Movies - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

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	Movies - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is a 2005 drama film directed by Tommy Lee Jones (debut) and written by Guillermo Arriaga. It stars Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper and Julio Cedillo.

Plot

Melquiades Estrada, an illegal Mexican immigrant, is shot and quickly buried in the high desert of west Texas. The body is found and reburied in a local cemetery. After kidnapping the killer and forcing him to disinter the body, Melquiades' best friend undertakes a dangerous and quixotic journey on horseback into Mexico, with his captive in tow and the body tied to a mule.

The film has many flashbacks. Sometimes the same event is shown twice, from different perspectives.

Mike Norton (Barry Pepper) and his wife move to the border area in the high desert of west Texas because of his job. He is an uncouth border patrolman with a mean streak, roughing up illegals. He has casual sex with his wife in between other activities, without much regard for her wishes and satisfaction.

Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cedillo), an illegal Mexican immigrant working as a ranch hand, shoots at a coyote. Norton thinks he is being attacked and shoots back, killing Estrada. He quickly buries him and does not report anything.

The body is found and reburied in a local cemetery. Evidence that he may have been killed by the US border patrol is ignored by the local sherrif, Belmont (Dwight Yoakam), who would prefer to avoid trouble and get along.

Pete Perkins (Jones), a ranch foreman and Melquiades' best friend, finds out that the killer was Norton. Pete kidnaps Norton, ties up his wife, and forces him to disinter the body.

In order to keep his promise to Melquiades that he would bury him in his home town of Jiménez in Mexico if he died in the US, Pete undertakes a dangerous and quixotic journey on horseback into Mexico, with his captive in tow and the body tied to a mule. His motive for taking Norton along appears to be revenge and to teach him respect for Mexicans.

It is clear to the police that Pete has kidnapped Norton, and they search for them, but when they find them they do not act. It seems that Sherrif Belmont can't bring himself to shoot Pete, even though he doesn't really like him very much. So Pete and Norton are pursued by the border patrol instead.

On their way across the harsh countryside, the pair experience a series of surreal encounters. They spend an evening with an isolated old, blind white man (Levon Helm), who has only Mexican radio for company and eventually asks them to shoot him since there is no-one left to take care of him. He does not want to commit suicide, because, he argues, that would be an insult to God. Pete refuses, because if he killed the man, he would insult God.

Norton attempts to escape but is bitten by a rattlesnake and discovered by a group of illegals crossing into Texas. Pete gives one of them a horse as payment for guiding them across the river into Mexico, and to a herbal healer to treat Norton. She turns out to be a woman whom Norton had punched in the face a few weeks previously. Nevertheless, at Pete's request, she saves Norton's life. However, afterwards she injures Norton's face to revenge his doing the same to her before.

The captivity, the tiring journey, and the disintegrating corpse transforms Norton slowly into a psychological basket case. He is very moved, with tears in his eyes when he gets half a bottle of liquor from people they meet. Meanwhile, his wife leaves the area, not caring whether her husband returns or not.

They arrive at a location that is supposed to be near the village of Jiménez, but no one has heard of it. Furthermore, the woman in the photo of Melquiades' 'wife' has never heard of him and is married to someone else. Pete is forced to accept that Melquiades' story was a fantasy, probably born of loneliness and homesickness. They come upon a ruined house, which Pete declares is Jiménez. They repair the walls and construct a new roof, and bury Melquiades for the third time. After forcing Norton to beg forgiveness for the killing, Pete finally releases him, and gives him a horse, while knowing that he himself can never return home. While Pete leaves, Norton expresses concern whether Pete will be all right.

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones
- Pete Perkins
Barry Pepper
- Mike Norton
Julio Cedillo
- Melquiades Estrada (as Julio César Cedillo)
Dwight Yoakam
- Sheriff Belmont
January Jones
- Lou Ann Norton
Melissa Leo
- Rachel
Vanessa Bauche - Mariana
Levon Helm - Old Man W/Radio
Mel Rodriguez - Captain Gómez
Cecilia Suárez
- Rosa
Ignacio Guadalupe - Lucio

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