Not to be confused with Narco (film)
Narco pelicula, also known as narco film or narco filme, is a sub-genre of Mexican cinema’s action film and Mexploitation genres. It deals with movies about drug trafficking and drug cartels, usually but not exclusively fictitious ones.
Although generally considered part of Mexican cinema, some narco peliculas are actually filmed in the United States, and could actually therefore be considered American films and part of American cinema as well.
History
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Production of narco peliculas started to peak during the late 1970s, when such films like La Banda del Carro Rojo (The Red Car Band) were released. This film starred brothers Fernando and Mario Almada and Pedro Infante, Jr.[1] It spanned two sequels.[2]
With the advent of VCR technology, around 1982, en masse production of narco peliculas began.[3] VCR technology allowed producers to recoup production money by filming low budget action films and not having to compete with Hollywood films for the Mexican moviegoers’ money or sharing a portion of the movie’s earnings with cinema chains by releasing these films straight to VCR. The sub-genre then became popular with Mexican audiences in the United States but films were released elsewhere as well, like in Puerto Rico, for example.
In 1983, the narco pelicula, Lola the Truck Driver earned $1,000,000 US dollars in Mexico and $2,500,000 in the United States, being filmed with a $150,000 budget, making this movie one of the first of the sub-genre to become a monetary success for film producers.
As of 2020, in the United States, narco peliculas were available on such television channels as Cine Mexicano, which was showing such contemporary narco films as La Venganza del Muerto, El Sanguinario de la Sierra, La Reina del Narco 2, El Vengador de un Gallero and Maldito Dinero.[4]
Plots
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Usually, narco films are about drug cartels fighting each other for territory, and-or police organizations that want to break them. Usually, the plot leads to an end-scene gang battle in which guns and sometimes knives and bombs are employed.
Some narco peliculas also interlude scenes with musical videos of corridos by popular nortena music bands, either regular corridos or narco-corridos.
Notable narco pelicula actors
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See also
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Cuando pensamos en películas de narcos, por lo general pensamos en algo mexicano, ya que aquí es donde usamos más la palabra para referirnos al narcotráfico nacional y los daños que ha generado a México.
Sin embargo, el narco no es exclusivo de México, y alrededor del mundo ha dejado una marca permanente que ha sido llevada a la pantalla grande por algunos realizadores que buscan mostrar la realidad y la violencia que ha generado en distintas sociedades.
Aquí una lista internacional de películas de narcos que, contrario a lo que hacen algunas, no glorifican el crimen, dejan un poco el aspecto de películas de acción y quieren mostrar sus verdaderos efectos, ya sea en un aspecto individual y otro general.
Scarface
La cinta más conocida de esta lista, y uno de los ejemplos base que han seguido las películas de narcos desde su lanzamiento en 1983. La cinta sigue el ascenso de Tony Montana (quien al parecer será mexicano en su nueva versión) un hombre cubano que se adentra en el mundo del narcotráfico hasta convertirse en el más grande traficante de cocaína en Miami.
La obra muestra los excesos y el cambio de personalidad en el personaje hasta que se convierte en un violento paranoico, quien aleja a todas las personas, deja muerte a su paso y tiene un final completamente sádico. Aunque muchas personas alabaron la figura de Tony Montana, el propósito de Brian DePalma era mostrar un cine de exceso que mostrara el lado oscuro de ese mundo, y lo logró.
