Men With Guns

The movie starts Federico Luppi as Dr. Humberto Fuentes, a wealthy doctor who is approaching retirement and has never paid close attention to the realities of his country. His greatest achievement, the "legacy" he is leaving, is his participation in an international health program in which he trained young doctors to work in the poorest of villages.

I watched this movie with horror and then, finally, resignation, as Dr. Fuentes travels in the mountains and makes startling discoveries. I made a few startling discoveries myself -- the abject poverty of the people, the disregard for human life, the acceptance by the people of this as a way of life. He finds that the people have no food. He finds that both the army and the guerillas are equally brutal. The movie takes us all on a journey with Dr. Fuentes. Along the way we meet a homeless child, a priest who lives with his own private demons, and a deserter from the army with a history of participating in the carnage. The movie goes deeper and deeper into the despair and devastation.

This is not a comfortable video to watch as it brings the viewer not only into the realities of the political systems in South America, but to the basic question of individual responsibility. I recommend it for those who are willing to take a fresh look at these things. You will not be smilling after viewing this video. But you will be thinking.


One of my favorite movies ever   June 23, 2002
Jeremy E. Meyer (Haverford, Pennsylvania USA)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

This is a great film. Don't be deceived by the title, it is not a violent film, though it is about violence.

There seems to be a debate here about where the movie takes place, whether Mexico, Guatamala, or somewhere in South America. According to John Sayles, the answer is all of the above. Though it was filmed in Mexico, Sayles purposely set it in an unnamed country to illustrate that, at least in one sense, the various conflicts in latin american countries are essentially the same--one group of "men with guns" supposily is fighting with another group of "men with guns," but really all both groups are doing is terrorizing the local people who live there. To the villagers, it doesn't matter which group is the government and which are the rebels, or which ideology each group claims to be fighting for. This general point could apply equally to many countries in latin america who have had rebel movements over the past 20 years (this includes Guatamala, but also Columbia, Peru, El Salvador, and unfortunately several others). While people familiar with Central America will recognize that the villagers wear Mayan dress, that is more due to where the movie was filmed than an intent to set it in a particular country. The soundtrack is comprised of music from almost every latin american country, from Argentina to Mexico, and Sayles says in the liner notes that he did this to emphasize that the film is not about any particular place, but rather what those conflicts have in common and why they remain so intractable.


A brilliant parable; possibly John Sayles' best work   May 17, 2000
Frank Cunat (Chevy Chase, MD USA)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Those at a certain station in life will identify strongly with Dr. Fuentes, the main character in John Sayles' deeply insightful "Men with Guns." Aware that he's facing a terminal illness, Fuentes seeks to leave behind a legacy in the way in which he trains others to use their own gifts. He realizes this is the most effective way to pass on the knowledge and awareness that he's achieved during his life.

That's why I'm not comfortable when other reviewers have said he's "naive." Yes, he's uninformed about his country's politics, perhaps intentionally so. But he's also the only character in the film who treats all others with respect and is able to interact with them all. And, without giving anything away, note that Fuentes succeeds.

This is a deeply thoughtful, almost spiritual film, and I have great respect for John Sayles for writing, directing, and producing it.


a lesson in the continuing saga of american history, timely   August 24, 1999
10 out of 13 found this review helpful

this movie not only tells a dramatic story, but it is a lesson in the continuing saga of american history in the central americas, particularly of the 1980's and the guerilla vs. government warfare which continues even as i write this reveiw. the movie provides a voice for the majority of people who continue to live, as described in the movie, in poverty and ignorance, because they are afraid to ask for anything more lest they be punished through torture and death. throughout the movie, i was trying to guess which country this was (now i know it was mexico), but it could have been el salvador, honduras, costa rica, panama, or nicaragua. this movie has a lot of heart and soul. this is not a story about yesterday, it is about today and what's been happening and what's been going on for a long time to a people who need the kind of help that means food, medicine, education and does not mean guns. i was definitely left with the message that guns are not the answer and that all human beings are precious. i hope you do too.


Powerful   March 5, 2003
Enrique Torres (San Diegotitlan, Califas)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Federico Luppi, the fine actor from Argentina, takes the lead role as Dr. Fuentes. He sets out to find his former students on the road to places he's never been. The shift in his life is caused by the death of his wife. He sets out in spite of his family not wanting him to leave. The aging doctor first encounters one his former students, now a drug dealer, using the same drugs he taught him to cure others, he is now using them for ill purposes. His journey has only begun and he finds many more dissapointments along the way. This is a beautiful film that is allegorical, historical, contemporary and packed with messages for the viewer to interpret. In his quest to find his students he finds his country to be quite different from the view he had of it prior to his leaving the city. He encounters missing people and tales of abductions from men with guns. The villagers call them white men with guns but are quick to say that the Indios are also now white men. Although the story takes place in an unnamed country, the parallels to Guatemala are clear. Having witnessed a corpse on the roadside while travelling in a bus (everyone gawked with little concern, as though it were a common sight) in Guatemala and seeing the treatment first hand of the military I am pretty sure this is where it is. However, this is unimportant as these occurences of hit squads and paramilitary goons, in cahoots with the military, are a frequent sight in many Latin American countries. Anyway, Dr. Fuentes picks up several people along the way to expand the tale. He picks up a "liberation priest" who abandons his collar and those who believed in him, a former military thug turned thief, an indigenous young woman who doesn't speak since she was raped by soldiers and a street-savy kid who is an orphan and Dr. Fuentes's guide. All represent the society Dr. Fuentes is unaware of and as they tell their sordid stories, amidst flashbacks and surreal dreams, a country whose people live in brutal chaos is revealed . This is a powerful movie, one to be seen more than once in order to fully enjoy. Although the story evolves around Dr. Fuentes and his crew, there are several encounters with a funny couple who are "informed" tourists with bad Spanish accents and worse pronunciation. A completly enthralling film, in spite of its length, that hits close to the harsh reality of life in Latin America. A beautiful film that is set to the backdrops of the jungle and it's relics from the past, as well as present day village life , it is a movie that is visually breathtaking and mentally stimulating. Recommended for those that like movies that carry a political and social commentary. Great stuff, see it before your next vacation to the tropics, so that as the guy from the radio says"and now you know the rest of the story" before you get there.