SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Joseph Sylvers I saw this film once, on cable, completely unaware of who John Sayles was, and initially unsure if I wanted to watch something which sounded so didactic, but what I found was one of the most compelling dramas I had ever seen. The story follows a wealthy doctor from a lush unnamed city in a fictional South American country(but its filmed in Mexico), on his journey through the country side, as part of his retirement, he is going to first visit those doctors whom he trained that went on to work in poor villages. Out of the comfort of the city comes the violence of rural areas, crimes and horrors perpetrated not by the government or the rebels, but in the eyes of the many villagers who recount the tales, by "The Men With Guns". A journey of disillusionment and story of complacency, action, and meaning, "Men With Guns" is a movie which doesn't seem particularly appealing but which side-winds viewers with it's surprising literate dialog and plotting and lush visuals of South American countryside. Men With Guns is a political allegory that sneaks up on you with it's emotional impact and gripping humanism. I don't normally like to use to the word "moving" when referring to a work of art, because it makes me think of heavy lifting and boxes, but this movie was just, that, and having only seen it once after many years, it still comes back to me, particularly when I hear the daily body counts from any of the numerous war zones, patronized by the night news.

rfalbury Others have said it better, so I'll just second the positive comments.The film is a little uneven in parts, but it's a moving story which will stay with you much longer than some CGI-laden summer confection. The priest's ghost story, for example, would be a powerful short film all on its own.Sayles has a heart and would probably be making movies even if he hadn't managed the relatively modest (in comparison to his talent) success he's achieved so far.-- "There is no other definition of socialism valid for us than that of the abolition of the exploitation of man by man." - Ernesto "Che" Guevara

letrias Simply excellent depiction of life for the Indian population of the mountain regions of most of Latin America. This film is based in a fictional nation somewhere in south America, but the events that unfold are everything but fiction, in fact they are based very closely on true events as they were described by people who actually lived it. A doctor, raised in the city and ignorant of the terror that exists outside the "civilized" part of his nation, sends a group of students on a mission to educate the Indians - this is his self-proclaimed legacy. When he finds that one of his students has abandoned the legacy he sets out to find the rest. What he discovers is a brutal trail of murder, torture, and rape. Was his legacy such the excellent idea that he claimed at the beginning? The murders seem to be in the hands of no one group, they are attributed simply to the men with guns: the soldiers, and the guerillas fighting them. The Indians are stuck in the middle, often subjected to torture and rape by both sides. The justification is always that they deserve the suffering because they are helping the other side. However, refusal to help means an equally brutal death, so they are left without choice. There are no uplifting fake Hollywood gimmicks in Men With Guns, no cheerful dialogue, and certainly no "happily ever after" endings - it is simply the truth about the life for the Indian people, not only in Guatemala, Mexico, or Colombia, but also their life in the United States not so long ago. This is a truly powerful film that should not be missed by anyone!

Jay Harris John Sayles writer & director of Lone Star (the best movie of 1996 IMHO) has done it again. Men With Guns should have been nominated as the best foreign language film of 1997,or even in the top 5 for best film. This very complex, but easily understood story of a dedicated Doctor in his quest for Students he trained to be doctors is compelling from beginning to end. We see the violence described eloquently,but very few visuals,but the images are planted in your mind & they will stay with you; a MUST see film for ALL those who like suspensful, well thought out stories, superbly acted, directed & edited. John Sayles wrote, directed & edited this film with care & dedication, a **** film One of the Best as alwaysJay Harris