Proposal

        Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film Taxi Driver presents audiences with the character of Travis Bickle, a military veteran turned vigilante. Although Travis, who is played by Robert De Niro, fits the image of a preserver for the city and the people in it, the moral reason for his quest to rid the streets of scum and other scoundrels is questionable. Travis’ wish to transform into the city’s vigilante hero seems to stem from an imaginary world that he creates where he elevates Betsy as well as Iris to the archetype of the damsel in distress and casts himself as the hero.  Along with the dubious motives behind Travis’ efforts to clean up the city, Taxi Driver hints at a dream-like nature to the film with the final scene when Travis vanishes into the night with his cab after giving Betsy one last ride home.  Scorsese’s use of dream imagery and portraying Travis as an actor within his own life in the 1976 film Taxi Driver places Travis’ desire to save the city in the context of his imagination and thus providing him with a chance to act out his own real life game of cowboys and Indians.

            Travis is typically seen as the classic vigilante figure bent on rescuing not only the city in which he lives but also the two females that he has relegated to the role of the damsel in distress.  Looking at Travis’ interactions with Betsy and Iris as well as by examining the moments in which he voices his own wishes helps to highlight how his need to become the vigilante has more to do with an imaginary game than reality. Although Travis has military training, he interacts with violence with a childlike innocence. The scene starting at 1:08:11 and ending at 1:09:47 blatantly shows how Travis uses the power of guns and violence but does not fully understand the consequences. When the robber is shown to be dead, Travis seems dazed and in shock. He worries about society’s reaction to his attempt to rescue the store owner. In order to evade judgment, he follows the advice of the store owner and runs. Instead of acting as a veteran who has seen active duty, Travis reacts to the shooting with confusion and helplessness. He lives in his head and although he may have imagined scenarios in which he would have to defend himself, Travis is by no means ready to face the reality and the consequences.

            Another scene that highlights Travis’ seemingly innocent and childlike nature starts at 1:05:48 and ends at 1:07:48 and shows Travis playing with the guns he has just purchased. A very important aspect to this scene is the inclusion of his military jacket. The jacket that he wears embodies a sense of protection for Travis. In a society that he has failed to assimilate to, the protection and familiarity of the military offers him a chance to revert back to a sense of self that offers him stability. While the jacket shows his experience and possible mindset, Travis acts out different scenarios where he could potentially use his guns almost mimicking how a child would play with toys. The scenes of Travis’ fantasies start to loop together which can show a descent into a mentally unstable and possible imaginary state of mind. Also, Travis refers to himself as “someone who stood up” but he is portrayed during the second half of this scene as laying in a fetal position. This juxtaposition adds to the element of make-believe as it shows that Travis is fantasizing about himself in the role of the vigilante or protector.

            Scorsese’s film at first glance is simply a narrative about a vigilante who achieves his goal of ridding the street of at least some amount of scum. But by examining Travis’ experiences through the lens of an imaginary narrative, the violent outbursts Travis experience gain a new significance. He is not a man who truly wishes to clean up the streets but simply desires to play a game as is shown through his attempt to symbolically kill himself with a finger gun after his battle with the pimps. 

The Coat of Society

             The 1959 movie Pull My Daisy offers a classic but unique look at gender and the roles associated with it. The concept of gender within this essay refers to the behavioral norms which are almost immediately associated with a specific sex. Throughout the 28 minute long movie the man is placed in the position of power.  With such imagery as the wife cleaning the home for the husband, the male as the head of the household, and the authority figure in the form of the Bishop, the women within the film are relegated to typical gender roles while the men show the dichotomy in male gender norms.

            The scene starting at 00:07:45 and ending at 00:09:45 shows the distinct outlook on gender that the film uses. The scene starts with Milo’s wife announcing the arrival of the Bishop to an unprepared Milo. As is expected, Milo’s wife goes downstairs to meet the Bishop, the Bishop’s mother and his sister. Milo’s wife is very welcoming and open demonstrating just the attitude that would be traditional for the situation.

            Also as the wife introduces herself, the camera focuses on the upper part of her face. This close up of the wife’s eyes engages the audience by placing the viewer in the role of the guest who is being welcomed into the home. The repositioning of the audience gives the viewer a much more interactive role within the movie. Although she is operating within traditional gender norms, the wife’s ability to be so welcoming shows how she still maintains power in her structured role.

            Pull My Daisy handles the role of women in the film in more conservative ways but not when it comes to the men. Milo’s friends who are at the flat for the Bishop’s visit help to represent a very non-traditional look at male gender norms. The characters of Allen, Gregory, and Peter are told by Milo to be on their best behavior and they sit patiently while they wait for the Bishop to come upstairs. Instead of being in control, the men leave the control up to Milo and occupy the role of the child. The lack of control the men have highlights how they do not play into the gender norm of male as authority figure and controller.

            When the Bishop enters the apartment, Milo is moving his hands wildly about and then goes to put on his jacket. Milo’s friends stand up to meet the guest and then the four men together are introduced as specific types of poets. If the Bishop is thought to be in the role of the authority figure, then Milo’s act of putting on his coat could be seen as him trying to relate to the Bishop’s authority. The coat is used in the film to represent the two sides to Milo. As his friends are dressed in casual clothing, Milo’s jacket represents his work and his ability to contribute to society in a traditional sense. When he takes his jacket off, Milo is then placed in the same role as his friends who act on any whim they have no matter the consequences. So when the Bishop who represents conservative society arrives, Milo puts his coat of society back on.  

Lelia's Fascination

           John Cassavetes’ 1959 film Shadows provides audiences with not only a portrait of race relations but of humanity as well. Human nature is a big focus in the film especially dealing with the flaws that accompany humanity. In the scene that goes from 00:12:45 to 00:14:09, Lelia decides to walk home even after her older brother Hugh begs her to take a cab. Just as Lelia’s choice in men shows her unwillingness to conform to social norms, so does her act of rebellion against her brother.

            Lelia exits the bus station and has a brief moment of indecision. As she turns her head and looks both ways on the street, Lelia is not only making a decision about just how she is getting home but she is also making a decision on what societal customs she wishes to follow.  Instead of taking a taxi, Lelia shuns the socially constructed and accepted ways for a woman to behave and chooses to walk. Lelia is confident in her choice which is evident in the way she holds herself as she walks out of screen but ultimately her shunning of behavioral norms will lead to an altercation that could have had serious consequences.

            When the next section of the scene starts, the camera is focused on Lelia’s feet and a trash can that is very near to her. As the camera pans up, a man in the background of the shot appears to be following her. The introduction of the trash can so close to her before the camera moves upward to focus on the man following her foreshadows the man’s negative intentions. Just like the trash can, all the man represents is trash.

            As Lelia walks on neon signs flash behind her. When she walks past the trash can, the sign in the background reads “Fascination.” This correlation could allude to her fascination with the side of life not structured by societal as well as behavioral norms and rules. Lelia is her own woman in this scene and the freedom it brings opens entrances her. The sign behind Lelia darkens as she passes and only lights up again when the man following her passes under it. The flashing of the sign shows how both characters are fascinated but for different reasons. Lelia is enjoying her freedom and the man is intrigued by her as a possible target.

            Lelia then stops to look at posters that include slightly sexual scenes of a man laying on a woman as well as a woman in a tight bathing suit posed in a pinup fashion. She gazes at these images for quite some which illustrates how intrigued she is by the possibilities offered to her by going against the social norms. Also as discussed in class, Lelia’s attention to the posters could be hinting at her idealized idea of love and sexuality.

            The scene ends with the man that has been following Lelia approaching and then grabbing her by the arm. Lelia fights him off successfully and then another man steps in to shove the attacker. The man who steps into help Lelia represents the traditional values of society that Lelia has rejected. The idea that she is trying to detach herself from is the notion that she needs protection especially from a man. Lelia’s attempt at independence and liberty are thwarted by men who are willing to take advantage of her naïve nature.

            Cassavetes shows not only Lelia’s trouble with race in her relation to Tony but also her humanity by portraying her a woman who wants to escape the confines of society but when her efforts at independence are derailed she regresses to the norms she is accustomed too. 

                                     

Here Is A Man...

                Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film Taxi Driver, which stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, presents an image of a Vietnam veteran trying to realign with society. Travis’ attempts at integrating seamlessly back into society fail as he is repeatedly rejected by the people around him, specifically the idealized “angel” Betsy. The scene that takes place at 1:05:48 to 1:07:48 shows Travis creating an image for himself after his efforts to rejoin society fail.

            As a member of the Marines who has seen combat, Travis was cast in the role of the protector during his time in the military. He was the protector for American rights, American interests, and American freedoms. When Travis returns home to find he has no place in the society he fought to protect, he latches onto the only role he knows how to do. Throughout the scene, Travis wears his military jacket which highlights his violent and aggressive tendencies by affiliating Travis with his war days.

            Travis wears the jacket without a shirt underneath which also may symbolize that the life of a Marine is the only way he knows how to live. His attempts to fit into society were another one of Travis’ temporary solutions to a long term problem as noted in Wednesday’s class. He cannot survive on fast food and pain killers, but instead he must find an escape from the pain. Travis creates the role of the vigilante to provide himself with a place within the society he must now live in.

            This scene shows Travis practicing possible scenarios that require him to use the guns he has purchased. The way that he keeps replaying the same scene and trying out different lines is reminiscent of a child playing pretend. Through his play acting the role of the vigilante that Travis has created takes on a fictional or unrealistic sense providing him with a sort of superhero element. But the scene slowly degrades and leads into a repeating loop of consciousness hinting at Travis’ decaying mental state.

            Travis narrates the scene and describes himself saying that “here is someone who stood up.” This notion that he is the man that is able to stand up against the crime and indecency running rampant in New York City is challenged by Travis’ position on the bed during the narration. He is lying on his bed in a fetal position, defenseless and sleeping. This juxtaposition shows that although Travis believes he can fill the role of the vigilante/protector to satisfy both his and the city’s needs, he is inadequate possibly because of his mental instability.

            In the final seconds of the scene, the camera focuses on a line in Travis’ journal that reads “Here is…” which is followed by a shot of him pulling his hidden gun and announcing that the pretend villain is dead. This statement hints at the notion of perceived infallibility that Travis maintains about his violent tendencies.  A scream is heard as this scene shifts into the next scene foreshadowing the possible implications of Travis’ play acting being applied to real world situations. The scene from 1:05:48 to 1:07:48 shows how Travis constructs a place for himself within a society that does not know how to handle him. This self constructed safe zone which offers Travis appreciation and adoration is questioned by the juxtaposition of his strong words but weak body language. Although Travis portrays himself as a strong protector, he is already inadequate for the job that he has created. 

                                       

Stan the Man

           Killer of Sheep, directed by Charles Burnett, provides a picture of African Americans living in Los Angeles post Watts Riots. The beginning of the movie establishes the code of manhood that is carried throughout the film. During the scene that starts at 1:00:30 and ends at 1:03:30, the concept of manhood that was instilled in him is questioned.

            The scene starts with Stan entering his home and pushing down the boys outside standing on their heads. The pushing of the children emphasizes how Stan does not have time for childhood or other childish things like simple games. Stan figuratively pushes his childhood away as he enters his house as a man coming home from a hard day’s work. Also when Stan’s eldest son slams his chair as he leaves the table, all Stan does is gaze after him. The violent domination of Stan’s parents is absent in the way that Stan approaches his own son. His son is allowed to leisurely stretch, slam the chair into the table, and not even clear his plate without any word from Stan. This lack of strict parenting may be seen as a refusal to maintain the code of violence displayed to Stan by his own parents.

            Stan is so disengaged from his family that he barely looks at his wife through their conversation. The wife, however, keeps her eyes locked and pleading on Stan’s face. Stan mentions his want of another job and she responds with “let’s go to bed.” Stan’s desire for a new line of work and his resistance to his wife’s offer illustrates how he wants something more than a life rife with poverty for the children that he has already and someday may bring into this world. Stan does not want his children to become like the sheep, being corralled and forced through a chute to their deaths by a society that does little to help.

            In a previous scene in the movie Stan’s wife asks him why he will not smile. But in the scene from 1:00:30 to 1:03:30, Stan does get a chance to smile. The small, delicate nature of Stan’s daughter as she stands before him and then proceeds to rub his shoulders offers Stan comfort that his wife is unable to give. His wife sees his rejection of her as something possibly related to her age as she watches her young daughter rub his shoulders. The wife and the daughter make eye contact frequently while the daughter massages her father’s shoulders. This connection highlights the wife’s desire for her lost youth as well as a possible attempt by the wife to imagine that she is in her daughter’s place gaining affection from her husband who has long since seemed to have lost interest.

            This scene shows how Stan has been broken by the standard of a violent and rigid manhood that leaves no room for delicate men. While his wife may assume that Stan rejects her because she is no longer youthful, he is really trying to protect his children and possible future children from a dangerous society. Stan’s call for help to be saved from the oppressive force of the preconceived notions of manhood place upon him by society comes in the form of saying that he needs another job. The violence he endures at the slaughterhouse tears away at his spirit until there is nothing left but a man who cannot sleep or make love to his wife. While Stan does not fit in the typical version of manhood, he can still find comfort in the delicate disposition of his daughter providing him a chance to truly be happy and smile. 

                                                             

While this image is not directly from the scene I chose, it does illustrate Stan's disconnected nature and his wife's pleading. 

Becoming One With The Road

                Two-Lane Blacktop, directed by Monte Hellman, does not tell a story of character transformation brought about by the road as other movies we have studied this semester have. Even though the Driver is affected by feelings for the female hitchhiker, he still maintains his need to continue his journey and get parts. The portrait of the road that Hellman presents in his film is centered more on the actual journey and less on the destination. The viewers get thrown in with no warning to the character's life on the road and are just as abruptly thrust out of it.

            Seen as a possible precursor to Hellman’s piece, the film Easy Rider presented a new form of road movie that took the main characters from west to east instead of incorporating the traditional westward trend. With a loss of direction displayed through the non-conventional pattern of travel, Easy Rider sets up the spliced and disconnected format of Hellman’s road film by offering a new way to regard interactions with the road.

            The movie, Two-Lane Blacktop, starts in the middle of a race and also ends in the middle of a race with barely any context for either situation. In the scene 1:39:00 to 1:41:15, the final race of the movie is shown and then disintegrates as the film reel seems to combust. The burning of the film during the race illustrates how the focus is not on whether the Driver wins or loses, but instead it is on the journey as an act. This clear shift of attention from character to journey is again highlighted in the scene starting at 1:39:00 with the camera hanging low and focusing on the white strip in the middle of the pavement, but then slowly panning up to the two poised cars.

                                  

            The direct shot of the pavement and the use of the Chevy’s sounds in place of music calls attention to the how the movie as a road film has nothing in it to distract it from its goal of portraying road life just as the Chevy has nothing in it to slow it down during races. Now that the west is conquered which is seen through Easy Rider’s movement eastward, the American road journey is not as based on direction as it once was. Instead, the new road movie now focuses on an individual’s interaction with the road itself.

            With the closing of the car window at 1:40:20, the Driver becomes one with the road. In a country that has been dominated, this union of driver and road illustrates the new way of thinking of the road as not simply a way to get somewhere but as an experience in itself. The first road films had characters going west and discovering riches as well as themselves. The next generation of road movies is epitomized in Easy Rider with the more circular motion of travel along the now country-encompassing highways and the still present desire of self-enlightenment illustrated through Captain America. But Two-Lane Blacktop brings a new shift to the genre of road film by placing the road in the role of the main important experience as well as the all-encompassing mind set. Monte Hellman allows viewers to engage the road and become one with it just as the Driver did. 

                                 

Growth through Death

                Morvern Callar, directed by Lynne Ramsay, is sometimes seen as a questionable example of growth within the main character, Morvern, for most audiences. But first shown as dependent on a dead boyfriend, Morvern gradually faces her life and grows from it. In the scene from 1:31:15 to 1:33:19 Morvern allows herself to finally embrace the change and growth that she has been experiencing.

             Arguably not the most sympathetic character, Morvern still portrays her growth through the action of leaving her whole life behind and facing it head on in the ensuing club scene.  Morvern leaves Lana in the bar with only the excuse that she is going to the bathroom. Morvern’s dependency on others seen through her relationship with her boyfriend and her friend Lana ends abruptly with her unceremonious departure from the bar.

            Sitting at the bus station, the early morning sounds of birds can be heard suggesting that dawn is approaching. This idea of a new dawn or rebirth is also carried over into the club scene with the song “Dedicated to the One I Love” by the Mamas and Papas with the lyrics saying that “the darkest hour is just before dawn.” Morvern’s new life is birthed through her refusal to be trapped by her old life.

            The club scene that follows Morvern’s run to the train station is the main evidence for her growth. The scene in the night club that appears earlier in the film shows her being lost in the darkness and the white noise of the music. But when Morvern is back in the same club in the final scene of the movie her face is much more visible, she has her own soundtrack, and she is looking confidently straight ahead. This change represents how Morvern’s life is her own and she has taken control. Although her boyfriend may linger in the dedication to her new life, she is only living for herself with money as no object.

            The song “Dedicated to the One I Love” goes on to sing about how the vocalist wishes to have his or her lover say a prayer when they are apart. The notion of praying and the repeated lyric, “this is dedicated to the one I love,” hint at how Morvern sees her rebirth as never losing the reason for the forward movement but still being able to move on.

            Many may see Morvern Callar as a simple thief who took the advantage of ownership that a suicidal boyfriend gave her, but the woman who dominates the screen head on and hair back is far more than the small act of thievery she performs. Morvern’s dead boyfriend does not only give her ownership over his novel, it also allows her to take ownership over her own life. Morvern Callar, someone without any chance of forward movement being stuck in a dead-end job, must grow to accommodate her new independent life. It is not only her life that is transformed by the death of her boyfriend, but herself as well. 

                                           

Billy the Kid: Drugged and Dying

             In the Movie Easy Rider, directed by Dennis Hopper, Captain America and Billy the Kid are the two main figures throughout the film. Both characters represent the hippie movement but on two extremely different ends of the spectrum.

            Captain America embodies the version of the hippie that lives off the land, maintains a high level of ethics, and has a relationship to a higher power. But Billy the Kid represents the side of the hippie that is causing the movement to die.

            Billy the Kid uses substances in order to be inebriated and not to reach a higher state of being. He lacks a sense of ethics that maintains a heavy focus on politeness to others. He also chooses to see his ultimate goal in life as retirement in Florida and not as finding a place in which he can be whatever he wishes. This dichotomy can be viewed in the scene from 00:35:00 to 00:39:00.

            Captain America fits seamlessly into the society of the hippie commune by bonding with a few of the members. He is even invited to stay at the camp. While Captain America feels included and welcome, Billy the Kid’s experience at the commune is quite the opposite.

            When Billy tries to follow one of the members into an area where a small gathering is taking place, a member of the commune blocks his entrance and the man they had picked up on the highway asks Billy who sent him in an unwelcoming tone. Billy is then accosted by the group performing on stage who is singing about long hair as they grab at his. The unfriendly and dominant tone of the commune suggests that Billy the Kid’s version of the hippie has no place within the back to nature, peace, and love image of the hippie that the commune has prescribed too.

            When Billy tells Captain America that he needs to leave, Captain America brushes Billy’s needs off while accepting a request from two women in the group at the commune. This rejection is then followed by Captain America trying to educate Billy as to why Captain America had agreed to the girls’ request. The unreceptive attitude of the commune as well as Captain America’s rejection and then education of Billy presents a non-homogeneous view of the hippie movement.

            The separation of the hippie subculture shown in the scene from 00:35:00 to 00:39:00 is also visible in the last scene of the movie. Billy the Kid’s demise is the starting point for the end of the hippie era. To cover up the death of Billy, the two men in the truck go back to kill Captain America. This double homicide represents how the whole hippie movement died because of individuals like Billy who instead of choosing a more humble and nature oriented perspective turned to heavier drugs and focused less on the idea of living from the earth. This negative image of the hippie that Billy presents permeates the consciousness of the country at the time.  

            Billy the Kid and Captain America seem so different throughout the movie and this difference is especially evident in their final outlooks. While Billy thinks they made it, Captain America thinks they blew it. Easy Rider attempts to bring these two different sides to the hippie subculture together to see how they interact with one another. The scene discussed above suggests a division within the group that is not so easily mended and bridged. Just as the easy riders died, so did the hippie movement. 

                                           

Feminism or Mimicry?

           Ridley Scott’s 1991 movie Thelma and Louise may at first appear to be a portrait of two females who only manage to mimic the patriarchal society that has been perpetrated on them their entire lives. But beneath the mimicry lies a feminist viewpoint hidden within Thelma and Louise’s new gun-toting personas. The final scene of the movie, 2:03 to 2:05:37, provides the basis for the argument of the representation of a type of feminist perspective which asserts a direct refusal to be constrained within a male driven society.

            Both women realize on the cusp of the Grand Canyon that their spree of autonomy has come to an end and the point of no return has long since past. They either must face a society that will ultimately reject them or find their escape beyond the confines of the patriarchal culture. Thelma comments on the large group of law enforcement surrounding their car saying, “It looks like an army.”  Then Louise responds, “All this for us?” Thelma and Louise realize just how dangerous their search for autonomy has become for the society they are fleeing. This conversation draws the audience’s attention towards the extreme reaction of the male focused culture to any threat, even if it just two women. When advising the two women to put their hands up the cop on the bullhorn says, “Any act of resistance will be seen as an act of aggression towards us.” The language categorizes Thelma and Louise’s behavior not just as taboo but also as aggressive and threatening. 

            Just as language help destroy the women’s connection to society, it also helps to force them between the two extremes of adult and child. The duality that Thelma and Louise maintain of innocent or child-like and capable or adult is reflected within the conversation of Hal and Max, the two lead officers on the case. Hal refers to Thelma and Louise as girls when stating, “Don’t let them shoot those girls.” To which Max responds, “These women are armed, Hal.” The patriarchal society places Thelma and Louise into two extremes which neither of them fit. Thelma and Louise are not little girls, nor are they simply women. They have grown throughout the movie into two actualized human beings which have obtained traits from both sexes that equal a complete individual. Thelma and Louise’s display of seemingly male characteristics does not place them in the group of imposters, but instead in the group of complete individuals.

            The major evidence for Thelma and Louise’s lean towards being feminist figures instead of shadows of men is their final decision. The act of driving over the cliff of the Grand Canyon is used to promote the idea that Thelma and Louise strived for a world not contained within the patriarchal system which is overloaded with the male figure. The two women found their own space to be exactly whoever they wish to be outside of the confines of gender.  By not going out in a blaze of gunfire Thelma and Louise choose to reject the judgment of the male dominated society and instead continue their journey. 

Ideologies within Sin nombre

            Ideologies are a set rules of behaviors instilled in the members of society from their youth. Ideologies are not taught but more instinctive. This sense of instinctive ideology can be seen in the scene 42:40 to 44:40 in Sin Nombre. To the individuals on the train Willy is a member of a gang and has just murdered another individual while taking part in the robbery of the migrants. Although the man Willy killed was dangerous and another gang member, the people on the train still do not want him aboard any longer.

            In a culture where gangs are so prevalent, people see from a very young age how gang members are bad and can only bring trouble from personal encounters or how the adults treat the gang members. Even later on in the movie when Sayra and Willy take refuge in a house for migrants, Willy’s past as a gang member hinders his acceptance among the others. Along with being a member of a gang, Willy also bears the weight of having murdered someone in a very blunt violent attack. This show of violence convinces the migrants riding the train that Willy is dangerous. In most cultures, violent criminals are thought not capable of reform or redemption and thus shunned. The men on the train conspire to throw Willy off the train and almost succeed but they are interrupted by Sayra calling out that she saw border patrol.

            When Sayra saves Willy’s life by calling out, she goes against the dominant ideology. While the dominant ideology argues that all gang members are harmful to other citizens, Sayra has a consciousness-raising moment when she decides that Willy is not like other gang members. Sayra’s struggle to decide whether or not to go against the dominant ideology can be seen when she frantically looks around to the others surrounding her. Sayra sees Willy as well as his role within society in a new light and thus chooses to go against the dominant ideology.

            Another ideology that can be seen within this scene is of the gang itself. Willy is only aboard the train because his leader ordered him too. The resulting murder of Willy’s gang leader successfully places Willy on the gang’s list of enemies. Although it is not specifically stated, Willy knows that his act of defiance will place his life in danger for disobeying the gang he once called family. Just as a family, the gang in Sin Nombre is centered on a father figure who provides for the members using violence, coercion, and criminal activity. Just as Sayra had a consciousness-raising moment, so does Willy when he decides to finally stand up to Lil’ Mago.

            Willy and Sayra’s stories mirror each other through their consciousness-raising moments. Each fights against a dominant ideology and must provide themselves with their own freedom from that oppressive force. Sayra finds her voice among family who would not listen and Willy finds his freedom among acts of violence. Each ideology that is represented in the scene provides more context as well as power behind the acts of defiance that Sayra and Willy participate in.  

The Last Scene in Sin Nombre

                Director Cary Fukunaga’s moving piece Sin Nombre culminates in Sayra finally reaching the United States and getting in touch with her step mom. The final two minutes of the movie Fukunaga presents a stark contrast to the struggles the immigrants had to face. Sayra and her family came from areas of poverty trying to reach the United States for a better life. This better life is realized for Sayra when she is shown walking through a plot of grass and the camera pans over to a Sears shopping center. The new life her father had envisioned for her is structured around the opportunities that the surplus of goods the United States offers. To encourage Sayra to take the risky journey to the United States her Uncle told her that Sayra’s home in Honduras did not offer her anything, but the United States’ had more than enough opportunities for them all. The lack of cars within the Sears parking lot shows how the prospects for a better life that the Sears represents for Sayra is ultimately just for her.

            Sayra’s new life does not come without obstacles. Although the Sears offers her possibilities and hope, the next scene shows Sayra walking behind a fence and avoiding the gaze of the police. The fence in the scene represents how while her new life offers opportunities it is not without obstacles and road blocks. Although Sayra’s life has the potential to be better, she still is not a legal immigrant within the United States which could prove to be detrimental. Just as her own father was deported originally, Sayra’s new status as an illegal immigrant also provides her with that same chance of discovery.

            When Sayra finally approaches a payphone after sitting in the parking lot of a Sam’s Club, she picks up the receiver and recalls the number her father forced into her mind. While Sayra throughout the movie offered resistance to her father’s attempts at integrating her into his new family, this final act of a call for help as well as the death of her father allows Sayra to accept and take comfort in her new family. Sayra’s step mother responds happily when she hears Sayra on the phone and Sayra takes comfort in this welcome shown by her smiling but then the tragic news of her father’s passing as well as the circumstances of her arrival finally catch up to Sayra. In the final seconds of the film Sayra can be seen almost to tears with relief and all the other emotions she has not allowed herself to feel in order to achieve the goal of reaching the United States.

            In the last scene of the movie there is a song that plays. The song called “La última palabra” is a love song to a woman who has possibly passed away. This song is used to juxtapose the death of Willy, who is Sayra’s protector, and the beginning of a new life for Sayra with the couple in the song that can no longer be together. Just as the couple is separated forever, so is Sayra from her life before she entered the United States.