Strong Stereopyes of Mexican people

Rating: 1/10 (18 April 2005)

Some folks can watch this movie without thinking about its detrimental effects on an entire group of people. With a degree in Latino studies I have learned to watch movies with a hermeneutical lens of suspicion - meaning I keep my eyes open for stereotypes and tinges of racism. Don't get me wrong, I want to enjoy the movie and wish that it didn't have racist messages. As I watched "man on fire" i made a list of the positives and negatives. Sadly, my list of negatives was much longer than the positives. It made all Mexican people seem like criminals, it made Mexico City seem like the devil's playground and Denzel was the black martyr for a white girl. The only good people in the movie were white, except for Denzel who - thanks to the white child- got over his alcohol problem. This movie was very violent and it is meant to make you feel happy/satisfied to see the Mexican characters "get the punishment they deserve." I don't know about you, but I didn't enjoy watching the violence...it went a little too far. Is anyone willing to see the stereotypes in this movie? Can we bring up the race issue please, because it is there, even if you want to ignore it. THanks for reading. - D.M.