Desperado: A Classic Film Revisited
Recently, I rewatched Desperado from 1995. I had seen this movie years ago, and it was time for a rewatch with my blog spectacles on. This is one of those classic films that I can’t imagine anyone disliking. Desperado is a solid film with many good qualities and is very well-executed. Let’s explore the details of why this film is so compelling in the following paragraphs.
Recognizing Signatures in Desperado
For art fans out there, you know how some artists have such a distinct style that their work is immediately recognizable? You could show me a Norman Rockwell, Van Gogh, or Picasso piece I’ve never seen, and I could still be 100% sure who the artist is just by the style. This applies to many things, including fashion. For instance, if you see three stripes, y’all know it’s from adidas. I’m learning that films have this quality too. Just two minutes into Desperado, I recognized the signatures of its creators. I initially thought Tarantino was involved—turns out he was—and it also felt heavily influenced by Rodriguez, which was true, as he directed it. When I watched it years ago, I didn’t notice these details as much as I do now.
Probably the most noticeable signature in Desperado is the character dialogue. Tarantino’s movies often have few scenes, but they are lengthy. They are lengthy not because of numerous events but because of deep, engaging dialogue that draws you in, making you feel part of the characters’ lives. This engagement makes the film more relatable, at least from my perspective. I talked more about this in my blog on Death Proof which you can read here. You can see this in the opening scene of Desperado. Buscemi doesn’t just say, “You’re about to get dealt with.” Instead, he tells a long, engaging joke about how scary this guy is, really building him up. I see the same writing styles used by Rodriguez.
Desperado: Genius in Film and Music
I’m a fan of hip hop and most music genres. Just for the record, Wu-Tang is hip-hop in its purest form, but I also highly respect Outkast. One thing I admire about some artists is their ability to make words rhyme that don’t naturally rhyme. Very few can do this well. For example, they might pronounce a word using an accent that makes it rhymes with another word that it usually wouldn’t. This kind of creativity is a mark of genius in my opinion. Desperado had this uncanny make-a-square-fit-through-a-triangle-hole ability too. You’ll have to watch the movie to really see what I mean because I am not able to articulate it but, surf rock and Mexican gun fights fit! I never see this working but, Desperado made it happen. This too is the mark of genius.
Desperado's Iconic Shootouts
If you enjoy shoot-’em-up movies, Desperado is a must-see. You can find a complete list of all the guns used in the film here. Some things stand out, though. First, there’s a crotch gun. From what I read, there were alternate scenes featuring the surprise crotch gun. You might recognize this gun from Tom Savini’s character in From Dusk Till Dawn, released a year later. Also, Desperado features an iconic opening scene with a guitar case hiding a beautiful collection of guns. You must watch the whole movie to appreciate the full effect, but the case has a false bottom full of guns. If you’d like, you can watch just this scene here, but I recommend watching the entire film. Later in the movie, there’s another case doubling as a rocket launcher.
The Stellar Cast of Desperado
Another great aspect of Desperado is its cast. It features Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Cheech, Danny Trejo, Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino, and others. Each of these characters fits so well together. I’ve mentioned this in other blogs, but when you have a cast that seems to mesh well, it automatically elevates the movie. This clearly works, as seen in From Dusk Till Dawn, another Tarantino classic that features many of the same actors, including Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo, and Cheech. Joaquim de Almeida, who plays Bucho, also does a fantastic job as an antagonist.
Desperado: Artistic Inspiration
From an artistic perspective, I thoroughly enjoyed Desperado. Living in the southeastern United States, I find the color schemes of South America visually appealing. We have a lot of green here, which can get boring. In Mexico, where Desperado was filmed, the color palette includes reds, oranges, and browns—a beautiful combination. Contrasting these colors are the black suits and Salma Hayek’s hair. White trim on clothes, muted greens, and occasional purples are pleasantly scattered throughout the film. I could probably watch Desperado without sound and still enjoy it just as much. I had to pause several times to take sketchbook notes. There are so many sketches I want to do from Desperado. I’m feeling oils too – I can’t wait to jump into the paint using this muse!
Why Desperado Is a New Favorite
Desperado has easily become one of my new favorites. It features armored limos, gunfights, more gunfights, great characters, a surprisingly engaging story with a twist ending, and so many guns. I don’t know how I could not love this movie and watch it repeatedly. Plus, it’s from 1995, a time when movies were creative, stylistic, and well-crafted. I feel that nothing tops the guitar gun case scene, and they placed it first, which I thought was odd, but otherwise, I have nothing but praise for Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado. What’s your favorite scene? Who’s your favorite character? Let me know in the comments. Follow my art journey on social media, visit my website, and buy my art here. If you’ve enjoyed this blog or this movie, please share. Peace.