American Me

American Me (1992)

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
  • AllMovie Rating
    4
  • User Ratings (0)
  • Your Rating

Share on

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.

Characteristics

Moods

Keywords

ambition, bad-guy-turns-good, gangster, going-straight, killing, love, one-against-odds, prison, rampage, romance, self-discovery