El Norte

Critics Consensus

Sensitively written, skillfully directed, and powerfully portrayed, El Norte wrings deeply affecting drama from intractable real-life issues.

86%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 21

82%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 2,375

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Movie Info

"When will we find a home?" Rosa asks her brother Enrique at the end of their long journey. Alone in a strange land, they have only each other. The search for roots and the importance of family inform Gregory Nava's and Anna Thomas's lyrical and emotionally powerful El Norte, just as they will the filmmakers' later My Family, which showed at Sundance in 1995. One of the first films to portray faithfully the plight of Central American political refugees, El Norte is a remarkable fusion of documentary realism and visual poetry. When their father is killed and their mother arrested by the military, Rosa and Enrique flee the coffee fields of Guatemala for el norte, a place they know only from pictures in their godmother Josefita's Better Homes and Gardens magazines. Their trip is often harrowing, taking them through the teeming squalor of Tijuana to the anonymous streets of Los Angeles, but there is time for joy and laughter, too. They learn English in a lively night school, and when Rosa is intimidated by the laundry room in the house she is cleaning at her new job, she washes the clothes by hand and spreads them on the lawn to dry as she used to do at home. Thomas's eloquently crafted characters are brought to vibrant life by Zaide Gutierrez's and David Villalpando's remarkable performances, and the authentic music and James Glennon's moody cinematography create an indelible sense of place. Roger Ebert calls El Norte a modern Grapes of Wrath, but it is also a very warm and personal story about the resilience of the human spirit and a celebration of hope that survives in the face of despair.
  • Rating:
    R
  • Genre:
    Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Drama, Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    Gregory Nava
  • Written By:
    Gregory Nava, Anna Thomas
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Criterion Collection

Cast

David Villalpando
as Enrique Xuncax
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez
as Rosa Xuncax
Ernesto Gomez Cruz
as Arturo Xuncax
Alicia del Lago
as Lupe Xuncax
Eraclio Zepeda
as Pedro
Stella Quan
as Josefita
Rodrigo Puebla
as Puma
Emilio del Haro
as Truck Driver
Trinidad Silva
as Monty
Abel Franco
as Raimundo
Mike Gomez
as Jaime
Lupe Ontiveros
as Nacha
John Martin
as Ed
Larry Cedar
as Bruce
Sheryl Bernstein
as Karen
Gregory Enton
as Len
Diane Civita
as Alice
Tony Plana
as Carlos
Jorge Moreno
as Man in Bus
Rodolfo Aleiandre
as Ramon
Enrique J. Castillo
as Jorge
Ronald G. Joseph
as Joel
John L. Martin
as Ed
View All

Critic Reviews for El Norte

All Critics (21) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (3)

View All Critic Reviews (21)

Audience Reviews for El Norte

  • Apr 30, 2011
    I'm sort of embarrassed that I like this so much, especially the part when it devolves into a horror story because of THE MICE OH MY GOD THE MICE, but I don't know - it's also kind of charming in its own simple way.
    Jennifer X Super Reviewer
  • Oct 14, 2009
    Picked it up at the library,Tried to watch it but got bored so I took it back.Seen it at the library again & decided to give it another chance & Im so glad I did.A great movie
    Brody M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 08, 2008
    Brother and sister from Guatemala decide to seek refuge in the U.S. That's the first part. The second half details their life in that magical city in "the north" called Los Angeles. The last shot is heartbreaking. Well plotted film deservedly won an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
    Mark H Super Reviewer
  • Jul 06, 2008
    Depressingly good times.
    Ed K Super Reviewer
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