'Machete' has immigration subtheme. How will it play in Arizona?
| Los Angeles
鈥淢achete,鈥� which opened in movie theaters Friday, has garnered plenty of attention for its racy scenes and over-the-top gore. But this spoof of a film also has a subtheme 鈥� immigration.
鈥淢achete鈥� follows the misadventures of a xenophobic US senator (played by Robert De Niro), a gun-toting priest (Cheech Marin), and a campy nun (Lindsay Lohan) caught in a failed murder plot to stir up anti-Mexican sentiment. Machete refers not only to formidable knives but also to the main character, played by Danny Trejo.
The promoters of the movie capitalized on its immigration undertones in a trailer for the film, released around the time that Arizona鈥檚 controversial immigration law was making headlines. In the trailer, Mr. Trejo growls to the camera, 鈥淭his is Machete with a special Cinco de Mayo message ... to Arizona.鈥� Insinuations of violence and murder follow.
Well before the opening of 鈥淢achete,鈥� this year has been a red-hot one for immigration issues. Besides Arizona鈥檚 immigration law, some Republicans have asked whether the United States should rethink 鈥渂irthright citizenship鈥� (the automatic granting of citizenship to anyone born in the county).
Now, some are wondering whether 鈥淢achete鈥� will only add flames to the fire. As the Los Angeles Daily News put it in a headline: 鈥� 鈥楳achete鈥� 鈥� sharp social satire or reverse racism?鈥�
Answers vary, but most seem to agree: It鈥檚 fine 鈥� as long as viewers know what they are getting into.
鈥淚s this movie going to change people鈥檚 minds? No. Is it going to advance the public dialogue? No,鈥� says Daniel Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. 鈥淚s it going to improve the mutuality of respect and a greater sense of ethical balance of right and wrong? No.鈥�
But Bob Strauss, a Daily News reviewer who has seen the film, says it鈥檚 simply a 鈥渢rashy action movie, an exploitation film mainly interested in ultraviolence and getting women out of their clothes.鈥� He reflects back to D.W. Griffith鈥檚 鈥�Birth of a Nation,鈥� which sparked race riots for promoting white supremacy and depicting Ku Klux Klan members as heroes. But he says, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think 鈥淢achete鈥� is important.鈥� He adds, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to cause any riots. It can certainly make you think if you want to.鈥�
That is exactly what Hezekiah Lewis, Villanova University assistant professor of film studies, hopes will happen. He has lots of advice for those who want to see the film.
鈥淲e all need to be better at educating our kids on what we鈥檙e doing 鈥� what exactly satire is and how does it really relate to what鈥檚 happening in the real world,鈥� he says. Spike Lee鈥檚 鈥淏amboozled鈥� 鈥� about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning blackface makeup 鈥� did this well, he says. It helped that a teaser by Mr. Lee himself at the opening asked viewers to 鈥渟uspend their disbelief.鈥�
But Barbara O鈥機onnor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at California State University, Sacramento, expresses concern for younger people going to the R-rated film. Those so close to the immigration issue that they have lost their sense of humor about it or are too caught in the emotion could also have negative reactions.
鈥淵es, this movie is goofily violent, but it鈥檚 also dealing with issues that are largely visceral,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that people in the middle of the debate will view it as satire.鈥�
