American Me (1992)
Directed by Edward James Olmos
Genres - Drama |
Sub-Genres - Crime Drama, Crime Thriller, Gangster Film |
Release Date - Mar 13, 1992 (USA) |
Run Time - 150 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Edward J. Olmos made his directorial bow with the powerhouse crime saga American Me. Olmos stars as street-gang leader Santana, who during his 18 years in Folsom Prison rules over all the drug-and-murder activities behind bars. Upon his release, Santana goes back to his old neighborhood, intending to lead a peaceful, crime-free life. But his old gang buddies force him back into his old habits. The omniprescene of the "Mexican Mafia" in the southwest is sufficient to make this film a daunting, demoralizing experience. Upon its release, American Me received a lot of press play due to the fact that Olmos shot his Folsom sequences on location, using actual prisoners as extras and bit players.
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Keywords
ambition, bad-guy-turns-good, gangster, going-straight, killing, love, one-against-odds, prison, rampage, romance, self-discovery