kass_jara El Norte is a great movie that reminds me a lot about Rodolfo Acuna and Eduardo Galeanos work. They would write about the struggles people have to face coming to America and how they would get exploited, having to work hard jobs for very little pay just to get by because they are hoping for the "American Dream." These men write history book about these stories everyday lives of immigrants trying to come to America. And this movie depicts it perfectly; the audience gets to see firsthand how it is for people from another country to come here knowing nothing and owning nothing then what they have on their back. You see and feel for these siblings as they have to leave there home because they are not wanted there to a new world trying to fit in. They try to assimilate and in order to make it America but they can't because everyone else is just waiting to see them fail. This is was Acuna and Galeano right about in their books it is just like this wonderful movie El Norte.

Gunn This film will enlighten all who despise illegal immigrants to the U.S.A. I am one who is concerned about illegal immigrants crossing our borders by the thousands every day. This movie illustrates just what these immigrants endure and risk to go to El Norte (The North). Gregory Nava has created a masterpiece of low budget film-making with the help of cinematographer James Glennon and his co-writer Anna Thomas. The visuals are stunning it takes place in a small Central American village in Guatemala (western Mexico stands in for off-limits Guatemala). It is a small Indian village where locals speak Ki'iche instead of Spanish. Local farmers rebel when the military begins partitioning their land resulting in the deaths of many farmers. Rosa & Enrique Xuncax see their father killed and their mother taken away and incarcerated. They are next, and the know it. They decide to run off to El Norte, the dreamland their mother often swooned about. Thus begins a perilous trek and an adventurous journey to the U.S.A./the Promised Land. Only the poverty and danger of Mexico stands in their way. Newcomers Zaide Silvia Gutierrez and David Villalpando are superb as the leads and they steal and break your heart. This is a truly stunning film! It is now out on Criterion DVD and includes a 2-hour documentary of what this crew endured in the making of El Norte. I highly recommend it.

littleg089 EL NORTE, is considered by many to be one of the most poignant foreign films to have been released in recent memory. This film is a wonderful interpretation on just how heart wrenching and beautiful the human spirit can be. This movie is a perfect example of the celebration of the human spirit; one brother and one sister in search of the American dream, which millions attempt to achieve and few ever find. Though the endeavors which made their journey more intensifying, they made there way, the reached the unreachable star. The made it to Los Angeles, California.In a way this movie can, in many sense, can be seen in a way, that of, Enrique and Rosa being the Quixote figures for the film; turned away, different, and a dream so enormous that even a motel attendant states they will not survive-Enrique and rose. However, along the way their dream, their aspirations rub off on many people they encounter. Therefore the people become quixotified, in a way, and want to believe the henry and rose will make it to safety. In the film, a man even risks his life and safety to make sure "henry" and rose safely make it across the border, admiring their accomplishments.Furthermore, no good deed goes unpunished -as the film progresses you can see as to why- Only being sixteen years old, this film has in many ways changed in life and way of thought.George Nava made a brilliant choice given the context of the story, which was just a problem then as it is now, Immigration. Now, his choices are ever considered more brilliant given this- a post 9-11 world, a devisive state -CA- election, and a controversial war in Iraq. Furthermore the idea of immigration -pro-. With all these factors in mind, they studio -s- should rethink about re-releasing this film. Five months after watching this film I still think about its message, that we are all people and united we stand. Americans we are, Americans we'll be. If you come here to America and want to work for the people with, for the people, and by the people of the United States of America, you should, and shall be considered and American.

juana_macias I first saw this movie when I was a kid and it just stayed with me. There are still some scenes that I don't forget. This is a really sad yet great story of a brother and sister who come to the US and how they suffer. You can practically feel the love and respect that they have for each other, it's wonderful. The parts that most stick in my mind are the Mexican sweet bread theft, the dryer machine incident and the rats in the sewer. It's been over 15 years since I've seen it. Great actors in this movie and good, realistic theme. It is an absolutely awesome movie and I would totally recommend it to everyone! Enjoy it!!!!