Editing Once Upon a Time in Mexico

{{Short description|2003 film by Robert Rodriguez}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = Once Upon a Time in Mexico.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Robert Rodriguez]]
| writer         = Robert Rodriguez
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Elizabeth Avellán]]
* [[Carlos Gallardo (actor)|Carlos Gallardo]]
* Robert Rodriguez
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Antonio Banderas]]
* [[Salma Hayek]]
* [[Johnny Depp]]
* [[Mickey Rourke]]
* [[Eva Mendes]]
* [[Danny Trejo]]
* [[Enrique Iglesias]]
* [[Marco Leonardi]]
* [[Cheech Marin]]
* [[Rubén Blades]]
* [[Willem Dafoe]]
}}<!--The infobox uses the list and order of actors from the billing block of the poster for the film's original theatrical release.--->
| cinematography = Robert Rodriguez
| editing        = Robert Rodriguez
| music          = Robert Rodriguez
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Columbia Pictures]]
* [[Dimension Films]]
* [[Troublemaker Studios]]
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sony Pictures Releasing]] (United States, Canada, India, and Japan theatrical, worldwide home video)
* [[Miramax International]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Once Upon a Time in Mexico|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=David|last=Rooney|date=28 August 2003|access-date=10 February 2022|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/once-upon-a-time-in-mexico-1200539745/}}</ref> (International theatrical; through [[Buena Vista International]]<ref name=bbfc/>)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|2003|09|12}}
| runtime        = 102 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 101:34 --><ref name=bbfc>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/once-upon-a-time-in-mexico-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00ntayotu|title=''Once Upon a Time in Mexico'' (15)|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=September 2, 2003|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = {{Plainlist|
* English
* Spanish
}}
| budget         = $29 million<ref name=box>{{cite web|title=Once Upon a Time in Mexico|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1080460801/|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref>
| gross          = $98.8 million<ref name=box/>
}}

'''''Once Upon a Time in Mexico''''' is a 2003 American [[Western (genre)#Contemporary Western or Neo-Western|neo-Western]] [[action film]] written, directed, produced, photographed, scored, and edited by [[Robert Rodriguez]]. It is the sequel to ''[[Desperado (film)|Desperado]]'' (1995) and the third and final installment in the ''[[Mexico Trilogy]]''. The film features [[Antonio Banderas]] in his second and final performance as El Mariachi. In the film, El Mariachi is recruited by [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agent Sheldon Sands ([[Johnny Depp]]) to kill a corrupt general responsible for the death of his wife, Carolina ([[Salma Hayek]]).

''Once Upon a Time in Mexico'' was released in the United States on September 12, 2003, by [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for Depp's performance, but criticism for reducing its protagonist to an almost secondary character in his own trilogy and a convoluted plot. In the special features of the film's [[DVD]], Rodriguez explained this was intentional, as he wanted this to be his ''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' of the trilogy. It grossed over $98 million against a $29 million production budget.

==Plot==
El Mariachi is recruited by [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] officer Sheldon Jeffrey Sands to kill General Emiliano Marquez, a corrupt [[Mexican Army]] officer who has been hired by Mexican drug lord Armando Barillo to assassinate the [[President of Mexico]] and overthrow the government during a period of unrest in [[Culiacán]] (the capital of [[Sinaloa]]) testing the presidency. Many years before, El Mariachi and his wife Carolina confronted Marquez in a shootout and wounded the general; in retaliation, Marquez took the lives of Carolina and their daughter in an ambush. In addition to El Mariachi, Sands persuades former [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agent Jorge Ramírez to come out of retirement and kill Barillo, who had murdered his partner Archuleta in the past. Furthermore, AFN operative Ajedrez is assigned by Sands to tail Barillo.

While monitoring Barillo's activities, Ramírez meets Billy Chambers, an American fugitive who has been living under the protection of Barillo, but can no longer stomach the horrible tasks he's been forced to carry out for him. Ramírez convinces Chambers he will provide him protection in exchange for getting closer to Barillo by tagging Chambers's pet chihuahua with a hidden microphone, and Chambers agrees to complete the deal by surrendering to U.S. authorities once Barillo has been taken down. Sands's agent, Cucuy, originally hired to keep an eye on El Mariachi, instead turns and tranquilizes El Mariachi and turns him over to Barillo, also offering to reveal the details of Sands's plan. Cucuy, however, is promptly killed by Chambers while El Mariachi escapes from captivity and calls his friends Lorenzo and Fideo to assist him in his mission.

While monitoring Barillo's activity outside a hospital, Ramírez notices armed men storming the building and follows suit. He discovers that a group of doctors has been gunned down and Barillo has bled to death as a result of a botched [[plastic surgery|facial reconstruction]] but realizes that the corpse on the operating table is a [[body double]] before he is knocked out and kidnapped by the real Barillo and Ajedrez, who reveals herself to be Barillo's daughter. Sands realizes that his mission has been compromised but is too late, as he is captured by Barillo and Ajedrez — who drill out his eyes before sending him out. Despite his blindness, he manages to gun down a hitman tailing him with the aid of a ''[[chicle]]'' boy.

As [[Culiacán]] celebrates the [[Day of the Dead]] during the President's visit, Marquez and his army storm in and attack the presidential palace. Marquez's troops, however, are met with resistance from not only the President's bodyguards but also the citizens of Culiacán and the Mariachis. Sands had instructed El Mariachi to allow the President to be killed before attacking Marquez, but the Mariachis, concluding that the President is a good man, intervene early and protect him.  Marquez enters the presidential palace, only to once again confront El Mariachi, who shoots out his kneecaps before killing him with a headshot. Ramírez, who was released from captivity by Chambers, faces Barillo. After Barillo guns down Chambers, Ramírez and El Mariachi kill the drug lord. Sands manages to shoot the sadistic Ajedrez dead outside the presidential palace. Ultimately, Lorenzo and Fideo walk away with the cash that Barillo was using to pay Marquez and help the president safely escape the attempted [[coup]]. Ramírez says goodbye to Sands and walks away, having avenged his partner's death. El Mariachi then gives his share of the cash to his home village before walking into the sunset.

==Cast==
<!--Johnny Depp did not receive top billing in the film or on its promotional materials and shouldn't here, either--->
{{Cast listing|
<!-- opening title cards -->
* [[Antonio Banderas]] as "El Mariachi"
* [[Salma Hayek]] as Carolina 
* [[Johnny Depp]] as CIA Agent Sands 
* [[Mickey Rourke]] as Billy Chambers
* [[Eva Mendes]] as Ajedrez 
* [[Danny Trejo]] as "Cucuy"
* [[Enrique Iglesias]] as Lorenzo
* [[Marco Leonardi]] as Fideo
* [[Cheech Marin]] as Belini
* [[Julio Oscar Mechoso]] as Nicholas, Presidential Advisor <!-- Jorge Ramirez? -->
<!-- with -->
* [[Rubén Blades]] as Jorge Ramirez. The name of his murdered partner, Agent Armando Archuleta, is probably an allusion to Detective Danny Archuleta, a character from [[Predator 2]] that was also portrayed by Blades.
<!-- and -->
* [[Willem Dafoe]] as Armando Barillo
<!-- and -->
* [[Pedro Armendáriz, Jr.]] as [[President of Mexico]]
<!-- end title cards -->
}}
<!-- supporting roles
* [[Pedro Armendáriz, Jr.]] as President
* Tony Valdes as Chicle Boy
* Gerardo Vigil as General Marquez
* Miguel Couturier as Dr. Guevera
-->
In a 2003 issue of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', Depp was named as one of its "People of the Year", and gave an interview in which he briefly discussed his role as Sands:

<blockquote>The idea behind him is there was this guy I used to know in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], in the business, who on the outside was very charming &ndash; soft-spoken and almost hypnotic in the rhythm he used to speak. He refused to call me Johnny &ndash; always called me John. You knew this guy was aiming to fuck you over, but somehow you stuck around because he was just so fascinating to watch.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/johnnydepp/articles/story/10697564/people_of_the_year_2004_johnny_depp|title=News|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=February 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717081042/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/johnnydepp/articles/story/10697564/people_of_the_year_2004_johnny_depp |archive-date=July 17, 2009|url-status= dead}}</ref></blockquote>

Depp also said in an ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' article that he "imagine[d] this guy wore really cheesy tourist shirts", that he had a "sideline obsession with [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]", and that he favored strange, obvious disguises; all three qualities can be observed in the film. It was also revealed in the director's commentary on the DVD that Depp himself came up with the character's first and middle names.<ref>{{cite magazine <!-- Deny Citation Bot--> |title=Johnny Depp has twelve tattoos |last=Nashawaty|first= Chris|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|location=New York|issue=729|date=September 19, 2003|pages= 29–32, 34 |id={{ProQuest|219039608}}}}</ref>

==Production==
Made on a US$29 million budget,<ref name="box" /> the film was shot in May 2001 before ''[[Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams]]'' (2002) and ''[[Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over]]'' (2003) in order to avoid a potential [[Screen Actors Guild]] strike. Shooting took place over seven weeks in [[Querétaro]], [[San Miguel de Allende]] and [[Guanajuato]], Mexico. It was the first big-budget film to be shot in high-definition digital video.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Cinema of Robert Rodriguez|last=Aldama|first=Frederick Luis|publisher=[[University of Texas Press]]|year=2014|isbn=9780292761230|page=47|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1dSBBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA47}}</ref> [[Robert Rodriguez]] chose to shoot on digital after [[George Lucas]], who was shooting ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]'' (2002), showed him early footage shot digitally. Impressed, Rodriguez chose to shoot digitally, but he knew he did not have enough time to shoot ''Spy Kids 2''. Instead, he pitched a sequel to ''[[Desperado (film)|Desperado]]'' (1995) to [[Miramax Films]] and wrote a script in six days. The initial draft was 65 pages long, which he padded with a subplot borrowed from an unproduced short film. When Miramax Films expressed hesitation over the added subplot, he readily removed it. His primary influence was [[Sergio Leone]]'s ''[[Dollars Trilogy]]'', specifically ''[[The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly]]'' (1966). Rodriguez said shooting digitally saved time and money, simplified the filming process, and rendered [[35 mm movie film|35&nbsp;mm film]] obsolete for him.<ref>{{cite book|title=Robert Rodriguez: Interviews|last1=McKernan|first1=Brian|last2=Zahn|first2=Bob|editor-last=Ingle|editor-first=Zachary|publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|year=2012|isbn=9781617032721|pages=75–82}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Once Upon a Time in Mexico
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = Various artists
| released   = September 2003
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Chicano rock|Latin rock]]|[[rockabilly]]|[[hard rock]]|[[film score]]}}
| language   = {{hlist|English|Spanish}}
| length     = 51:44
| label      = [[Milan Records]]
| producer   = [[Robert Rodriguez]]
| chronology = [[Robert Rodriguez]] film soundtrack
| prev_title = [[Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over#Music|Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over]]
| prev_year  = 2003
| next_title = [[Sin City (soundtrack)|Sin City]]
| next_year  = 2005
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1       = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score  = {{Rating|4.5|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r655546|pure_url=yes}} link]
| noprose    = yes
}}
The film's score includes songs composed by Rodriguez, and performed by a group of musicians gathered specifically for the soundtrack recording. Tracks performed by the group include "Malagueña" with guitar by [[Brian Setzer]], and "Siente Mi Amor", with singing by [[Salma Hayek]]. Track 9, "Sands Theme", credited to "Tonto's Giant Nuts", was written by [[Johnny Depp]]. Additional music includes [[Juno Reactor]]'s "[[Pistolero (song)|Pistolero]]", "[[Me Gustas Tú (Manu Chao song)|Me Gustas Tú]]" by [[Manu Chao]], and "Cuka Rocka" by Rodriguez' own rock band, [[Chingon (band)|Chingon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/once-upon-a-time-in-mexico-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000316714|title=Once Upon a Time in Mexico [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]|last=Jurek|first=Thom|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref> On the DVD director commentary, Rodriguez states that he requested that each of the main actors give him four or eight notes of a melody for their character, but Depp presented him with the entire track.

===Track listing===
{{Track listing
| extra_column  = Artist(s)
| title1        = Malagueña
| writer1       = Traditional
| extra1        = [[Brian Setzer]]
| length1       = 4:22
| title2        = Traeme Paz
| writer2       = {{hlist|Israel Rodriguez|Patricia Vonne}}
| extra2        = Patricia Vonne
| length2       = 2:56
| title3        = Eye Patch
| writer3       = Robert Rodriguez
| extra3        = [[Robert Rodriguez]] feat. Alex Ruiz
| length3       = 1:51
| title4        = Yo Te Quiero
| writer4       = Marcos Loya
| extra4        = Marcos Loya
| length4       = 3:48
| title5        = Guitar Town
| writer5       = Rodriguez
| extra5        = Robert Rodriguez
| length5       = 2:04
| title6        = Church Shootout
| writer6       = Rodriguez
| extra6        = Robert Rodriguez
| length6       = 1:38
| title7        = [[Pistolero (song)|Pistolero]]
| writer7       = {{hlist|[[Ben Watkins]]|[[Steve Stevens]]}}
| extra7        = [[Juno Reactor]]
| length7       = 3:38
| title8        = [[Me Gustas Tú (Manu Chao song)|Me Gustas Tú]]
| writer8       = Manu Chao
| extra8        = [[Manu Chao]]
| length8       = 3:49
| title9        = Sands Theme
| writer9       = {{hlist|[[Johnny Depp]]|[[Bill Carter (musician)|Bill Carter]]|Bruce Witkin|Ruth Ellsworth}}
| extra9        = Tonto's Giant Nuts
| length9       = 3:24
| title10       = Dias de Los Angeles
| writer10      = {{hlist|Ruiz|Mark del Castillo}}
| extra10       = Del Castillo
| length10      = 5:08
| title11       = The Man with No Eyes
| writer11      = Rodriguez
| extra11       = Robert Rodriguez
| length11      = 2:09
| title12       = Mariachi vs. Marquez
| writer12      = Rodriguez
| extra12       = Robert Rodriguez
| length12      = 1:33
| title13       = Flor del Mal
| writer13      = {{hlist|Tito Larriva|Steven Hufsteter}}
| extra13       = [[Tito Larriva]] & Steven Hufsteter
| length13      = 3:13
| title14       = Chicle Boy
| writer14      = Rodriguez
| extra14       = Robert Rodriguez
| length14      = 1:30
| title15       = Coup de Etat
| writer15      = Rodriguez
| extra15       = Robert Rodriguez
| length15      = 3:02
| title16       = El Mariachi
| writer16      = Rodriguez
| extra16       = Robert Rodriguez
| length16      = 1:22
| title17       = Siente Mi Amor
| writer17      = {{hlist|Jose Tamez|Rodriguez}}
| extra17       = [[Salma Hayek]]
| length17      = 4:24
| title18       = [[La Cucaracha|Cuka Rocka]]
| writer18      = Traditional
| extra18       = [[Chingon (band)|Chingon]]
| length18      = 1:44
| total_length  = 51:44
}}

==Release==
''Once Upon a Time in Mexico'' was released in the United States on September 12, 2003 by [[Sony Pictures Releasing]] through [[Columbia Pictures]], and internationally by [[Miramax International]] through [[Buena Vista International]], in 3,282 theaters with an opening weekend gross of US$23.4 million. It went on to make $56.4 million in North America and $41.8 in the rest of the world for a combined total of $98.2 million on a $29 million budget.<ref name="box" />

==Reception==
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Once Upon a Time in Mexico'' holds an approval rating of 66% based on 168 reviews, with an average rating of 6.20/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Violent, pulpy, loopy fun, with Depp stealing the show."<ref>{{cite web|title=Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once_upon_a_time_in_mexico|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Flixster]]|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 56 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews"
.<ref>{{cite web|title=Once Upon a Time in Mexico|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/once-upon-a-time-in-mexico|website=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|title=Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) B-|work=[[CinemaScore]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|archive-date=December 20, 2018}}</ref>

''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' film critic [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "Like [[Sergio Leone|Leone]]'s [[Once Upon a Time in the West|movie]], the Rodriguez epic is more interested in the moment, in great shots, in surprises and ironic reversals and closeups of sweaty faces, than in a coherent story."<ref>{{cite news|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|title=''Once Upon A Time in Mexico''|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=September 12, 2003|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/once-upon-a-time-in-mexico-2003|access-date =August 14, 2021}}</ref> [[A. O. Scott]] wrote in his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', "But in the end, the punched-up editing and vibrant color schemes start to grow tiresome, and Mr. Rodriguez, bored with his own gimmickry and completely out of ideas, responds by pushing the violence to needlessly grotesque extremes."<ref>{{cite news|last=Scott|first=A.O.|author-link=A.O. Scott|title=Guitar in His Hand, Revenge in His Heart|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 12, 2003|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/12/movies/film-review-guitar-in-his-hand-revenge-in-his-heart.html|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref>

In her review for ''[[USA Today]]'', [[Claudia Puig]] wrote, "In ''Mexico'', Rodriguez has fashioned a swaggering fantasy that pays homage to spaghetti Westerns such as Sergio Leone's ''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]''. Plenty of blood is shed, much powerful artillery is fired, and action sequences provide astounding car crashes and fiery explosions."<ref>{{cite news|last=Puig|first=Claudia|author-link=Claudia Puig|title=Depp fans flames in quirky ''Mexico''|work=[[USA Today]]|date=September 11, 2003|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2003-09-11-mexico_x.htm|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref> Writing for ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', [[Owen Gleiberman]] gave the film a "B" rating and praised Depp's performance with its "winking grace notes of Brandoesque flakery ... is as minimal and laid-back as his ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' turn was deep-dish theatrical".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Gleiberman|first=Owen|author-link=Owen Gleiberman|title=Once Upon A Time in Mexico|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=September 5, 2003|url=https://ew.com/article/2003/09/04/once-upon-time-mexico-2/}}</ref>

==Television adaptation==
Sony's [[AXN]] channel confirmed that it will be airing a TV series adaptation of the ''Mexico Trilogy''. The series, entitled ''[[El Mariachi (2014 TV series)|El Mariachi]]'', premiered on March 20, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://la.axn.com/programas/el-mariachi|title=El Mariachi|access-date=March 8, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308092702/http://la.axn.com/programas/el-mariachi|archive-date=March 8, 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Livin' la Vida Loca]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0285823}}
* {{Mojo title|onceuponatimeinmexico}}

{{Robert Rodriguez}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|2000s|Mexico}}

[[Category:2003 films]]
[[Category:2003 Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s Mexican films]]
[[Category:American action films]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:American Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:Buena Vista International films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Day of the Dead films]]
[[Category:Dimension Films films]]
[[Category:English-language Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:Films about coups d'état]]
[[Category:Films about guitars and guitarists]]
[[Category:Films about Mexican drug cartels]]
[[Category:Films about the Central Intelligence Agency]]
[[Category:Films directed by Robert Rodriguez]]
[[Category:Films produced by Elizabeth Avellán]]
[[Category:Films produced by Robert Rodriguez]]
[[Category:Films scored by Robert Rodriguez]]
[[Category:Films set in Mexico]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mexico]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Robert Rodriguez]]
[[Category:Gun fu films]]
[[Category:Mexico Trilogy]]
[[Category:Satellite Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Spanish-language American films]]
[[Category:Troublemaker Studios films]]