Analyzing Film Language – El Norte

The Choices that Director's Make

1). Animal Symbolism

Shot Type: Long shot

Camera Movement: Still
Camera Angle: Eye-level – low angle
Rationale: This is a scene in the film in which the main character and his father are returning from work in the
plantations. The next shot is a parrot making uncomfortable sounds. Here is a use of animal symbolism. The next
scene is the whole sequence in which all the workers of the plantations are betrayed and hunted down by the
military. The parrot is a good use of symbolism, because a parrot is often characterized as an animal that cannot
control what it says. This particular technique, is very well used, because tropical animals are often associated

2). Roundness
Shot Type: Close up
Camera Movement: Still/follow
Camera Angle: Eye-level shot
Rationale: This was also a very cleverly done sequence. Upon discovering his mutilated father hanging by a
tree, the scene transitions into a moon, which is often a symbol of sadness, in many different cultures. The moon
then transitions to the sound of a funeral drums, which the same circular shape of the moon. I felt that this was a
nice transition while keeping the mood of sadness over a period of time. The decapitated head, first is quite
severe of an image, but then that is mitigated with the moon and the drum, but the sadness is increased. The
horror of the first shot, is gradually changed into a more sincere sadness, the fear is taken away.

3) Whiteness

Shot Type: Close up/medium

Camera Movement: Still
Camera Angle: Eye-level
Rationale: This is an interesting sequence, because there is a recurring motive in one single event. Rosa, the
other main character is left alone with her family, and goes out into the forest, because she is not sure of what to
do next. Rosa discovers flowers on the grass floor, and then Enrique appears. The white flowers are the symbol
of death in Mayan culture, and I found that Enrique dressed in white as sort of disturbing.

4). Use of Surrounding Environment

Shot Type: Medium

Camera Movement: Still
Camera Angle: Low Angle
Rationale: The director uses this shot, when Rosa and Enrique are in the Mexican border town to the United
States. The close up behind the bars, show that Enrique is still bounded by the slavery of South America. This is
probably why he uses this shot. It gives a sense of the saying “so close, yet so far away”, creating an optimistic
feeling with the audience. The movement outside implies that Enrique is on the verge of freedom; he has arrived
at the final frontier.

5). Big Brother

Shot Type: Extreme Wide

Camera Movement: Pan
Camera Angle: Low angle
Rationale: This shot is when Enrique and Rosa are in the sewers, the helicopter flies up simultaneously as they
are in the sewers. This parallel cut, helps the director to create a sense of suspense. The helicopter being higher
than the camera implies that authority is about to prey down on the poverty of the main characters.

6). Rats!

Shot Type: Close up

Camera Movement: still
Camera Angle: downward
Rationale: While escaping in the sewers, Enrique and Rosa encounter rats that torment them in the darkness.
Immediately, the style changes in filming, and the director adopts close ups, to show a sort of chaos in the dark
abyss of the pipe. The close ups help show that it is chaotic and the audience does not know what is really
happening. The sound of her screaming and crying in particular makes it even more disturbing to watch. The
style is very frantic, and adds an increased desperation for the characters. The close ups, are not focused and
clear. In this particular shot, the characters face is not even focused, giving a sense that she is overwhelmed by
the rats.

7). Caught Red Handed

Shot Type: Wide

Camera Movement: still
Camera Angle: low angle
Rationale: As they climb out of the sewers, a helicopter rises right in front of the sewer hole. The helicopter is
in a higher angle, to give sense of an oppressive authority. The camera angles helps this to amplify the effect.
From a downward angle, the helicopter seems like a haunting figure.

8). Hopelessly Optimistic

Shot Type: Close up

Camera Movement: still
Camera Angle: Eye-level
Rationale: When Enrique and Rosa finally find a home, they walk into a red light room, a shabby place
compared to the riches of the American dream. The use of mis-en-scene here is remarkable in this scene. The red
color show the industrial oil that is draped over and possibly the hardships to come. Yet in this specific scene,
Enrique is turning on and off a light, which lights up his face. Enrique is clearly still optimistic that he can rise
up in wealth of society.