I have been thinking about doing something different for the blog and while sitting up late one night, I thought it would be a great idea to do a ten step analysis of a film. Immediately From Dusk Till Dawn came into my mind as I thought it would be a good film to write about as it is one that divides many people’s opinions. From Dusk Till Dawn has to be one of the most panned films of all time and while I would’ve written a different ending, I don’t think it deserves to get a really bad review. I have seen this film many times throughout the years but find myself struggling to like the film after the infamous scene featuring Salma Hayek. I love Robert Rodriguez and some of his films are sheer genius e.g. Sin City, Planet Terror and The Faculty but for me From Dusk Till Dawn is fantastic up until the point they reach the club. Let’s look closer as I give my verdict on the film step by step;
- First of all, I loved the opening of this film and felt the tension immediately at the polite but quiet conversation between the owner of the liquor store and the sheriff. I felt that the introduction of the two brothers Seth and Richard Gecko and their hostages was well played out and it was well conveyed that Seth was the more dominant brother between him and Richie. I especially liked the scene where Richie was shot straight through his hand, this was really full of humour (whether this was intentional or not, I have no idea). The two brothers are obviously the ‘bad guys’ however the audience immediately sees them as their heroes.
- Next is the motel room scene, the use of humour at the beginning “What do you think I want you mean old bastard, I want a fucking room!” is classic and you really empathise with the hostage Gloria when they sit her down and explain the situation to her. We begin to see a softer side of Seth, that he really is true to his word and he isn’t all bad. Richie on the other hand is the complete opposite and there is a look between Gloria and Richie that says his intentions are somewhat amoral. As soon as Seth leaves her and Richie alone in the bedroom you immediately know that something is going to go wrong for this normal and down to earth woman.
- We are then transported to a diner and see a family sitting having breakfast – two teenage kids, Scott and Kate and their father, Jacob. It turns out that the father is a pastor but has felt abandoned by his faith and decides to leave his role at the church. Scott and Kate try and change their father’s mind but another thing the audience picks up is that he is bitter towards his ex-wife. A brief news broadcast also shows that Seth and Richie are wanted criminals and that in total they have killed 16 innocent people.
- Back at the motel Seth returns with the food and finds Richie sitting at the table acting like nothing is wrong and shows no remorse. Seth then notices that Gloria is missing and discovers her body lying on the bed. This is a clever scene as while Seth is questioning Richie we see clips of the bloodstained bedroom flash on the screen while they are looking through the door and see the murdered hostage in the background. I personally found that Seth forgives his brother too easily for this crime and would have liked to see more anger from Seth.
- Scott, Kate and Jacob arrive at the motel much to Kate’s dismay and upon pulling into the car park, Seth walks out in front of their motor home and you can slowly see him putting a plan together in his head as he gazes through the windshield. As Jacob is resting, Richie knocks on the door asking for ice and in walks Seth and tells the family exactly what he needs from them. I really loved their entry and thought again it was a great use of humour but they did seem quite threatening. That is something that Rodriguez is excellent at, being able to make you laugh one minute and then shocking you the next. Quentin Tarantino was outstanding in this scene where Kate (Juliette Lewis) walks through the door in her bikini. The way he delivers that line about the bikini contest and imagines what she asks him to do “Richie, will you do me a favour and eat my pussy for me? Please?” is just sheer genius and shows how sick he was to believe that it actually happened.
- Following on from the last part, the family then join up with the Gecko brothers to get them through the border into Mexico where they need to meet Carlos. Upon travelling to the border Richie is ordered to keep an eye on Scott and Kate in the back of the motor home while Seth talks to Jacob while he’s driving. Richie at this point is infatuated with Kate and he can’t help but look her up and down. This scene totally screams sex and really emphasises how much he thinks about it.
- There is loads of tension at the border scene and you can’t help but feel quite uncomfortable. I found myself holding my breath and just hoping that they would make it across without getting caught. During this scene there is again some light comic relief when Richie and Seth start arguing because Seth told him not to act like a nut, to which Richie takes great offence and the argument hots up before Seth knocks Richie out and breaks his glasses. And of course the family get through the border and you can’t help but feel a wave of happiness. I really liked this scene and couldn’t wait to see what Mexico held for the family and what was going to become of the Gecko brothers. Also, a great cameo here by Cheech Marin as the border inspector.
- So here we have arrived at the Titty Twister bar, exactly this point in the film is where things start to go wrong for me. I can’t help but feel a little let down when they go inside the bar and the argument breaks out between the bartender (the awesome Danny Trejo, who appears in loads of Rodriguez/Tarantino films) and Seth and co. I got that ‘Is this what they’ve been building up to?’ feeling and it certainly wasn’t a good one. I also get the feeling that this film is in two parts with the first part feeling like a quite gory thriller, with a Pulp Fiction/Natural Born Killers edge but the second part almost like a cheesy vampire B movie. I wouldn’t be surprised if the writers changed during the scriptwriting process.
- The dance scene with Salma Hayek is a really popular and iconic scene that is guaranteed to get people talking. She looks absolutely stunning and it is a good scene, you can’t help but feel drawn into it. I felt I could anticipate what she’s going to do next and so not to disappoint; she turned into a vampire as did every other dancer and almost every trucker in the bar.
The fact that they turned into vampires seems a bit ridiculous, instead why not have a vicious gun battle between the men in the club? Or that they owed money to Salma’s character? I will say that the effects are good with the make-up etc but I just don’t believe that there would be a vampire coven in the middle of the Mexican desert. - Lastly, I liked the reference about preaching from Jacob and how God could protect them against evil. It was a shame about Jacob being bit by a vampire and turning, I was really hoping that he would survive but I liked how only Seth and Kate got out alive and I don’t think it would’ve been right if both of the brothers were killed. I felt the ending was okay but again, from the moment they entered the bar it just starting going downhill for me.
If I haven’t made it clear enough already, what really went wrong with From Dusk Till Dawn is the fact that the ending was poorly thought out. I do like this film to a certain extent but with a bit more thought, creativity and time it could have been Pulp Fiction with a twist, instead it was Starsky and Hutch with vampires and bigger guns.
I must also apologise as it's been a long time since I last updated the blog, I recently started a new job so I feel that I haven't had a minute. I may not get to update as often as I would like but I will keep you all well informed. My Facebook page is also nearly ready; in the meantime follow @Screen_Gal to keep up to date with the latest news!
