I've never been surprised that this masterpiece and work of art has never truly received the recognition it deserves. Although it was stylized and even a bit anachronistic for the 80's, it came out during a period when to mention the US-sponsored violence in Central America was on-par with sympathizing with Communism. The film tread very lightly on this subject matter, and instead focused on the characters fleeing from their homeland in terms of their own personal situation-- it didn't matter WHY the violence was happening, just that it was happening to them...and they needed to find a way out of it. The blurring of fantasy and reality brought the viewer inside the perceptions and minds of the characters. My only critique is the negative portrayal of Mexicans bordered on shallow, and really took away what could have been an extremely unbiased work of art.

This is a milestone and arguably the best film made during the 1980s. Ranks right alongside the great social-realism films "Ladri di biciclette," "The Grapes of Wrath," and "Salt of the Earth." Relevant when it was released and now even more relevant 25 years after its initial release. Top-notch script, photography, editing, and superb acting. But the story and issues are the most important aspects. It's now available on a Criterion DVD with 2 discs, one with the film and one with extras including a "making-of" program and a printed booklet. What are you doing spending any more time reading this. Go get this film and watch it today. This is a landmark achievement.

I was born in the Guatemala and to tell you the truth this movie has a lot of accurate information about the happenings in my native country. The movie tells you the story of a brother and sister and the awful reality of the trip they had to make to cross the southern border of the United States of America.The comment below mine says that the characters speak a "SOUTH American NATIVE LANGUAGE", but this information is incorrect (despite the fact that the person that wrote this comment apparently is educated enough, and gives classes in some university that i gladly do not attend to).Guatemala is part of Central America ... the territory that unites NORTH and SOUTH America. The language spoken by the characters has vocabulary from two Mayan languages: MAM & CAKCHIQUEL spoken by more than a million Guatemalans.Overall the movie is crude but a true statement of what illegal immigrants have to go through when they decide to make the trip to the USA. (This movie was shown in one of my human rights classes, it could be an accurate "source" of information that portraits reality without abusing it)

This is a movie that will make you understand what it is REALLY like to cross the border from Mexico. As a Spanish teacher and film buff, I have seen this movie too many times to count. Every single time I see it I find deeper and deeper layers of meaning. The cinematography is superb, the actors play their roles perfectly. There is so much beauty and symbolism. I don't know why this movie is not on a list of top films of all time, but it is my absolute favorite film. Watch for the close-ups of the hands, the placement of the hats, the repetition of the music. I have never seen such a stark juxtaposition of the culture of the poor rural areas of Central America with the the culture of "El norte" (the North). This film is beautiful and haunting. You must see it!