"Just like that. Son for son, tooth for tooth." -El Infierno 2010
imdb.com
El Infierno
The film El Infierno is set in the fictional town of San
Miguel Arcángel, Mexico in 2010. The film uses the political agenda of the
Mexican government to help convey the historical context of the time. It is
clear throughout the film that, while the town’s leaders are intertwined with
the drug trade, the Mexican government is starting a sort of “war on drugs.”
Because the town is generally in poverty and is in such a rural part of Mexico,
it is difficult to date the film based on the surroundings.
The
film depicts rural northern Mexico as impoverished with a great social and
economic divide between those who are running/ working with the drug trade and
those who are not. When Benny first arrives back to the town he is horrified by
the fact that his younger brother was involved with the drug trade and murdered
because of it. He is then caught off guard by the fact that murders are happening
in the streets in the middle of the day. Benny stands with a couple of women
next to the body of a newly killed young man. When Benny asks what happened and
what they’re doing the younger woman says, “Don’t you know? This is our daily
bread. Remember we are at war.” She then moves to take something off of the
dead man’s body and hurries away with the older woman.
At this
point Benny is completely against the drug trade and struggles to find work. He
is finally employed by his Godfather, Don Rogaciano, who holds firm against
selling out his business to the drug lords. It is clear that business is bad,
but Don Rogaciano would do anything for his godson. Benny is haunted by the
fact he doesn't know who killed his brother. He is directed to his brother’s
widow, La Lupe who works as a prostitute and waitress to support herself and
her son, El Diablito.
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/20-essential-films-for-an-introduction-to-new-mexican-cinema/
El Diablito, Lupe, Benny
Benny
is forced into asking El Cochiloco for money when El Diablito is arrested. This
officially brings Benny into the drug trade and he soon establishes an important
role for himself in the ranks of the gang members. The film shows Cochi and
Benny visiting almost all the businesses in the small town and surrounding
areas, selling large amounts of drugs and other outlawed items. Benny is now
completely entangled in the very thing he was sickened by in the start of the
film.
Benny’s
hometown is a reflection of what is happening in the national field. There are
corrupted local government officials all the way up to the federal agents who
were sent to help seek out the ring leaders in the drug gangs. The film
simulates the look of the national government on the small local level of this
town. Especially towards the end of the movie several of the films characters
state their doubts about the national government’s honesty and intentions.
The
film’s primary characters are Benny Garcia, Lupe, Cochi, and the Reyes family
and their minions. Benny Garcia is the lovable main character. Even when he
becomes highly involved with the drug trade the audience is still meant to
relate to him and see him as a good guy. Benny’s inner conflict at killing the
first rival gang member endears him to us. Benny is about to let him go when
the rival member almost shoots Benny in return for his kindness. In a split
second Benny shoots his opponent and the audience is still on Benny’s side
despite the killing. Benny’s character represents survival. We are meant to
relate to Benny’s strong sense of family and loyalty.
http://cinescopia.com/el-infierno-retrato-y-unas-pinceladas-de-ficcion/2010/09/infierno-1/
Benny
Lupe is
a hard working woman. While she is a prostitute the audience hardly ever sees
her in a negative light because of it. Usually in films when women are prostitutes the
audience is meant to feel pity or repulsion for the woman. But, in this film
Lupe is seen as a strong woman who knows what she’s doing. When Benny first
meets her at Lupe’s home he says she should be a better influence for her son,
and she kicks him out with no hesitation. The audience relates to her through
her love for her son. As soon as Lupe arrives home she asks her son how he is,
if he’s eaten, and if his homework is done. These are things all mothers ask. By
the film showing this, they make her human again. Lupe represents hard work, survival,
and motherhood.
The
first time we meet Cochi in the film, we are meant to be intimidated by him. It
doesn't take long for the film to establish him as Benny’s best friend. Cochi
is meant to be the friend we all want to have. He knows a lot about everything,
and is seemingly fearless (except for his reasonable fear of the Reyes). He is kind to Benny and is a family man. We
are meant to relate to him through all these things. Cochi represents
friendship.
https://pachucodemexico.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/esto-es-el-infierno-y-no-chingaderas-el-cochiloco/
Benny and Cochi
From
the outside the Reyes family is a dynasty of terrible power. We get a look
inside the family to see a dopey son, controlling (typical) Latina wife, and the
obedient husband that the wife has created. From the inside this family reflects the one watching it. Through these things we are meant to relate to
the Reyes family. When J.R. is killed we see a family in mourning. Granted,
they mourn in their own way by killing people, but they are still in mourning. This makes them human.
The family represents wealth, power, and terror.
Benny
struggles with his moral compass throughout the film. He knows he doesn't want
to work for the drug trade, but he also knows he has to support his family. He gets
caught up in the money and power. At some point in the middle of the film, I
think when he tries cocaine for the first time, he forgets how dangerous what he’s
doing is. Several times he is shaken out of this daze, but never takes these
warnings seriously until El Diablito’s life is in danger. When there is a price
put on El Diablito’s head, Benny realizes he can’t wait any longer to get out of the drug trade.
He sends Diablito across the border then goes to the feds. By hoping to gain safety,
he almost loses his life. He outsmarts the feds that are taking him to Reyes,
but makes it back to his home to find Lupe murdered in their bed. At this point
there isn't much left of the Benny we began the film with. Without another
thought Benny walks into the town celebration honoring Reyes’ election to the
mayoral position and shoots all the people he blames for Lupe’s murder and his
life of crime.
While
the film seems to condemn the governments handling of the drug trade, and the
drug trade in general, it also glamorizes it and makes it seem like a reasonable
way to live life in Mexico. The film
uses family as a driving force for the drug trade. A family controls the drug
trade in the town, and Benny joins in to support his family. Cochi is able to
build a beautiful large house for his family. The opposing drug ring is led by
the brother of Jose Reyes and people are murdered all throughout the film because
they are related to the wrong people. The film has a major message of blood is
thicker than water.
http://www.dimex1.com/blog/el-infierno-movie-poster/
References
- Alma Guillermoprieto, “Murderers of Mexico” New York Review of Books October 28, 2010
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