Like Water for Chocolate

This movie was based around what some may call a "ridiculous" family tradition.  Tita, being the youngest child, was expected to never marry and take care of her mother until her death.  It was just expected and everyone went along with it.  Even though her mother saw how much pain in caused Tita, she didn't seem to care in the slightest.  I think her mother just didn't care about Tita in any aspect, especially when it came to the family tradition.  The other characters in the film, like Tita's sister, Rosaura, seemed to just really be trying to follow tradition.  Rosaura knew that Tita was very unhappy, but upholding the family tradition was more important to her than her own sister's happiness.  Nacha went along with the tradition because she was not really in any position to oppose it.  However, it was obvious from her relationship with and support of Tita that she thought it was absurd.  As for Pedro, Tita's "soul-mate", it was stunning how much he went along with the tradition though emotionally torturing himself and Tita by doing so.  Tita's other sister, Gertrudis, was on the same page as Tita, but instead of speaking her opinion she just distanced herself from the situation.  This movie really shows how strong the Hispanic family traditions are and how seriously they are taken.
I have grown to not really care either way about American traditions.  I respect how others feel about them, but I tend to not follow those that many of my friends and family do.  I can't imagine how helpless Tita must have felt not being able to voice her opinion about not being allowed to wed.  It was obvious it was tearing her up inside, but because of the family bonds and dedication to tradition, she remained silent for so many years, and was absolutely miserable all the while.

Motorcycle Diaries

There were many scenes in the film that displayed experiences that would prepare Ernesto to become the leader of the revolution in Latin America.  He saw a lot injustices while on his journey with his friend through South America.  From the mine workers being displaced from their land to the lepers who were forced to live across the river from their caretakers, Ernesto was really touched by these experiences.  Also, once "The Mighty One" broke down and he and Mial were forced to travel by foot, Ernesto and his friend were able to see what it was like to struggle and try to survive with little money and little food, and also Ernesto having to struggle with his asthma on a daily basis. Ernesto seemed to have a great appreciation and admiration for the less fortunate and had a place in his heart that yearned to see to it that they were given a better life.

In the United States, our celebrations are most always with close friends and family, people with whom we are familiar.  From this movie, the Spanish speaking world doesn't seem to care if the person is a long-time friend or not, they are still treated that way.  Ernesto had his birthday celebrated as if he had known these people for years.  While the celebration was similar to what a birthday celebration would be like in the US with the cake and the singing, the fact that he was surrounded by so much love and caring by people who he had only known for a few weeks would be rather unusual to see in the US.

El Mariachi

There were several common Mexican stereotypes in the film.  The way that Azul always asked for a bottle of beer portrays the stereotype that the Mexican men are macho.  Also, there was the stereotype of the men wearing thick mustaches, mullets, and gold chains.  Also, there was the stereotype of Mexican women being under the control of the men and treated as lesser beings. 

The bandido (gangster) violence is commonly associated with Mexican culture.  This includes the drugs, aggressiveness, and hunger for power.   There are many American movies that portray the Hispanic culture this way, wrapped up in drug crimes and extreme violence.

The statement: "All he wants is to be a Mariachi" refers to the struggle that the Mariachi endured when he arrived in the small Mexican town.  The Mariachi was a young man who was following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who had also been mariachis.   He wanted to gain different experiences "traveling from city to city" performing with his guitar and singing. He came to that town looking for work as a singer and musician, but found himself in over his head involved in the middle of a feud between drug lords and criminals.  All he wanted to do was share his talented gift of music with the people around him.  He definitely struggled to do so given the circumstances that were out of his control.  

The role of music is extremely important in this film and in Hispanic culture in general.  Not only did the Mariachi live his entire life devoted to music, the music that was a part of the film influenced the overall feel as well.  Music actually saved the mariachi's life when he was in Domino's room.  She had a knife to his throat and whether or not she decided to kill him was based on his ability to prove his was indeed a mariachi and not a gangster.  The music he played on his guitar and his soothing singing voice captivated Domino and she decided he was truly a mariachi.  It was also seen through this film how important music is in the Hispanic culture.  Each character had an appreciation for, or at least recognized the power of the mariachi.

Machuca

The interaction between Gonzales and Pedro was a very interesting one.  They came from two different worlds in which their role models had completely different perspectives on life, yet they were able to form a bond and a friendship that was so intense.  When Gonzales defends Pedro and fights off the bullies at school, Pedro and Gonzales begin their friendship.  Both boys are very aware of the differences in their families and general way of life, but that does not keep them from having fun together and sticking by each other.  It is obvious to each boy that the way they live is very unlike the other, this is easily demonstrated by Gonzales' reaction of disgust and shock about the outhouse that Pedro's family uses and by Pedro's excitement and awe about Gonzales' bountiful wardrobe and his Adidas shoes.  Each boy also feels the line of division of social classes, Gonzales always being called "snob" and Pedro being picked on by Gonzales' sister's boyfriend.  However, it seems in a way that the boys dive into this friendship as a way to also escape their own troubles within their lives.  Gonzales disapproves of his mother's affair, and Pedro comes from a world lacking even the necessities.  The two boys are able to enjoy each other's company and for short periods of time are able forget about the turmoil taking place in their homes and within their societies.   The difference between the rich and the poor in Chile was very obvious.  Gonzales' family represented the "rich", with their nice house, plethora of clothing, and abundance of food.  Pedro's family represented the "poor", with their run-down shack, outhouse, and scarce food and clothing.   I really feel that there are two main messages portrayed in this film.  The first is the demonstration of how extreme and detrimental the divisions in society can be on a country and it's population.  This film shows how severe the tension and turmoil was in Chile.  I also feel that a huge message in this film was the idea that people are capable of being close and having a bond despite how different their lives may be.  Ultimately though, the divide between the social classes in Chile made it dangerously impossible for the two young boys to continue their friendship. Another message in this movie that really touched me was what Father McEnroe preached throughout the entire movie-respect one another.  He was one of my favorite characters.  He worked so hard because he believed so deeply that people should treat others with kindness and respect, regardless of race, social status, intelligence, etc.

"Under the Same Moon"

Rosario chose to leave her son, Carlitos, in Mexico with his grandmother while she lived and worked in Los Angeles for four years.  She wanted to give her son and her mother a better life, so she moved to where she would be able to earn a living and sent the money back to Mexico to help her family.

Rosario made the decision to live and work in the United States for very unselfish reasons.  She wanted to provide for her son and did so the best way she knew how.  This movie showed that it was extremely difficult for Rosario to be away from her son.  From the weekly phone calls from a pay phone, in which she fought back tears, to not seeming to ever really allow herself to enjoy life because she was always so sad about being away from her family.  

Carlitos faced many problems being away from his mother.  He went through many different emotions as he tried to understand exactly why his mother couldn't be with him, from anger to heart-wrenching sadness, and extreme courage and determination.  After his grandmother died, Carlitos faced a new problem of not really having a place to call home, which was probably one of the reasons he decided to make the trip across the border in search of his mom.  

It is hard to say whether a mother in the United States would make the same choice that Rosario did.  A mother would obviously not need to cross the border, but more likely she may need to move across several states to find work.  I don't really think many mothers in America would go to the extreme that Rosario did to provide for her son.  It's hard to make a generalization about all mothers in the US, because there really is such a broad range in how mothers in this country act and care for their children and families.