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I had heard a lot about Zoot Suit before, but I had never had the chance to see it until now, and now I understand why it became so popular. Valdez makes great choices readapting the original play for the screen which as we read in the article ended up being very easy because the play itself was very manageable to recreate as a film.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked the most about the movie was the way el pachuco inside of Henry Reyna is an actual character that helps a larger audience understand the internal conflicts that chicanos went through. It is very easy for someone to judge for the outside without knowing anything about what happens inside of the mind and the heart. Therefore, this film makes it hard to judge chicanos for the way they dress, talk, or look. Also, I really liked the ending, which makes you believe everything ended happily, but then you realize it did not because of the fact that the racism and discrimination in the political systems.
Over all I really enjoyed watching and reading the interview because it made me see the Zoot Suiters in a very different way. Also I learned about a case that I had never heard of before, and I think more people should be aware of.
Ingrid Davila
Zoot Suit was familiar to myself as we first heard about in pervious discussions early on during the semester. Zoot Suit is very popular and it was very entertaining to watch. This amazing written play by Luis Valdez featured incidental music. Luis Valdez was a Mexican-American playwright and director. Valdez is very known for as the father of Mexican-American Theater. Valdez also found El Teatro Campesino which we also covered in previous discussions. The thing I found most intriguing was that this was the first Chicano play on Broadway which is a huge accomplishment and will always be recognized forever. Racism and discrimination occurred with really bothers me in a way that I’m tired of people discriminating us Mexicans because of our race or skin color. You can’t judge a book by its cover so you can’t judge Chicanos for the way they look or talk. You have to get a deeper understanding of who a person really is as a person. Zoot Suit was revised with great care to detail as it made the transition from play to motion picture. Luis Valdez did an incredible job and deserves all the credit. Zoot Suit has great success. Overall, this was a great film to watch and great interview with Valdez himself and I’m glad I was able to get a full understanding of it all.
ReplyDeleteMichael Garcia
As this discussion came to be in class, I remember talking about Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez. I find it cool that we now get a discussion on our blog and are going to be able to discuss it in class. Luis Valdez, known as one of the best known film directors in the Mexican American community does a very fine job with this play. Although racism still lives, for a second at the end of the film, he shows what looks like a very happy ending. Even when during this time racism and discrimination were at its peak, this play still was an eye seeker for the people at the time and not just with this play but with others as well. For example, “Las Dos Caras del Patroncito” was one that I really enjoyed reading and acting in class. I can already imagine how the farm workers felt, having something to laugh about even though their situation with race was horrible. It aggravates me how people just assume what you are and where you come from because of the way you look and the color of your skin. It does not define us. I thank Luis Valdez for such a great film and such a great way that he was able to interpret it.
ReplyDeleteGiselle Sanchez
Luis Valdez was an intellectual when it came to Mexican-American Theatre and it was exhibited in his success from “El Teatro Campesino” all the way to “Zoot Suit.” Being that Mexicans were stereotyped by their appearances and language efficiency, Valdez had a lot to prove as he wanted to be known for his playwrights and not just as another ordinary Chicano. His use of music and action in motion pictures all promised a new style to the theatre era of this time, but limited to space and funding he thought of new ways to get the entire audience front row seats. That is when he felt that the only way to publicize this play was to transform it into a movie, something that came with tons of success. He had always felt the underlying of a corrido-norteno beat within the film would truly associate with campesinos, and that was crucial to him as he needed to attract that type of audience to this cinema. Both the film and the interview with Luis Valdez assisted me in getting a better comprehension in the theme of this play. What I liked most about it is that they displayed the different types of adversities Mexican-Americans faced and showed it from their perspective as they were frequently judged based upon their looks. In my opinion, this has never been fair to anyone of color, but it is a systemic type of oppression we still face till this day and time and it is a clear issue that should be continued to be talked about.
ReplyDeleteAdrian Martinez
I enjoyed to see how a part of our Mexican-American culture was represented in the film Zoot Suit. It seems as if each generation has a sort of rebel faction trying to differentiate or form a sense of self that is distinctive from that of their parents or society, and in the 1940’s it was the zoot suiters. I believe that in order to understand the play and film adaptation of Zoot Suit by Luiz Valdez, we need to be aware of the historical content that was happening within our community in the 1940’s. Without sufficient evidence Mexican-American youngsters were held in prison for the murder of Jose Gallardo Diaz, this case became known as the Sleepy Lagoon Murder. This case shows us the deep racial tension that were happening at the time and still happen today in our country. (It seems as if the American society goes through discrimination phases, asking themselves; which minority should we oppress today?) With the forthcoming of World War II and Japanese-Americans being sent to internment camps, the spotlight shifted to the Mexican-Americans and their “Mexican crime wave.” Although this was just a small portion of the social and political change that was happening within our culture and in the American society in general, Luiz Valdez makes it relevant to many generations. To me this film depicts the vulnerability of our culture and how susceptible we are to being discriminated against. (237)
ReplyDelete-Víctor D. Gaytán
“Zoot Suit” is an interesting film, and I enjoyed the jazz music which is played throughout. In the film music is portrayed as diverse being that the style played may not be particularly associated with the term “Chicano.” However, Valdez incorporates Spanish dialect which makes a “new” expression of music. As that the film occurs at a theater before an audience, it was interesting to see how the props and settings were on display, and the transitions from one scene to the next is very natural. Furthermore, the “zoot suit man” who follows Henry Reyna is as his own conscience that almost haunts, teases, and chastises Henry while advising him at the same time. The way Valdez utilizes this form of consciousness also alludes to the inner struggle Henry finds himself in as a prisoner and an individual isolated from everyone he loves. This personal conflict moves the story forward while all “external” problems, the trials and the dark prison, shows them greatly affecting each character. Moreover, I believe the film did an excellent job in demonstrating the struggles Chicanos underwent during this time as the relations between authorities and the young men are filled with tension. Also, it is seen between the Mexicans and the American sailors at the dances. Overall, I enjoyed watching “Zoot Suit, ” and Valdez's commentaries tie everything together.
ReplyDeleteCeline Brianna Salas
I really enjoyed watching this film and loved the great behind the scenes and detailed interview with Luis Valdez. It was so nice to bring back and talk about someone from previous lectures and class discussions. The more we read about him the more I get fascinated and see how big of a pioneer for the Chicano Theatre and its impact throughout generations. Zoot Suit was carefully and detailed with the changes Luis Valdez made in order to progress from a play to a well-known and recognized film. Zoot Suit continues to be an amazing film. Luis Valdez is also known as one of the best known film directors In the Chicano/Mexican American culture. In the beginning many people didn’t see potential in him or his work and he proved every single one of those non-believers wrong by his amazing work. When you want to talk about someone who puts in blood, sweat and tears in their work Luis Valdez was a perfect example of it. As I was watching the film many memories were brought back to my mind as I was listening to the Jazz music, I still remember being a little girl going out with my grandpa and literally listening to Jazz every time because that’s all he would hear. Overall this was an amazing and new film I have gotten to watch.
ReplyDeleteBrandi Rae Rodriguez
Zoot Suit has been one of my favorite movies since I was a little kid. I loved the music the setting, the fact that even though it was a movie, the way they incorporated the fact that it was a play, the era it was based on, wardrobe, just about everything from this I movie enjoyed. It wasn't until recently that I saw this movie again that I really paid attention to the actual story, the plot. It made me fall in love with it even more, the way the story was told, the way it came across, and to top it off, this was the first chicano mexican american play to make it to Broadway. My favorite part is the ending, when they're all dancing in the club and they start talking about Hank, how he had three options but he chooses the third outcome, the positive outcome. Then the rest of the cast is talking about how Hank hes their friend, and a leader, and the pachuco finishes it with "Henry Reyna, El Pachuco, the man, the myth, still lives." and then they finish it with that ending pose, i mean it was just so great and it gave me so many chills. And in a way, it makes me proud to be a mexican-american.
ReplyDeletejoanne lopez
The film “Zoot Suit” has been one that grabbed my attention ever since the first time I saw it. This film goes deeper on how others perceive our culture when it comes to very strong cases dealing with prison and how they sometimes base their decisions on racial issues. The truth is that during that time, many decisions made in the movie were considered racist and they are things that we still see today in many areas of the world. I really enjoyed the interview of Luis Valdez because it is someone that we have discussed in the past and is able to connect with us in most topics from this course. Another thing that I really like about this film, is how they implement the music because back then jazz music was the top hit and is what made that film more attracting. I think that Luis Valdez does a great job in making this movie because a lot of people were extremely attracted by the original play. I have learned a lot about zoot suiters in my history class and how back in the day there were a lot of riots between them and marines that did not like them. Overall, this film is a great way to perceive different views in how the culture was seen and how music was implemented during this time period. (228)
ReplyDeleteBruno Morales
After reading “A conversation with Luis Valdez” and watching the Zoot Suit film, it was interesting and entertaining to watch. The way the film was revised to have prodigious detail. It’s amazing how Valdez has always love theater. Luis Valdez was a Mexican American playwright and director and he was good at it. From the past lectures, we had about him we had learned that he was the creator El Teatro Campasino. They used the theater to express their feeling or politics problems. Not a lot of people that the show was worth it so Valdez needed to prove that it was worth the risk. But since the play was to big he needed to find a way so people could see it, that were he got the idea of the commercial. There was a scene that caught my attention and it was when Henry’s family was about to have dinner and Rudy calls himself chicano and the father got really upset. He basically said by using chicano you were calling yourself trash and they were mexicano. I feel like that not true just by identifying yourself as chicanx doesn’t mean your trash, you’re just identifying yourself as that instead of calling yourself Mexican American. Sandy Martinez
ReplyDeleteThe film "zoot suit" really appealed to me. I had not seen it before but it was a very captivating and moving film. Anything from director Luis Valdez is amazing. I loved egerytbing from the setting to the representation of the Mexican American culture. It goes very into depth and explores a piece of Mexican American history not really talked about in historical contexts. With Luid Valdez being the main director, in the time they originally put this movie out there was not much traction. Maybe no body cares about Mexican American culture, or they did not like Luis Valdez enough or understand his work. Yet this is a very great movie, and it showed me a lot about Chicanos and their persistence through a racist past.
ReplyDeleteMichael gonzalez
I really enjoyed watching the film “Zoot Suit” and the article “Zoot Suit: THE MAN, THE MYTH, STILL LIVES. I really like when an author of books or play writers really get into directing films that they wrote because they don’t let the big movie companies change the was the book or play was written even though some things are different. In Zoot Suit, Luis Valdez had complete artistic control over the film of his play. I really enjoyed the movie a lot. Many people thought this film was not going to e a success, but it turned out to be a great one instead. I like the music that was being played throughout the film. The clothing that was used in the movies is amazing. The movies go into how people look at our culture when there’s this big thing going on. I admire how Luis Valdez came a long way from making playing on the back of trucks or anywhere they possible could to actually making something this big.
ReplyDeleteIvan Lira
This was the first time I watched the film “Zoot Suit”, I think this movie was different from previous films we watched according to our class, primary because the way the movie is directed is different from what I excepted, for example I was not expecting this film to be to have a mixture of musical and theater. The film address some of the issues that we have discussed in class, at the beginning when the parents are complaining because they were not accepting how his daughter was dressed, this type of situation also occurs in a passage from Anzaldua’s book borderlands when she says that she had to be dressed in an appropriate way according to his mother, because she as was a woman must follow or obey certain manners that are within the Mexican-American culture. I think it was not a proper way to do an investigation, since the beginning they were considered guilty, because they were Mexicans and the jury was acting racist towards them. After reading “Barrios a conversation with Luis Valdez” we can see the evolution of Luis Valdez and many other aspects of his whole career, how being Chicano help him eventually to succeed. We can see how farmworkers were one of the first audience Valdez had, and how these types of experiences led him to have a wider audience not only Mexican-American audience.
ReplyDeleteLuis Reyna
I remember briefly mentioning the zoot suit riots of 1943 in my introductory history courses but never really discussing the impact that they had on our culture. The importance of educating ourselves on the resistance of our ancestors is something that is overlooked; I had never even heard of or seen this movie before this assignment. I really enjoyed the underlying themes, especially the character that helped give us insight on the internal struggle that the main character faced. I believe the historical context of the film is important to the message and the depiction of Chicanx struggles. The suppression and demonization of our culture has always existed and continues to exist and the film did a good job of showing the resistance displayed by these Latinos and the consequences that came with. I like how in the article the author states “But it seems to me true that the pachuco experience still lives, and through the cultural expression of pachuqismo such as it is today, all those pachucos continue to survive.” Cultural expression is so important in keeping spirits high even when the community is suffering and I believe continuing to unapologetically be brown and proud strengthens our resilience.
ReplyDeleteAndrea Juarez
I adore this film. The scenery was just amazing and sometimes I wish I could live in that time for reason that everything was so much different. Zoot Suit has a very different movie scenery that I can relate alot more too. An example can be the kitchen and the cooking. Back then, my great grandma would make us food and it always looked kayotic but it really wasn't, we were just trying to sit down comfortable. However, it always comes to down to the racisim against the Mexican-Americans. It gets me upset because we, as a culture, can literally come from nothing and make it something. Like a jor for example, they can pay less than was is expected but still be able to maintain our families. It's something that people will never give us credit for, they just see us as "taking their jobs". Luis Valdez does a great job with the scenery and the 1940s, it literally feels like you're captured within that moment. It's the reason why it's a great film.
ReplyDeleteYarazeth Ramirez
From the movie “Zoot Suit” and “A Conversation with Luis Valdez” comes to show how there is always going to be that ignorance in people who are only going to see people with color and not by who they truly are. If they know that they have power in their hands and they will use it to their advantage to destroy those who they believe are less. The way Reyna and the rest of his group are accused of murder just for their appearance is obnoxious. It sickens me to the thought that accusations like that still happen to this day, not too long ago the president said that “Mexico is bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I ASSUME, are good people.” A person like that, making those kinds of accusations on national television where there are all kinds of people is stunning because that will only cause a rise on the hate crimes. These people are innocent and the only thing that they deserve is respect because they have no part in everything that they are accused of. When Reyna and the rest of the gang members are put for trial, one would expect to be serving justice but in reality, they’re just putting on a show. Having to choose between your culture or your home country would be a tough decision when both define you.
ReplyDeleteAshley Escalante
I had never seen the film Zoot Suit before and I actually enjoyed it. It has a different scenery than a “typical” movie, it shows the mother in the kitchen and the whole family eating Mexican food. I also found funny the part where the girl goes out in a skirt and the dad asks where the rest of the clothing is at because in the Mexican household women should not show much skin, and we have discussed this in class when someone said she could not wear “shortsitos” in front of her grandma because she would get mad. I also enjoyed the music in the film as well as the fact that English and Spanish was spoken. On the interview, “A Conversation With Luis Valdez,” he mentions how he went to Broadway and Hollywood but he kept going back to El Teatro Campesino and I think that is very important because he is not forgetting where he started, he does not let fame get to him, he is not forgetting his roots, he puts the name high for the latino community.
ReplyDeleteYadira de Leon
After reading the conversation with Luis Valdez and The film “zoot suit” I learned more about Luis Valdez and his thought about Mexican-Americans. In his plays, we can see how Luiz Valdez tries to show the public a perspective of the discrimination that most Chicanos suffer in this Mexican-American culture. In the film, I learned that Anglo police officers did accuse people according to their race and look, for example Hector’s gang was accused of murdering without any proves, they were unfairly accused just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and also because they were Chicanos. I believe if they would have been whites, they would have been treated different. One scene that confused me was when Hector’s family were having dinner and I think it was Hector’s brother that said that he was a Chicano, and then his father told him that Chicanos were trash and also ordered him to take off the clothes because he looked as an idiot. This confused me because I believed Mexicans have a good relationship or good thoughts of Chicanos. Chicanos were seen as criminals, maybe because they were most of the time in the streets where the crimes happened and not at home. Valdez did a good job on transforming the play into a film, I really enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteMissael Salinas
Luis Valdez provides such an inspiring story on how the struggles of Chicanos was so prevalent in past society, and maybe even today. In the film/play ‘Zoot Suit’ written and directed by Luis Valdez we are presented with the way Chicanos were treated El Pachuco signifies the inner thoughts many Chicanos had that would make them struggle in identity. Honestly, I am very tired and disappointed at the very ways Chicanos were discriminated against. Throughout this fil we see the continuous goal to against the norm to express and differentiate the individuality of us Chicanos. Luis Valdez, known as the father of Chicano theater, wishes to show what lies beneath the lives of discriminated Chicanos. He creates this adaptation of past generations of Latinos to show the struggle with unfair treatment and unfair bias against them just for the bases of their ethnicity. Honestly, I really enjoyed this film not only because it was entertaining, but it clearly shows the struggle prevalent on my culture in the past and maybe even now in the present.
ReplyDelete-Alma De La Llana