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The lure of Mexico is more than a simple idle lust for freedom, following in the footsteps of much more infamous outlaws. In fact Seth has arranged a local contact, Carlos (Cheech Marin), who'll provide sanctuary for a hefty slice of their illicit earnings. It's a long way south though, especially when the territory is crawling with police and FBI agents, so Seth and Richard take a break in a typical run-down motel. Positioning themselves with their one remaining hostage, middle-aged bank teller Gloria (Brenda Hillhouse), Seth elects to venture out for provisions. Unfortunately he returns to find that Richard has raped Gloria and spread her body parts around the bedroom (despite strict instructions from Seth). The problem is that Richard is your basic sexual monster, at the beck and call of mysterious voices. Now, of course, they also require fresh hostages.
Meanwhile, ex-preacher Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) is taking his two children, Kate (Juliette Lewis) and Scott (Ernest Liu), on a similar journey to exotic climes. The fundamental mistake made by Jacob is to pull his RV into the same motel as the Gecko's, in search of a real bed. This upstanding family manages to attract the attention of Seth and pretty soon all three are chomping on the business end of weaponry. With his choices severely limited Jacob agrees to smuggle the duo across the border, noting with distaste the lascivious gaze of Richard over the attractive figure of Kate. That only a few hours separate this mixed bunch from blood-sucking terror is a notion that occurs to no one, although it's already inevitable that Seth and Richard won't walk away peacefully.
Instantly recognisable as a Tarantino creation, the script of From Dusk till Dawn bubbles over with sidetracks into the minutiae of daily life. Perhaps the density of these asides is somewhat less than in the directorial offerings of Tarantino but they still spice up the dialogue. Equally noteworthy, Robert Rodriguez stamps his heavy tread of over-the-top mayhem throughout the film. That the final half is a pure, extended shoot-out which works gives some indication of Rodriguez's control (in reality the movie occasionally sags after the half-way mark but that's almost to be expected). The negative aspects are similar to the good points, interestingly, although with the addition of some particularly uninspired acting. The script features no character development (beyond the most perfunctory stereotypes), which is unsurprising but still disappointing. Maybe this is why Richard comes across as a shallow psychopath, or perhaps it's just Tarantino. The upshot is that From Dusk till Dawn keeps you watching through a combination of special effects, relentless action and rapid editing. In a lot of ways this is enough for an unmemorable night out, just don't expect anything too deep.
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