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Mob Month: Sin Nombre (2009)


Cary Joji Fukunaga burst onto the scene with 2009's Sin Nombre. He wrote it and he directed it. I remembered being captivated by it. He has gone on to direct the first season of True Detective, and a handful of other prestigious projects.

I watched Sin Nombre for the first time in college, and I was quite impressed by it.

Coming back to it after all these years, I am pleased to say that it holds up, and stands as a blockbuster debut for one of the singular film-making talents of this generation.

I. What is It?

Sin Nombre is the tale of Willy, aka Casper, a Mara Salvatrucha foot soldier. He is torn between the gangland life he has always known and the love of his young life. It is also the story of Sayra, a Honduran girl trying to cross the border with her father and uncle. Their paths twine together, and a tale of survival and brutality unfolds.

II. Beautiful Brutality

This film is gorgeous. Adriano Goldman's photography is astounding, and often breathtaking. Marcelo Zarvos' score is haunting and heartwarming by turns. Fukunaga's script is spare, but powerful. The leads provide nuanced, subtle performances laced with power.

Fukunaga, a maestro from the get-go, balances all of theses elements into a powerfully tragic tale.

The slums of Honduras, the brutality of a gang-land slaying, a trainyard littered with lost souls: all of these things are lovingly and uncompromisingly captured. Fukunaga does not revel in the gore, nor does he linger in the heartache exploitatively. He allows those moments to be simple and powerful.

III. Power in a Compact Package

This film is 96 minutes. In that runtime, Fukunaga tells an epic tale of survival and tragedy. That he manages to skillfully compose such a story in the brief time that he does is surely a masterstroke. Because of the weight of the subject matter, you will be left feeling like you spent more time with this film than you did, but don't be fooled: this movie isn't going to waste your time.

IV. Genre Blender

Obviously, this is a Mob Month selection. And it is an exploration of MS-13 culture. But it's also a western. It's also a road movie. It's also a tale of immigrants and the troubles they face. Fukunaga could very easily have crafted a gangland tale. But he didn't settle for anything so simple. I love films that aren't afraid to blend genre elements and play fast and loose with conventions.

V. Culture

This world feels real and fleshed out, and cared for. The gangland tattoos feel authentic. The finger and hand signs are complex but effortless. The brutality of that life, and the tragedy, is on full display. As someone who is fascinated by crime culture and gang rituals, I feel like Fukunaga has given us a well-crafted portrait of a complex world.

IX. Should You Watch It?

Yes, absolutely. The film offers a glimpse into a world many of us are unacquainted with, but never pulls its punches or shies away from the contradictions inherent in that world.

Miscellany

- Fukunaga spent two years researching the culture of the train riders and the gangsters of the region. He hired two MS-13 consultants to double-check the slang to make sure it was authentic.
- The homemade gun, made out of two metal pipes, that Smiley is given is a real thing, and it is called a chimba.
- The film nabbed two Sundance awards in 2009: One for Best Directing and one for Best Cinematography.

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