The ‘Golden Age’ of Mexican cinema, was during the 1940’s, when movie stars, such as Pedro Infante and Delores Del Rio came to prominence, captivating native audiences. Consequently, there was a high demand from an enthusiastic movie-going public and the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) produced a series of successful movies.
Despite the local popularity at the time, Mexican cinema was not strongly embraced by International audiences, receiving only minor recognition. This was a trend that was to continue into the latter half of the 20th Century, contributing to the gradual decline of Mexican cinema, to the point of contempt from those who once celebrated it.
Nuevo Cine Mexicano (New Mexican Cinema) were the words of the 1990’s, that offered a ripple of hope to the fading industry. Ambitious and visionary directors, such as Alfonso Cuarón, Arturo Ripstein and Alfonso Arau, breathed new life into Mexican cinema’s stale conventions with their innovative ideas and unique styles. Noteable examples of this new movement are Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) (1992) and Sexo, pudor y lágrimas (Sex, Shame and Tears) (1999), both of which were well received by the Latin American public. As the 20th Century came to an end, it appeared that Mexican cinema was finally on the incline again.
The arrival of the new millenium proved this was not a false dawn, as it stirred the ripple of cautious hope into a wave of excitement, that flooded Hollywood and continued, unrelenting, to Europe. The reason for the excitement was Amores Perros (Love’s a Bitch) (2000), the movie which heralded the beginning of a Mexican revolution, that would prove to be far reaching in its scope.
Amores Perros was a massive critical success on its release, being lavished with praise from one end of the globe to the other and well worthy of it. This level of impact is achieved by skilled and insightful writing from Guillermo Arriaga, magnificent performances from a talented cast, particularly Gael Garcia Bernal and by the masterful González Iñárritu, as he interweaves the disparate story lines with awe inspiring flair.
The movie went on to win 51 awards worldwide, with a further 14 nominations. These included an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, a BAFTA win in the same category (2002) and the Cannes Critics Week Grand Prize in 2000. In addition, it provided a respectable profit for IMCINE, as it was produced for approximately $2 million and ultimately grossed an estimated $21 million worldwide.
Amores Perros gained Alejandro González Iñárritu recognition for his direction and served as the launch pad for his career. Its critical acclaim prompted an offer from BMW to join an assembly of reputable directors in making a series of short movies promoting their vehicles. González Iñárritu’s input was Powder Keg (2001), starring Clive Owen. In 2002, he was invited to direct a segment for another compilation, 11′09”01 – September 11 (2002), focusing on the aftermath of September 11th. Its subsequent success opened the doors of Hollywood to González Iñárritu, which he modestly entered. Then, in 2003, he brought in Amores Perros writer Guillermo Arriaga to pen his first US production, 21 Grams (2003).
Alejandro González Iñárritu may have been enticed away from Mexico, but Mexican cinema continued to gather momentum in his absence, through the talents of his close friend Alfonso Cuarón.
When Amores Perros was released in 2000, Alfonso Cuarón had already experienced some success. Firstly, with Sólo con tu pareja (Love in the Time of Hysteria) (1991), then he laid down his marker in Hollywood with two modest, but impressive, projects A Little Princess (1995) and Great Expectations (1998). Each of these movies showcased his distinct visual style and flair for storytelling.
In 2001, he made his contribution to the reinvigorated Mexican industry by co-writing and directing the coming of age comedy/drama Y tu mamá también (And Your Mother Too) (2001), starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. This movie did not reach the critical heights of Amores Perros, but it proved to be a bigger commercial success than its predecessor. After Y tu mamá también, Cuarón’s reputation flourished and it was not long before he felt the draw of Hollywood again.
Off the back of two tremendous performances in Amores Perros and Y tu mamá también, Gael Garcia Bernal received very favourable publicity. In the former, he displayed his exceptional dramatic capabilities and in the latter, his natural charisma and talent for light comedy. His next major project was the controversial drama El Crimen del padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro) (2002), a movie which presented him with an opportunity to substantiate his growing reputation as Mexico’s hot new star. Garcia Bernal emerged triumphant, as the movie proved to be a big success and earned him the award for male revelation of the year at the Cannes Film Festival. Soon after completing El Crimen del padre, Gael Garcia Bernal departed Mexico to pursue other enterprises. However, he left behind a film industry that had regained its dignity after many years of obscurity.
Back in the US, González Iñárritu was given creative freedom over 21 Grams, a sign of the confidence the producers had in him. Also, he was able to secure the services of Hollywood heavyweights Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro. The result of this collaboration is an uncompromising study of the essence of humanity, which extracts every ounce of emotion from you. Guillermo Arriaga once again displays his enormous talent for dramatic writing and should take some credit for González Iñárritu’s rise to prominence.
Despite its unconventional style, 21 Grams performed well at the Box Office, grossing an estimated $60 million, from a budget of around $20 million. Also, it enjoyed very favourable critical reviews, which lead to two Oscar nominations, for Del Toro and Watts, and five BAFTA nominations, including Best Original Screenplay for Arriaga.
After the success of 21 Grams, it was Alfonso Cuarón’s opportunity to woo the international audiences, when Warner Brothers invited him to direct the third Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
The fantasy elements of the Harry Potter books enabled Alfonso Cuarón to fully explore his fertile imagination and, in this movie, he expresses himself with stunning visual flamboyance that echoes the beauty of A Little Princess (1995). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban provided Cuarón with his largest Box Office success to date, grossing an estimated $790 million worldwide.
Article written by Alan Munro
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