used as comic relief to give away its American origin Sayles has never been a visual stylist and his latest film is as straightforward and plot bound as any of the earlier ones 10 Andrew Johnston wrote in Time Out New York The title of John Sayles s latest film suggests a Tarentinoesque lark but don t be fooled There are no wise cracking hit men to be found here Men with Guns is a somber rumination on the nature of violence and the sometimes disastrous effects of good intentions While not as epic as his last film the masterful Lone Star it s still another bold triumph for one of America s most independent minded filmmakers 11 The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 89 of critics gave the film a positive review based on twenty seven reviews 12 Awards edit Wins Donostia San Sebastian International Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize for expressing with sensitivity and efficiency one of the essential problems of our time International Catholic Film Association OCIC Grand Prix Award Solidarity Award all for John Sayles 1997 13 Nominated Donostia San Sebastian International Film Festival Golden Seashell John Sayles 1997 British Independent Film Awards Best Foreign Independent Film Award Foreign Language 1998 British Independent Film Awards Best Foreign Language Film 1998 Golden Globes Best Foreign Language Film 1999 Political Film Society Peace Award 1999 Soundtrack editAn original motion picture soundtrack was released by Rykodisc on February 24 1998 The CD contains twenty three tracks 00 43 10 and includes songs heard in the film and the film score written by Mason Daring The music is universally Latin in flavor The various styles include cumbias the Colombian dance music a brass band an orquestra of Mayan culture Peruvian Susana Baca singing a cappella El General s funky hip hop and Mason Daring s bass marimba and Spanish guitar driven score 14 References edit Gerry Molyneaux John Sayles Renaissance Books 2000 p 240 Box Office Mojo web site Men With Guns at the American Film Institute Catalog Men with Guns Sony Classic Pictures Official Web Site production section Levy Emanuel September 4 1997 Men With Guns Variety Archived from the original on September 28 2022 Retrieved September 28 2022 Willman Chris Archived 2013 05 22 at the Wayback Machine Entertainment Weekly Fathers and Guns Cinema Tales from Telluride issue 396 September 12 1997 Brian D Johnson The sacred and the profane Toronto s festival gets stars big movies and cinematic curiosities Maclean s September 8 1997 Vulcan Productions web site September 4 1997 Ebert Roger Chicago Sun Times film review March 27 1998 Accessed August 4 2013 Mathews Jack Los Angeles Times Sayles Again Goes His Own Way With Effective Guns March 13 1998 Johnston Andrew March 5 1998 Men with Guns Time Out New York Men with Guns at Rotten Tomatoes Last accessed November 28 2009 Accessed August 4 2013 Film Festivals Archived 2007 10 13 at the Wayback Machine web page SSIFF Moerer Keith Amazon com Editorial Review External links editMen with Guns at the American Film Institute Catalog Men with Guns at IMDb nbsp Men with Guns at AllMovie Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Men with Guns amp oldid 1223647287, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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