El Norte Symbolism

El Norte, a 1983 film directed by Gregory Nava, depicts the life of two indigenous teenagers who flee their native country, Guatemala, in search for a better life in America. The reason for fleeing is due to the ethnic and political oppression of the Guatemalan Civil War. The film builds up a strong connection shared between Enrique and Rosa, one of genuine feeling and fierce emotion. This connection is foregrounded by the exaggerated style and is often compared to adulterated relations among Hispanics. Such a differentiation is proposed to underline the strain on the social connection created by the financial aspects of migration. In both Enrique’s and Rosa’s hopes of pursuing the “American Dream”, their fantasies of a better life are both
Running from a water factory to the heroes' dad's beheaded head against a setting sun, Nava gives watchful consideration and noteworthy visual, filmic consideration to round objects. His thoughtfulness regarding physical cycles reverberates in the cycles of abuse experienced by the heroes, Rosa and Enrique Xuncax. Driven from their home in Guatemala, Rosa and Enrique look for hope, frantically putting stock in the "American Dream" publicized by business magazines and prominent talk in the midst of their history of death and cruelty. Their confidence in a superior life can be found in Rosa's respectful scrutiny of an inventory from the United States and Enrique's articulations of United States equality. Enrique tells Rosa, ". . . in the north, we won't be dealt with along these lines. We'll profit. We'll have all that we need". Their confidence shows the likelihood of foreshadowing events that lead to their constant struggle that follows them where they go. This is all false hope and wishful
Nava does not give markers of separation among these pictures, presenting each picture with a drum beat and giving each image a similar screen time. He sustains an association and continuation of