Review of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) by Will H — 07 Jan 2011
The first collaboration between Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, From Dusk Till Dawn evokes elements of both of their films. From style to writing to actors, this is a true mixture of their styles.
The film plays like a two-parter, with one part (the first 45 minutes or so) being a straightforward crime film and the rest taking it down the road of a bloody exploitative horror flick. The first 45 minutes of the film are pure Tarantino fare, with long sequences of dialogue punctured by short but hard-hitting action.
This is where the acting shines. George Clooney, in his first film role, takes it down a grittier and more edgy path than usual as Seth Gecko, the older of the bank robber brothers who likes to go by the book, only killing when necessary.
His brother Richie (Quentin Tarantino) is the exact opposite, being a sex offender who does many questionable acts in the job. Tarantino is surprisingly effective in his largest film role ever, playing the part with just the right amount of creepy.
Along the way, they take the Fuller family hostage, consisting of Jacob (Harvey Keitel), Kate (Juliette Lewis), and Scott (Ernest Liu). Keitel plays his role straight, while the kids are serviceable but nothing special.
Eventually, they end up in the Titty Twister bar in Mexico which is populated entirely by (SPOILER ALERT) BLOOD-SUCKING VAMPIRES!! These vampires include Rodriguez regulars Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo, and Cheech Marin, and are of the most disgusting breed of the creatures.
Once the Titty Twister appears, the film is Rodriguez in style from there on out, becoming ultraviolent with lots of gruesome gun-toting action (or in this case, stake-toting). Both parts of the film hold up well in their own regard, but the transition is a little clunky.
If the film had moved from one area to the next in a smoother manner, this could have been the greatest of both Rodriguez and Tarantino. As it is, it's simply a one-of-a-kind film that any fan of either of these filmmakers simply must see.
This review of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) was written by Will H on 07 Jan 2011.
From Dusk Till Dawn has generally received positive reviews.
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