Exerts considerable, groggy power
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:133
Fresh:113
Rotten:20
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: Tommy Lee Jones’ directorial debut is both a potent western and a powerful morality tale.
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Dec 14, 2005 Limited
Box Office: $4,913,407
Synopsis: Tommy Lee Jones takes his second turn in the director's chair with THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, the follow-up to his 1995 western THE GOOD OLD BOYS. The action takes place on the border... Tommy Lee Jones takes his second turn in the director's chair with THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, the follow-up to his 1995 western THE GOOD OLD BOYS. The action takes place on the border between West Texas and Northern Chihuahua in Mexico, which is a hot spot for illegal crossings. But Jones's movie ingeniously flips this dangerous yet all-too-common practice on its head, with a tale of a man hell-bent on crossing the border in the opposite direction. The journey to Mexico begins when Pete Perkins (Jones) uncovers the identity of a Border Patrolman, Mike Norton (Barry Pepper), who has shot and killed his best friend, Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cedillo). Kidnapping Norton and forcing him to dig up Estrada's body, Perkins straps the corpse to a horse, and informs Norton that he will be traveling with them to Mexico. Once there, they will bury Estrada according to instructions he gave Perkins prior to his death. Jones paints Norton as a mean-spirited individual; caught up in a loveless relationship with his wife, Lou Ann (January Jones), Norton's day job frequently involves him him either exploding in a violent rage or idly masturbating over a well-thumbed copy of Hustler. The two men don't exactly bond on their journey, the wedge that's been forced between them being far too great for them to reconcile their differences. But Jones coerces a riveting tale from Guillermo Arriaga script, with a choppy chronology reminiscent of Arriaga's own 21 GRAMS. Comparisons to Sam Peckinpah's masterfully bleak 1974 movie BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA are inevitable, although Jones's film has a tender edge that Peckinpah's nihilistic epic was never quite capable of reaching. A film that suggests Jones has a bright future ahead of him as a director, THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA is one of the most absorbing pieces of cinema to emerge in 2005. [More]
Starring: Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo, Dwight Yoakam, January Jones
Starring: Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo, Dwight Yoakam, January Jones, Levon Helm, Vanessa Bauche
Director: Tommy Lee Jones
Director: Tommy Lee Jones
Screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga Jordan
Producer: Michael Fitzgerald, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Menges
Composer: Marco Beltrami
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Part character study, part Peckinpah-esque border Western, part mystic epic, Three Burials traverses its uncharted territories with a humour and humanity that lighten the burden of its sadness.
Breathtaking tableaus, colorful characters, and a moving message about redemption end up overshadowed by wanton insanity one might normally associate with a sadistic snuff film.
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is a spiritual exploration so profound and complex that it's impossible to take it all in with one viewing.
one of those offbeat dramas that would never have gotten produced without the clout of a major star behind it. ...a challenging, unpredictable film that never allows the audience to get too comfortable.
A parable, buddy movie, western myth and road movie all rolled into one %u2013 one excellent one
A stiff shows up with gruesome repetition in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, and some will be surprised to learn that it isn't Tommy Lee Jones' former college roommate, Al Gore.
It attempts to cover a lot of territory just like the American border patrol in Texas, but its results are mixed, perhaps, not unlike the border patrol.
A fotografia ressalta a secura e o aspecto rochoso das locações como forma de estabelecer uma metáfora visual da própria existência daquelas pessoas retratadas pelo roteiro.
Intriguingly structured, beautifully shot and superbly acted Western - this is one of the highlights of the year.
Latest News for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
July 13, 2007:
Charlize Theron to Visit "The Burning Plain"
The Oscar-winning blonde will anchor the directorial debut of one of the hottest screenwriters around: Guillermo Arriaga. More...
October 04, 2006:
"21 Grams," "Babel" Creators Innaritu and Arriaga on the Outs?
Rumor has it that the long-standing and successful partnership between Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga may be coming to an ugly end,... More...
December 20, 2005:
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics 2005 Awards
December 19, 2005 -- DALLAS-FORT WORTH FILM CRITICS NAME “BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN” BEST OF 2005. The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the frontier romance BROKEBACK... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 40% 40% | Surrogates |
| 83% 83% | Whip It |
| 29% 29% | Gamer |
| 97% 97% | The Hurt Locker |
| 81% 81% | Michael Jackson's This… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 87% 87% | A Serious Man |
| 37% 37% | The Time Traveler's Wife |
| 78% 78% | Bronson |
| 11% 11% | The Stepfather |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Check out PopEater's collection of childhood photos of celebs, from Tom Cruise to Kim Kardashian.

TIME's Richard Corliss pores over the Oscar noms for the major awards and offers his take on who will win.

For a different take, the AV Club delves into why awards season is terrible.

Moviefone has put together a list of the actors with the most Razzie noms ever.

Hollywood.com makes a case for a big screen adaptation of popular game Mass Effect.
Promos

Download it from iTunes and get Tomatometer scores straight to your iPhone!



Top Critic



