El Patrullero
Encyclopedia
El Patrullero (1991) is the first Mexican feature film
by the British
director
Alex Cox
. It was produced
by Lorenzo O'Brien
, who also wrote the screenplay
, and stars Roberto Sosa, Bruno Bichir
, Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez
and Vanessa Bauche
. The cinematography
is by Miguel Garzon and the production designer
was Cecilia Montiel
, who went on to work on The Mask of Zorro
, as well as on Cox's Alan Smithee
film, The Winner.
in the rural north. He refuses to take part in the corruption
in the police force, unlike his friend Anibal Guerrero (Bruno Bichir) who quickly starts taking bribes and peddling contraband.
Gradually, Pedro's high principles are eroded by the hardships of his life. Eventually he takes his first bribe. He is shot in the leg, nagged by his father's ghost and beats up the governor's son. His wife Griselda (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez), tolerates his relationship with a prostitute
, Maribel (Vanessa Bauche
), provided it doesn't reflect badly on herself and the money keeps coming in. When Anibal is murdered by drug dealers, Pedro's moral sense re-emerges and he takes revenge. The film ends with Pedro resigning from the Highway Patrol, trying to maintain two families.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Alex Cox
Alex Cox
Alexander Cox is a British film director, screenwriter, nonfiction author and sometime actor, notable for his idiosyncratic style and approach to scripts...
. It was produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
by Lorenzo O'Brien
Lorenzo O'Brien
Lorenzo O'Brien is a Peruvian-American writer-producer of Irish descent.O'Brien was born in Lima and attended graduate school at UCLA. He has produced many television films and several features including Walker and El Patrullero, which he also wrote.O'Brien wrote and produced for the PBS series...
, who also wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
, and stars Roberto Sosa, Bruno Bichir
Bruno Bichir
Bruno Bichir is one of the most prolific actors of the contemporary cinema of Mexico as well as telenovelas and theater....
, Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez is a Mexican-born actress whose breakout role was the 1983 film El Norte.Gutiérrez attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors, in Dramatic Literature and Theater, was a scholar in four languages including...
and Vanessa Bauche
Vanessa Bauche
-Early life:Bauche was born Alma Vanessa Bauche Chavira, named after actress Vanessa Redgrave. Her father was a Gypsy who married her mother, a woman who aspired to be a dancer and singer. At the time of the marriage, her mother was sixteen years her father's junior. The couple divorced when Bauche...
. The cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
is by Miguel Garzon and the production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
was Cecilia Montiel
Cecilia Montiel
Cecilia Montiel is a production designer of feature films.Montiel studied architecture and moved to Los Angeles in 1978, where she was a contemporary of Lorenzo O'Brien and Alex Cox....
, who went on to work on The Mask of Zorro
The Mask of Zorro
The Mask of Zorro is a 1998 American swashbuckler film based on the Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley. It was directed by Martin Campbell and stars Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stuart Wilson...
, as well as on Cox's Alan Smithee
Alan Smithee
Alan Smithee was an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project, coined in 1968. Until its use was formally discontinued in 2000, it was the sole pseudonym used by members of the Directors Guild of America when a director dissatisfied with the final product proved to...
film, The Winner.
Plot
The film tells the story of a young man, Pedro Rojas (Roberto Sosa) starting his career as a Highway PatrolmanHighway patrol
A highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...
in the rural north. He refuses to take part in the corruption
Police corruption
Police corruption is a specific form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest....
in the police force, unlike his friend Anibal Guerrero (Bruno Bichir) who quickly starts taking bribes and peddling contraband.
Gradually, Pedro's high principles are eroded by the hardships of his life. Eventually he takes his first bribe. He is shot in the leg, nagged by his father's ghost and beats up the governor's son. His wife Griselda (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez), tolerates his relationship with a prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, Maribel (Vanessa Bauche
Vanessa Bauche
-Early life:Bauche was born Alma Vanessa Bauche Chavira, named after actress Vanessa Redgrave. Her father was a Gypsy who married her mother, a woman who aspired to be a dancer and singer. At the time of the marriage, her mother was sixteen years her father's junior. The couple divorced when Bauche...
), provided it doesn't reflect badly on herself and the money keeps coming in. When Anibal is murdered by drug dealers, Pedro's moral sense re-emerges and he takes revenge. The film ends with Pedro resigning from the Highway Patrol, trying to maintain two families.