Querétaro Travel Forum

I live in Queretaro, one of the locations where "Once upon a time in Mexico" was filmed, starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. I thought it would be a nice picture and today I went to see it. What a horrible movie! I am very disgruntled, upset and mad.

Hollywood made a terrible mix of places, situations and people, plus very bad stereotypes and worse script! For example, Queretaro and San Miguel are presented as Culiacan, which is not so violent, I have been there for vacation at my cousins' home.

Mexico is not like that!! If you want to see the real Mexico please DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE! Watch a good program on cable TV, see people's pages on Virtual Tourist (including mine), or better yet, come to visit us! You will discover we are a modern and peaceful country.

Maybe you have had the same feelings about certain film. What film was that? What exaggerated or irreal facts about your city or country does it have?

Well I guess that is easy, because of all the documentations about World War II some people still think that the Germany are really bad people, but it is not true. In America people asked me if Hitler is still living, in Brazil someone told me he can´t stand Germans because he was a Jew, but he has never seen any German before he met me. The biggest compliment was that he changed his mind about Germany and even came for a visit and that is one thing all the travelers should have in mind. We are representing our country, so behave and accept the new culture and try to understand it. The more you do that the more you develop yourself in a more open minded person. And the more people are like that the less people thinking about war.

I remember an old movie (unfortunately, I forgot the title) about the Battle of the Ardens in 1944 where you could see high mountains with snowy peaks...
Obviously, the Hollywood guys never came around to see how the landscape is...!
François

Hey my friend, don't feel too bad, here in Israel you don't even have to go to a movie to see your country misrepresented, lied about and made to SEEM violent and horrible, just turn on the news.
As you said it is not like what you see on the screen at all, I know, I live there !!!
Many people will take a movie for "real" without checking facts or history behind the movie, can you imagine how many people believe the lies on the news programs that are biased.
Hope your country will fare better...
Martin

Hi my friend

i undertand you..i haven't see the movie, but i'm sure is as you said..

but is true about israel and other parts of the world, unfurtunaly we have in our mind the stuff TV put us about a city or country a loooooong time ago.. the better is visit each place... ironicaly i thought also that germany had some weird places after that big war, but no way..is so beautiful..

hard to fight against the money power of movie makers

Yes, you are right, so many people "learn" their misconceptions from TV, with the "news" being the worst offender of truth. If you know how to aim the camera and direct your comments you can make Mother Theresa look bad or dangerous.
What is even a larger pity is that people seem not to be aware of this and take everything at face value and do not want to learn. I have heard statements that would make you cringe. "All Americans are stupid", "All Israelis are killers", "All Mexicans are lazy", etc., etc. and then they tell me that the reference for these gems of intelligence is the BBC or CNN..... I still find this hard to believe.
I prefer talking and learning from people who live there, hopefully by actually visiting if possible.
Martin

Thanks to all for your comments. I feel better now. I think I just was in the heath of the moment, sorry.

Martin, how's your kitchen? ;)

Lucy, how's your new husband? :)

Raul

Hello,

I can understand your concern...let me tell you I ´ve been living in your country from America and saw that movie...the director (Robert Rodriguiez) lives in my town of Austin,TX...he wanted to do something very 'raw' and very quik..and I would not be too concerned about it being a ´full representation'......... anyway I´ll be heading your way soon..

We can get together if you like..I am slowly becoming
an American-Mexican.

Mookie

Huh. I loved the movie and was pleased to see that it was partially filmed here. But I never once thought the intent was to present the real Mexico...an over-the-top tall tale, a legend using Mexico as a character, yes, but never intended to supplant the Rough Planet guidebook. When it comes to Once Upon a Time... there seem to be two camps: there are those who think it was terrible all around, and there are the Rodriguez junkies, who think it was brilliant. It takes both kinds! In fact, I actually considered the movie a sort of love poem to the romance and character of Mexico. Lots of poetic license, but lots of affection and respect, too.

Hi,
I personlay think that me movie was indeed ***, but one can not expect it not to be when you've seen his other films. And as for changing locations it is done in most films it is part of the deal. I think however that we should be greatful for having large budget films come to our cities to film. The give alot of jobs and a flood of mony into our economy that really needs it. The movie might be terrible but the mony and publicity it made is well worth it. It is a gorrilla film by a gorrilla film maker, just never expect it to be good.
Nagh