User:Rvankatwyk/Chicano films

Chicano cinema, or Chicano film, is classified as films made by, with, and/or for Chicano/as. It is defined by the films' subject matter and aesthetics as Chicano cinema revolves around the Chicano experience in America and Chicano culture, including major political movements, namely the Chicano Movement. Chicano cinema is frequently set in the American Southwest, specifically the border states and in the southern region of California. A predominant focus of many Chicano movies are Hispanic stereotypes, as well as political and economic struggles of Chicanos in America. Chicano movies gained popularity with the growing Chicano Movement that brought Chicano issues to the forefront of American politics. As Latino and Chicano presence in America grew, the audience and demand for Chicano cinema increased, leading to more films being produced by and for Chicanos, expanding the representation and understanding of Chicano people and culture.

History

Chicano film has its roots in Mexican-American cinema. The film The Ring (1952) was one of the first movies to address Mexican-American life in the United States which made room for future Chicano films to make it on the big screen. [find a source not in Spanish to include here and add more on mexican-american film]. As the label Chicano/Chicana rose in popularity, so did Chicano presence in cinema. Rooted in the Chicano Movement, the word Chicano reflects a resistance to cultural subjugation of Mexican-Americans.

The first feature film directed by a Chicano was Raíces de Sangre which was released in 1978, directed by Jesús Salvador Trevino.

Film Style, Subject Matter, and Aesthetics

The style, aesthetic, and subject matter of Chicano cinema is what sets it apart as a film genre.

Gang Films

A number of Chicano films revolve around or include the theme of Chicano street gangs. Movies like Boulevard Nights (1979) and Walk Proud (1979) were early examples of Chicano gang culture representation in film. In the 1980s, the movies Zoot Suit (1981), Stand and Deliver (1988), and Colors (1988) each had gang related thematic elements. Other significant Chicano gang movies include American Me (1992), Blood In, Blood Out (1993), Mi Vida Loca (1993), and My Family (1995). Films such as these often portrayed stereotypical Chicano gang members which contributed to the cultural representation of male masculinity among the Chicano community.

Films Set in the Southwest

Due to its proximity to Mexico, many Chicanos live in the American Southwest, and the cinema of the 20th century reflected this. Films like Tijerina (1969), Llanito (1972), Agueda Martinez (1978), The Lemon Grove Incident (1986), The Milagro Bean Field War (1988), La Llorona (1991), and Los Mineros (1991) are all examples of Chicano movies that were set and focused on Chicanos in the American Southwest.

These films often depicted Chicanos as exotic or inferior to white characters in the movies.

Controversial Chicano films that focus on the Mexican border include Borderline (1980) and The Border (1982).