"American Me" is a 1992 crime drama film directed by Edward James Olmos, who also stars in the film as the main character, Santiago "Santos" Medina. The film tells the story of Santos, a Chicano gang member in Los Angeles, and his journey through the world of organized crime.
The film opens with a young Santos being initiated into the Latino gang, the "Mexican Mafia," and follows him as he rises through the ranks to become a leader within the gang. Along the way, Santos must confront the violence and corruption that surrounds him, as well as deal with the repercussions of his actions.
One of the central themes of "American Me" is the cycle of violence and poverty that plagues inner-city neighborhoods. Santos is drawn into the gang lifestyle at a young age, and is unable to escape it as he grows older. He is constantly surrounded by violence and crime, and is forced to make difficult choices in order to survive.
The film also explores the themes of family and loyalty, as Santos must balance his duties to his gang with his responsibilities to his loved ones. Despite the hardships he faces, Santos remains fiercely loyal to his family and his community, and works to protect them from the dangers of the gang life.
Overall, "American Me" is a powerful and poignant film that explores the complexities and consequences of gang life in America. It serves as a cautionary tale, warning of the dangers of getting involved in organized crime, and the importance of breaking the cycle of violence and poverty in inner-city neighborhoods.
‎American Me (1992) directed by Edward James Olmos • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd
I feel that my photographs capture the spirit of the kids. He was a very nice human-being and he showed me where he and his family used to live and introduced me to some friends. Santana kills his rapists on the first night. They use their power inside the prisons to leverage expansion once they are on the outside. Santana gets into trouble again and goes straight from reform school to prison, spending eighteen years there, and becoming leader of a powerful gang, both inside and outside the prison, while there. It's also one of the rare gangster films that completely refuses to glamorize organized crime. A Mexican-American Mafia kingpin is released from prison, falls in love for the first time, and grows introspective about his gangster lifestyle.
American Me (1992)
It's a stoic and intense portrayal that Olmos gives to his own direction. Olmos plays a gang leader and we see his rise and fall in the criminal profession which starts with an arrest as a juvenile. Acting, editing, writing, everything here is unforgettable, outstanding. He and his friends are part of a gang. Plot summary This epic depiction of thirty years of Chicano gang life in Los Angeles focuses on a teen named Santana who, with his friends Mundo and the Caucasian-but-acting-Hispanic J. A Mexican-American Mafia kingpin is released from prison, falls in love for the first time, and grows introspective about his gangster lifestyle. They weren't very comfortable with me until I just started to talk to them and explained that I was teaching down the block and that I was very concerned about what the community looked like and that I wanted to take pictures.
American Me
Like many sixteen year olds, he's rebellious and spends much of his time outside. Edward James Olmos as a director is relying more on a simplistic style. I knew it could be an area that had had some difficulty, but I had no idea that it had completely burned down the way it did. It is a tragedy in the pure Shakespeare manner, especially in the end. The film then moves to 1959; Montoya is sixteen years old. When I first arrived on Charlotte Street, the infamous Charlotte Street, besides teaching at the little school up the hill, I was very aware, because it was still nice weather, of all this laughter and children giggling.
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Santana gets into trouble again and goes straight from reform school to prison, spending eighteen years there, and becoming leader of a powerful gang, both inside and outside the prison, while there. Ridiculous how many lives were lost after it played in theaters. Santana eventually has a change of heart. Of course they also have to deal with other gangs, black gangs, Aryan Brotherhood, and some rival Chicano crews. We did not have the fires that the Bronx and the Lower East Side and some areas of Brooklyn had. . Olmos revealed secrets, didn't ask permission, some fuckin bullshit.
American Experience
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It was like, ok, there's some life here, let's follow, let's go see where these children are. How about something more deeply personal than either? If you haven't seen this, definitely give it a go. Creator and leader of La Eme. It didn't interest me as much. Be warned though one of the scenes is very painful to watch.
