Walk Proud (1979) - full transcript
A young Chicano gang member in Los Angeles comes to realize that the gang life is not what he really wants but doesn't know how to get out.
(LATIN ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
(LAUGHING)
(MEN TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
(MAN EXCLAIMING)
Whoo!
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Cowboy says they
threw in a cocktail
last night.
Tell him, Cowboy.
The Hippo
and his brother,
they threw a cocktail
through the window.
The old man runs out,
and this is the same old man
they jumped two days ago.
He's in this country
illegal.
So, who's gonna help him
if we don't?
We're his brothers, man.
We're Chicanos!
If somethin' like that
happened in Marina del Rey,
the cops would
be there In a minute.
Right.
Excuse me, sir.
I beg your pardon, sir,
did someone
throw a bomb
in your bed, sir?
Don't worry, we'll bust him.
We'll send him
straight to jail.
But Venice
ain't the Marina.
So what do you
wanna do, Cesar?
I wanna show them.
We call ourselves Los Aztecas.
That's a proud thing to be!
So how come
we let them come down
on somebody in our race?
No way, man!
We show them!
What do you think?
Okay.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(GLASS SHATTERS)
Johnny, get out!
(GRUNTING)
Hey, fellas.
I was just kiddin' around,
you know.
Gimme a break.
Come on, give me a break,
all right?
(EXCLAIMS)
(GROANING)
(MEN LAUGHING)
(JOHNNY BREATHING HEAVILY)
Burn him, Vincente.
You're the one wanted to
carry a piece. Now use it.
No!
Don't shoot me, man!
Put the gun in his mouth
and blow his Goddamn head off!
Oh, God, come on, man,
please don't shoot me!
Don't shoot me, man!
(YELLING IN SPANISH)
SARAH: Don't forget.
GIRL: All right, I won't.
Maybe you can
spend the night.
Come early.
I will. (LAUGHS)
EMILIO: Never.
No, that wasn't me.
No, it wasn't me.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(TIRES SCREECH)
Oh.
(ENGINE STALLING)
(HORNS HONKING)
Shit!
What's the matter
with it?
It won't start!
You want me to
take a look at it?
Um...
I know a little about cars.
I won't rip off
your hubcaps.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, why don't you
open up the back?
I'll take a look.
Yeah, right.
You got it?
Yeah, I got it.
Okay, start her up.
All right.
Turn the key.
I am turning the key.
Wait a second.
Okay, try it now.
What did you do
to this car?
This is the deadest automobile
I ever saw in my life.
Thanks.
Lock it up.
I'll take you home.
Listen, I think
I better call my father.
Well, I'll catch you later,
all right?
Bye.
Bye.
You know, you really
shouldn't keep
your car here.
I know.
Whatta you say
if I kinda push you
over there someplace?
Okay.
Do you think you can?
Are you kidding?
Do you know
who you're talking to?
No.
I'll be your engine, okay?
All right.
Put it in neutral.
You like this car?
Yes, I do, very much.
It's nice.
How much did it cost you?
I don't know.
It was a present.
I got it for my 17th birthday.
That's a nice present.
I know.
And I'll send you
my bill in the morning.
CESAR: I didn't want
none of the others here.
That's why I'm tellin'
you guys first.
We're the ones
who started
the clica, m an.
We, the...
Oh, it's about time, ese.
I want John Vincente
out, ese.
He's a chicken-shit dude!
I tell him what to do
last night.
He don't do it!
I tell him stick the piece
in the bastard's mouth,
blow his head off.
He shoots him
in the leg instead.
(SHOUTING) What for, man,
so he can screw up again?
Hey, Cowboy, maybe
Cesar's right, ese.
We did make the rules.
Damn right I'm right,
home boy!
This is my Azteca
and he's with us.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Or not at all.
I tell somebody
to do somethin',
I want him to do it!
Otherwise,
get another president!
Hey, carnal, uh,
to jump him, huh?
Yeah.
I don't want him
in my clica no more.
CESAR: I want you
to understand this.
I wanna make sure
you understand this.
After today, you're not
an Azteca no more.
That means, you don't
come around no more.
You don't come
no place near us,
you hear?
You don't tell nobody
what we ever talked about.
You don't say where
we keep our pieces.
You just keep
your mouth shut!
You hear?
To us, you don't
exist no more.
You get in trouble
some other clica,
tough shit!
You go no more insurance.
Do you understand that?
Cesar, I swear to God...
Ooh, good!
You want to hear
he understands?
(ALL YELLING)
(GRUNTS)
CESAR: Hit him!
Leave him!
Let's go, Emilio.
Come on, Emilio,
let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go cruise up.
Let's go get some home girls.
I know this nice...
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
RECEPTIONIST:
Community Action Center.
All right, guys,
let's go.
Hey, where's Cesar?
COWBOY: He had
some business, man.
What do you mean,
he had some business?
I said I wanted to
talk to all four of you.
He couldn't make it.
MIKE: Aw, he couldn't make it.
All right, come on,
let's go.
Hey, Russell,
you got those forms?
Straight ahead, man.
Straight ahead, Diego.
Make yourselves
comfortable, huh?
GANNETT: Call downtown
and see who Central had.
Yeah, yeah,
well, I told you I was
takin' care of that, man.
Yes, sir. Mmm-hmm.
Well, I'll settle that
when I get to the office.
Sure.
This is Sergeant Gannett,
of the Police Department.
He's here because
there's a 15-year-old kid
in the hospital.
It's a kid who belongs
to your gang.
His name is...
It's a club, Sergeant.
His name is Vicente Carranza.
Anybody know
how he got hurt?
Where's Arrelano, Mike?
You said he'd be here.
He couldn't come, Jim.
He's the leader
of your gang, isn't he,
this Cesar Arrelano?
He's president of our club,
Sergeant.
Well, this Carranza kid,
a patrol unit found him
in a field
behind the airport.
His arm was broken,
half of his teeth
was knocked out.
He's in a coma
and the hospital says
he may not pull through.
Does anybody know
what happened?
Who do you think did it?
Maybe some other club,
Sergeant.
Yeah, from
Santa Monica, maybe.
Culver City.
Crazy dudes
over there.
What about you?
Do you think
some other club did It?
That's a possibility.
Do you know what
"jumping out" is?
I've heard that term.
Mike and I both think
this Carranza kid
was jumped out of the Aztecs.
What do you think?
He might die.
Now that makes a lot of sense,
doesn't it?
One of your own brothers
dying because of
some stupid gang bullshit.
Sarge, it's a club!
It's a gang, punk!
And don't be interruptin' me
when I'm talkin'!
You didn't invent
gang-busting.
I was a member of
the East L.A. Guardians
before your
mother and father
even thought you up!
In those days,
we called it war counseling.
That's right,
I was a war counselor.
But it's the same bullshit
any way you slice it!
Was Vicente Carranza
macho enough for you today?
Did he have enough balls
to make it through your line?
Well, I hope he has
enough balls
to make it through the night.
Thanks, Mike.
(DOOR OPENS)
I don't know what's worse,
Chicano cop
or a nigger cop!
They're all punks, ese.
(SIGHS)
MIKE: Okay, we got the law
in here again, huh?
Sometimes,
you guys make me sick,
do you know that?
You guys think you got it made
'cause you're not 18 yet.
You get into a mess,
the most you can get
is six months
and then you're out
in the damn streets again.
I did nine months
at that camp.
And you didn't learn
much there either,
did you?
Hey, Mike, I learned how to
read and write English.
That's more than
I ever learned in school!
Yeah, but that didn't make you
any smarter, my friend.
Would you like to
go back to that camp?
Who the hell cares?
Besides, it was easy.
I could do nine months
standing on my head.
Yeah, but what happens
when you're 18, Diego?
Name's Dagger.
You can write any name
you want on that wall.
To me, you're still Diego.
Do you know what happens
when you're 18?
COWBOY: Yeah.
His record gets wiped clean.
Whatever he done as a juvenile
don't matter no more.
They start you from scratch!
You start
with a clean slate.
I mean, just think
of that chance.
Don't you understand?
When are you gonna be
18 anyway?
October 21st.
That's next month.
Yeah.
Well, that's when
they're gonna start treating
you like a man, Diego.
Will you be a man
by then?
Will any of you be men?
(CLASSICAL PIANO MUSIC
PLAYING)
(PLAYS WRONG NOTE)
(SPUTTERING)
Hi.
I'm the great mechanic,
remember?
Yeah, hi.
So what was wrong
with it?
Oh, they still don't know.
They had to tow it away.
You know, you have
to be careful
about those garages.
Sometimes,
it's just a loose wire
or something,
they'll try to sell you
a whole new engine.
Yeah, I know,
but my father
knows this guy.
He's worked
on the car before.
Okay then.
How you gettin' home?
The bus.
You want a lift?
What's your name anyway?
Sarah Lassiter.
Didn't we have
art together once?
No, I don't think so.
I think so.
I know, didn't you
used to have, like,
you know, darker hair?
No, my hair
has always
been this way.
What's so funny?
I know even Chicano girls
that dye their hair.
Even niggers.
I seen niggers
with blonde hair.
Would you believe that?
Blacks, yes.
Here, let me get
the door for you.
So what's your name?
Emilio Mendez.
That's for Zapata.
Emiliano Zapata.
Big Mexican hero.
Oh, yeah?
Emilio, Emiliano. Same thing.
There must be over
two million Mexican kids
name after Zapata.
Hmm.
Maybe more.
Did you see that movie?
What movie?
Viva Zapata!
No!
That was a good one.
Here, this is my car.
You want a ride?
Oh, uh...
See, get in.
Yeah, all right. Thanks.
What are you seeing?
Do you think I look like
Marlon Brando?
Around the eyes. Look!
No.
Oh, come on!
How do you know
if I look like him or not?
You didn't even
see the movie!
I know what
Marlon Brando looks like.
No, but I mean
in the moviZapata!
Did you see the movie?
Oh, forget it.
Did you see
The Brave Bulls?
No.
That was
a good one, too.
Ay, toro, toro, toro!
(LAUGHING)
(ENGINE STARTS)
That's what
I'd like to be.
A bullfighter?
Did you know
that in Mexico,
bullfighters
are like movie stars.
Yeah.
Except I don't think
I really wanna
kill a bull.
I just wanna fight the bull.
Yeah.
They stick these things
all over his back.
Is that a contest?
I ask you,
is that a contest?
So, how do you
like my car?
It's nice.
Yeah, I know.
I like it.
I like it.
So you want a hamburger?
Um, no, thanks.
Are you sure?
Yeah, I'm positive.
You thirsty?
No, really.
So anyway, my grandmother,
she still lives down there
in Mexico.
Yeah.
She came up here,
with my, with my mother
when I was pregnant.
Well, when my mother
was pregnant.
I wasn't pregnant.
You were pregnant.
Tell me about it. (LAUGHS)
You're funny.
Anyway, my father, see,
he split and my mother
came up here all by herself.
I never met him,
my father.
I wouldn't even know him
if I fell over him.
How about you?
Your people
still together?
My people?
Yes, they're together.
Good.
What does he do,
your father?
He's a dentist.
(CHUCKLES)
How about...
Maybe I oughta
look him up.
Get my teeth fixed.
Oh, he's a periodontist,
actually.
What's that?
He takes care
of gums.
Are you thirsty?
No.
Are you Jewish?
What? Am I Jewish,
did you say?
You see, Sarah,
lots of dentists
are Jewish.
(LAUGHING)
No, I'm not. I...
I don't know what I am,
actually.
I'm English, I think,
and Irish and Scotch
and maybe a little German.
Well, I'm Spanish,
and Toltec and Nahuac,
and maybe a little
Chichimecas.
You want
some ice cream?
You were born
here though,
weren't you?
Oh, yeah, right here.
Well, not in
Venice, actually.
I was born
in East Los Angeles.
What was that
you just did?
What?
This.
This? (CHUCKLES)
This. That means
I'm from Venice.
That's my neighborhood,
my barrio! Venice.
I love Venice.
I never wanna
leave Venice.
And that's,
that's my barrio!
I love Venice.
You want a hamburger?
No, thank you.
No? Okay.
My car is nice, huh?
But I got my eye
on this '68 Riviera.
Really sweet car.
I'm gonna put on
some silver paint panels,
you know?
Boy, would that be
a smooth ride?
Yeah?
But you see the problem
is that the guy, he wants
like 900 bucks more.
I figure I could sell,
I could sell my Ford for,
I don't know,
2,000 bucks.
I gotta come up
with 900 bucks.
You might as well say
9,000 bucks.
Yeah, well, listen, great.
Well, listen, Emilio,
this is my house.
Nice area.
Yeah, it's nice.
Well, listen,
thanks a lot, Emilio.
Oh, that's...
That's Emilio.
Ay-mee-lio.
Ah, yes. Emi...
Emilio.
Emilio.
Emilio.
Right.
Right.
Okay.
You wouldn't want to
go to a, uh, a show
or nothin', would you?
A show?
You know, a movie?
Oh, we were
talking about movies
before, you know?
Yeah.
Zapata!
You know, I was thinkin'
maybe, you know,
you might really enjoy it.
I don't think so.
But thanks a lot,
really for everything.
Why not?
Is it because I'm Chicano?
Is that it?
Ah, that's no reason.
So what do you say?
Okay.
Okay.
(GIGGLES)
(WHISTLING)
MRS. MENDEZ: Your cousins
are here, Emilio.
Hey, hi.
Don't you look pretty?
Ooh.
Hey, Emilio.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Katie just invited us
to her presentacion.
And your old suit
is gonna be just perfect
for Manuel.
Yeah?
You're 15 already?
Uh-huh.
Two Saturdays
from now.
Okay, you.
That's it.
Okay, remember,
September 24th.
We'll be there.
Don't you worry.
Come on, Manuel.
Take care, huh?
Gee, I wonder why
they call us "beaners?"
I like beans.
I wish I did.
(WHISTLING)
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello?
(SPEAKING SOFTLY)
Hey, Cowboy.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Uh-huh.
Oh, that's good, huh?
Si.
Well, did you call Dagger?
Call Dagger
and let him know
for me, okay?
Yeah.
Thanks for letting me know.
I was getting worried.
Si.
I'll catch you later, man.
Okay.
Who was that?
That was Cowboy.
Cowboy? Who's Cowboy?
Julio Zamora.
He calls himself Cowboy.
Why?
I don't know why, Ma,
he just calls himself
Cowboy.
What did he want?
He called to tell me
that his cousin Vicente
died.
Vincente who?
Vicente Carranza.
I know his mother.
How did he get hurt?
He was in an accident,
I guess.
I really don't know.
Anyway,
he's gonna be all right.
Your friend Cowboy,
is he in a gang?
No, chale, no!
Then why does
he call himself Cowboy,
I mean, if his name is Julio?
Probably belongs to
a club or something.
When these guys belong
to a club, they give
themselves these names.
What club?
I don't know.
Does Vicente belong to it?
I don't know!
Is it Los Aztecas?
What I see on the walls,
Los Aztecas?
Because that
is not a club, Emilio,
that is a gang!
Los Aztecas, a gang!
Look at me!
Swear to me
that you don't belong
to that gang.
I swear.
Swear
on the Virgin.
I swear on the Virgin.
You know, I'll take you
to a real good
hot dog place.
So listen, Sarah,
you didn't tell me,
you know, why?
Because I was curious
about the word.
"Chicano?"
Yes.
So you mean,
you just went
to the library, huh?
Uh-huh.
Do you know
what it means?
It means "double-cross"
in slang.
What?
Who told you that?
The book!
That book told you
tha"Chicano"
means "double-cross?"
(SCOFFS) That book,
that's crazy.
Chicano, that's a word
of honor and of pride.
Get in.
Where did you
get that book?
I told you,
in the library.
You mean, you just
went into the library
and you asked for a book
on Chicanos?
Yes.
Why?
Because I knew
we were going out
tonight.
That really
pisses me off.
That really
pisses me off,
you know that?
Why?
Because it's like
I'm a midget
or something.
And you went into the library
and you got a book on midgets.
That's the best hot dog
in all of Venice.
Very good.
I'd say maybe
in all of Los Angeles,
right there in your hand.
So tell me
about that time?
Well...
We just moved
from the Valley
to the Marina, right?
And I was
12 years old,
and this girl
was sleeping over
for the night.
A girl from school...
♪ Starlight
fills the evening
♪ You wrote it
and I played it
♪ Somethin' happened
♪ It's so strange,
this feelin'
♪ Naive notions
that were childish
♪ Simple tunes
that tried to hide it
♪ But when it comes
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes
(INDISTINCT)
♪ Did we, didn't we,
should we, could we?
♪ I'm not sure
♪ 'Cause sometimes
we're so blind
♪ Struggling through the day
♪ When even
your best friend says
♪ Don't you find
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes ♪
So is your father strict?
Um...
What do you think, huh?
This is beautiful.
(CHUCKLES)
Hey, you didn't
answer me, you know?
What?
About your father.
Oh.
You know,
was he strict or not?
No, no.
He's really okay.
I mean, now that
we've resolved
the Oedipal thing.
Or Electra, I guess
it is with girls.
What?
In any case,
we get along fine.
What? What is that?
What?
Electra?
Electra?
Electra was a person
in Greek mythology.
What is that?
Come here, come here.
The legends?
The Greek legends?
Oh, the legends.
I want you to sit.
Anyway, why do you
wanna know about Electra?
No, I know about that.
Oh.
I wanna know
about your father.
You know, I wanna figure out
whether your father
raised you strict or not.
I'm not following you.
Well, you see, Sarah,
Chicano girls
they're raised very strict.
Yeah?
Most of them.
Some of them...
Well, they're raised
not so strict.
Down in the barrio,
guy learns pretty quick
who's who and what's what.
So the dude knows
how to behave
with a girl.
Do you understand that?
Um... Yeah.
Comes the dawn.
Whether to, uh...
You know.
Yeah.
Or whether
to cool it.
So, what you're trying
to figure out is...
No, what I'm trying to
figure out, you see,
if you were
raised strict or not.
And you wanna know
whether it's gonna be
trick or treat, right?
And here I thought
you were beginning to
love me for my mind.
Okay, well, tell me
about these
niceChicano girls.
No, seriously, I wanna know.
Do nice Chicano girls
kiss for example?
Yes, they kiss.
You mean without a duena?
Yeah, without
a friggin' duena.
Look, Sarah,
don't you make fun of me.
♪ As long as I have
some time to kill
the boredom we acquired
♪ Runnin' with the losers
for awhile
♪ But our empty sky
was filled with laughter
♪ Just before the flood... ♪
Do you know that book?
What book?
AbouChicanos.
Honor and machismo,
it said, very important.
Si, machismo.
What else
did the book say?
What book?
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes ♪
What do you think?
What do I think?
I think this
is armed robbery, ese.
Yeah.
I mean, you know that?
Yeah.
But, Emilio,
this way we got a shot
at $400 to $500.
The other way,
we just break into
a house someplace.
Come on, what did
we get for that
television in Malibu?
Fifty bucks.
Fifty bucks, sure.
I don't think we should
go in there
with a piece, ese.
The piece
is only to scare him.
You won't use it?
Yeah, if I have to.
But he's
an old man, Emilio.
I stick the gun
in his face,
and he'll piss in his pants.
What do you say?
When did
you wanna do this?
Tuesday.
Tuesday?
That's el dieciseis.
That's the whole idea.
They don't expect you
in the school
on Mexican Independence Day,
and they don't expect us
to hold up
no record store, either.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)
(CAR ENGINE IDLING)
(DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)
MAN: Well, that's $6.98,
tax, and it comes
to $7.40.
Right.
Here's your change.
Eight, nine, ten.
Thank you very much.
Bye-bye.
Enjoy.
Thank you.
That's $9.95
and, uh, tax
makes $10.55.
Open the register.
Open it!
♪ Do you like it?
Are you ready?
♪ Are you ready for this?
♪ Do you like it,
do you like it like this?
♪ Push, push ♪
(TIRES SCREECHING)
(HONKING)
(UPBEAT MARIACHI MUSIC
PLAYING)
(PEOPLE CLAPPING IN SYNC)
Hey, do you know
what I'd love to do,
is go to Mexico.
Will you take me
to Mexico sometime?
Yeah, sure.
I'll take you
to Mexico.
Uh...
Hey!
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Thank you.
My parents
are gonna like you.
What'd you tell 'em about me?
Nothing.
But I will.
By Saturday, they'll know
all about you.
What's Saturday?
You're coming to meet them.
Who said?
I said!
Think I'm a gardener?
CESAR: Hey, hey, Emilio!
Sarah, this is Cesar.
(GREETING IN SPANISH)
This is Dagger.
Hi there.
And Carlos.
Carlos.
And Angel,
he's a boxer.
A boxer? (LAUGHING)
Heavyweight.
Manuel.
He's my cousin.
Hello, Manuel.
Hey.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, everybody,
this is Sarah.
Hello.
It is my great honor
to make your acquaintance.
CESAR: Hey,
look who's here!
Sergeant!
Over here!
What is it this time?
Well, this time,
it's a hold up.
Oh, so of course,
you come straight to
the barrio, huh?
Yep, I come straight
to the barrio.
The Cowboy
got himself shot
this afternoon,
holding up a record store
in Santa Monica.
Armed robbery
is a felony.
Now two of you went in there
this afternoon,
and one of you got away.
Cowboy won't say
who it was.
The store owner will.
Oh, well, we've been here
at the fiesta all day long.
All day, huh?
Yeah.
Well, we'll just see
about that when
we get to the station.
You bustin' us,
Sergeant?
It's no bust.
For what?
I'm rounding up
as many Aztecs
as I can find
because I'm gonna have
a little talk with you
at the station, gentlemen.
Now if you don't mind,
your cars
are waiting outside.
Aw, this is
a waste of time.
I've got all the time
in the world.
Let's go, Emilio.
(SHUTTER SLAMMING)
CESAR: I don't care which one
of you was with Cowboy.
That don't matter to me.
Cowboy behaved with honor.
He refused to
betray his brothers.
Bueno.
The store owner will be here.
He's gonna look us over.
They got a one-way mirror.
He can see us,
but we can't see him.
But that don't matter.
When you look in the mirror,
stare him down.
Make him know
he fingers one Azteca,
the rest of us come back
to get him!
You understand?
Look at the mirror
as if you're lookin' him
straight in the eye.
We're brothers.
We're brothers.
All of us.
Just remember that.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
(KEYS CLANGING)
GUARD: Oriano,
come on over here.
You, get in the back.
Open the door.
Close the door.
Let's go.
Move out.
Hello, Oriano.
Have a seat, my friend.
Did they feed you
in there right?
Mmm-hmm.
Are you settled down
from all the excitement?
Listen, Oriano, you and I
are you know, we've done
business together, huh?
Mr. Henderson,
just take your time.
Look each one
over carefully,
and if you recognize anybody,
let me know.
So what I want you to do
is just to explain to me
how you got involved.
Did somebody entice
you into it?
Are you sure they can't
see through this thing?
No, I'm positive.
OFFICER...all together.
It's all right here.
It feels like...
Like they can.
Somewhere in there,
I'm sure you can fit.
Just go ahead and explain
to me, how you got hung up
in the whole thing.
Loosen up, man.
I've got
half the case together.
It's gotta go together.
You know
how they all fall together.
(SIGHS)
Just give me your partner.
I know it wasn't
really your fault.
I know what
you suddenly
get caught up in.
GANNETT:
Do you recognize anybody?
OFFICER: You know
I'm not gonna
back up on you.
No, not yet.
Come on, Carlos,
you know
what's gonna happen.
You know
what's gonna
become of it.
Tell me about the robbery
and how you got
involved in it.
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
He's...
He's not the one.
I've had Oriano in here
I've had Diego in here,
I've had Miguel in here,
Carlos in here,
and now you're in here.
So all the pieces
are falling together,
Emilio.
No, he's...
OFFICERWe kinda
understand each other.
OFFICER...may well
end this investigation.
Are you sure,
Mr. Henderson?
And so what I want you to do
is just let me know
how you got involved in It.
(STAMMERING) I don't remember.
I don't recognize anybody.
Can I go now?
I gotta get back
to the store.
OFFICER: Just tell us
how you got started
in all this.
Now you can't take
the top line now.
Sure.
Thanks.
Your buddy's lying out there.
He's shot up
and he's gonna be okay.
Now where
you gonna stand?
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello? (SPEAKING SPANISH)
Hi, Milo,
It's Sarah.
When did you get home?
Just a little while ago.
Because I figured
it was too late to call.
I didn't wanna
wake your people.
Nothing.
The cops
are always hasslin' us.
They think
anybody's Chicano
belongs to a gang.
No. No, no,
chale, no.
I don't belong
to no gang, Sarah.
I'm telling you, okay?
The store owner came in,
he looked us over,
and he didn't
recognize anybody.
Are you telling me
the truth?
That's the truth.
I don't belong
to no gang.
All right, I'm sorry.
Yeah,
I'll see you tomorrow.
Good night.
Tighten the jenny
a little bit, Abby.
How long
have you known Sarah?
Are you in the same class?
Oh, yeah,
we both graduate in June.
What are you gonna do
afterwards?
I'd like to get a job.
What kind of job?
I wanna be a mechanic.
See, I like cars.
I'm really good with cars.
Yeah, Dad?
Emilio's got this '60 Ford
that he customized himself.
You should see it.
Yeah.
I stick with Ford power,
you know? (LAUGHS)
I parked it just up the block
from your apartment,
you know,
if you wanna see it.
You know,
if you wanna see It.
Is your father
a mechanic, too?
My father?
I don't know.
I never met my father.
Is...
Is he here in America?
No.
Yes, I think so.
I really don't know.
What's that on your hand?
Tattoo?
Oh, no, no.
I made it myself.
With India ink,
you know?
You see
these letters here?
C.S.?
That means Con safos!
That means
"safe" in Spanish.
Looks like a crucifix.
Are you religious?
I don't think
this is a crucifix.
I really don't know
what it is.
You put it on your hand
yourself, didn't you?
Oh, yeah. But you see,
a lot of guys,
they put it on their hands.
It's like a superstition,
you know?
It don't mean nothing.
I see.
It don't mean nothin'?
No, nothin' at all.
This course is fine.
Sails look good.
Uh, Sarah,
maybe we ought to
get lunch started.
Lunch. Yeah.
Beautiful.
I could stop her
from seeing you,
you know?
She still listens to me.
You know that won't work.
What makes you so sure?
I know Sarah.
All right, then.
From now on
you pick her up
at the house.
No more street corners.
Yes, sir.
Sarah?
Yeah?
Would you like to
come up here
and take the helm?
Yes.
Thank you.
I'm, uh, going below
to get something to drink.
Would you
like something?
No, thank you.
Well, what did he say?
I think it's okay.
Well, is it
or isn't it?
I think so.
(LAUGHING)
I don't know
if they would invite
my mother to supper yet,
but it's okay.
(INDISTINCT TALKING)
Hey, whatchen, vatos.
Somebody
crossed out my name.
Con safos
is supposed to mean
free and clear safos.
This wall, my place, man!
That's my name on it.
Whoever crossed it out,
he answers to me.
EL TIGRE: So...
Why did Cesar send you, man?
I mean, such a big man!
Why didn't
he come himself?
He don't trust you.
You crossed out
his name, Tigre.
You shouldn't have done that.
Don't point at me, man!
There was a treaty
between the twclicas.
You shouldn't have
started this.
He never should've
marked the walls!
That was nobody's wall.
Where was that wall?
Santa Monica.
Yeah, Santa Monica, right.
So when did
Santa Monica become
Azteca territory, huh?
Santa Monica
is Los Espiritus, man!
It's ours!
Did you get that? Ours!
Cesar wrote on it,
and we crossed it off!
That's all there is to it!
You crossed it off.
Yeah, I crossed it off,
so what?
Tigre, you're a dead man.
Cesar says
to tell you that.
He's gonna
waste you, Tigre.
He's gonna plant you
six feet under, man.
And something else, Tigre,
you tell your president
that Los Espiritus...
MAN: Tell me yourself,
Emilio.
Hello, Hugo.
What's the matter
now, Emilio?
I think you know
what the matter is.
When Clemente
was president
of this club...
Clemente got
busted in June.
I'm president now.
So why don't you
take care of your members?
You got a jerk
like El Tigre here,
he goes and he does
something stupid!
He didn't do
nothin' stupid!
If we see Venice writing
here in Santa Monica,
we cross it out, man.
That's it.
Hugo, you're fooling
with Los Aztecas.
That's too bad
about Los Aztecas.
If they don't wanna
see their names
crossed out, man,
you tell 'em
not to write
on the walls out here.
Cesar says,
"No more safe passage."
If anybody on Los Espiritus
gets caught coming through,
he gets jumped.
Then you better stay
out of Santa Monica, man.
Because the same thing
happens here.
Los Aztecas
go wherever they want.
Not if the shit
is on, man.
He's telling you it's on,
that's why I'm here.
Now, I think
you better get the hell
outta here, man,
while you can still walk.
What is it?
Your grandmother's dead.
Emilio.
Mamacita.
She wants to go home,
for the funeral.
Si. Si, mamacita.
They called from Mexico
about an hour ago.
Mama, do you want me
to go with you?
Si, Emilio.
Okay.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
I just heard
the news, senora.
I'm so sorry.
Gracias.
Emilio.
If you've got a minute,
I'd like to talk to you,
all right?
Outside.
(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)
Emilio, did you go
to Santa Monica today?
Hey, look,
I'm talking to you.
Is it true you went
to Santa Monica today
to meet with Los Espiritus?
Look, Mike,
what do you want from me?
I want you to stay out
of what's coming.
Man, chale, there
ain't nothin' coming.
(CHUCKLING)
Don't "chale" me, huh?
Mas respeto, man.
You know,
Cesar is bragging
all over the barrio
he's gonna get El Tigre.
He's gonna show
Los Espiritus!
Stay out of it, Emilio!
I'm an Azteca.
I can't stay out of it.
Cowboy's an Azteca, too.
Yeah.
And he's going to jail!
Cesar's an Azteca, too.
And he's talking
about killing somebody!
Is that what
an Azteca
is supposed to be?
You wanna know?
MIKE: Yeah!
Okay, I'll tell you, man.
It is somebody with honor!
Somebody with pride
in his race!
Our race, Mike!
We'rChicanos!
We're Aztecas!
And the two of them
together...
Si, muy macho.
Si, muy macho!
I'm an Azteca, Mike,
and that is something!
No, that is bull-shit!
To call myself an Aztec?
You know how many guys
would give their right arms
to call themselves an Azteca?
How about
calling yourself
Emilio Mendez?
How about
finding your pride
and your honor
and your Goddamn manhood
in that?
Could you try that,
Emilio?
For once in your
Goddamn life try that.
Stay out of it, Emilio.
How long
will you be gone?
Oh, only two
or three days.
I'm just going down
for a funeral.
I'm really gonna
miss you, Sarah.
(SHOUTING) You wanna tell me
what the matter is with you?
You lied to me!
You belong
to a gang, Emilio!
I asked Carl,
in my English class.
What the hell
difference does it...
"What the hell
difference does it make?"
Jesus!
You expect me
to go with somebody
who belongs to a gang?
Somebody who goes around
breaking heads?
That's right!
We break heads, Sarah!
Why?
We kick ass!
Oh!
I belong
to a gang, Sarah!
Los Aztecas!
Oh, no!
I'm proud of it!
And when I walk down
that street in Venice,
I hold my head high
because I have
my brothers!
That's right, Sarah.
Why?
I'm proud of it!
Because I need them,
that's why.
Because when I'm in trouble,
they come running, that's why!
I'm sorry, Sarah,
but that is
just the way it is.
Oh, God!
(SNIFFLING)
Just the way it is.
(BAND PLAYING
SLOW MARIACHI MUSIC)
MAN: Alicia.
I'm sorry
about your mother.
You gonna be here long?
We leave tomorrow.
Jerry,
this is your son.
She never told you, huh?
Never.
Who'd you think I was?
She said
you were
a handsome
Mexican businessman.
It's true enough.
I run
a taxi service here.
Gerald R. Kelsey,
Mexican Transit System.
Drink up,
you're not drinkin'.
Don't you drink?
How old are you anyway?
Wait a minute,
don't tell me.
I'll be 18 in May.
You're a good-looking
kid, Emilio.
You take after
your old man.
You got a lot of girls
up there in L.A.?
I have a girl.
(CHUCKLING)
Now, what else
did she say about me,
your mother?
She said, you left!
Yeah, I left.
Why?
I didn't wanna marry her.
She was 16, I was 28.
And I didn't want
my balls cut off either.
I couldn't come back
to this town till after
her father died.
Very big on them,
honor, bullshit!
(SCOFFING)
These Mexicans, you know.
So what do you do
up there in L.A.?
I go to high school.
You on any teams?
I used to play football
in high school.
I drifted down here to Mexico
after the Korean War.
I met your mother.
Well, you know,
I had to leave.
You could've stayed.
Tell me something.
Did you think
that I was a Mexican?
Did you think
that your old man
was a greaser?
I didn't know
what you were.
Well, you know now.
(CHUCKLING)
Hi.
Hi.
How was it?
It was okay.
Hey, met my father.
Yeah.
He's an Anglo.
Who'd have
guessed that, huh?
There are guys
in Los Aztecas,
they've got skin, you know,
much lighter than me.
They got Spanish blood
going back centuries,
and me, I got
an Anglo father.
Mexico... Mexico
is really something.
Beautiful.
I didn't even know
half the things they did
down there, in Mexico.
And that's Mexico
down there, Mexico.
And what the hell
does Mexico
have to do with me?
I was born right here
in East Los Angeles,
and I got an Anglo father.
Oh...
Mexico,
(MUMBLING)
US of A.
Well, it's like
going back to maybe,
100 years.
Sarah, my father...
On the plane coming back,
you know, I asked her.
I said,
"Why didn't you tell me?
Why did you let me believe
"my father was..."
I don't know,
I don't know what I thought.
Handsome Mexican businessman,
that could be anything.
She told me she didn't
wanna confuse me.
Wow, she told me
she wanted me to be
proud of my heritage,
proud of my language,
proud of being Chicano.
Confuse me.
Well, if I'm not American
and I'm not Mexican,
then what the hell am I?
They tell me...
Tell me I'm Chicano,
but they're just
selling me
a bunch of bull!
They're selling me a word
about honor and pride!
Because I don't even
know who I am!
Sarah, my father,
he's an Anglo!
He's a drunk!
He's a... His clothes
stink of vomit!
I didn't mean to say that.
Milo.
No, leave me.
Some machismo, huh?
Your father,
he thinks I am Pancho Villa,
come to steal his daughter.
What he doesn't realize
is that I am
Pancho ninguno.
Pancho nobody.
I couldn't steal you
if I tried.
You don't have to
steal me, Emilio.
No, huh?
I love you.
I love you, too.
I don't know
what to do.
I know you want me
to quit the gang.
Yes!
I know
that's what you want,
but you see, Sarah,
if I quit Los Aztecas,
what have I got left?
Me.
And when
I lose you, Sarah?
You're not
gonna lose me.
MRS. MENDEZ: He told you,
Emilio, why I cannot go
to the presentacion,
I am in mourning.
SARAH: Yes, I'm sorry,
Mrs. Mendez.
You don't have this
in your religion?
A presentacion?
No.
What is your religion?
Presbyterian.
This has Jesus?
Yes.
How long have you
known Emilio?
Just a little while.
Did you meet in school?
Yes, we did.
(WOMAN SINGING IN SPANISH)
Those are all
Katie's closest friends.
You remember Manuel?
You met him at the fiesta.
There are 14
of them here,
because, you see,
when you add Katie,
that makes it 15.
And this is to celebrate
her 15th birthday.
(CONDUCTING SERVICE
IN SPANISH)
(PLAYING UPBEAT MUSIC)
(PEOPLE TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
Hey, Emilio!
EMILIO: Hey, Dagger!
I wanna...
I wanna dance with
your girlese.
(BOTH CHUCKLING)
DAGGER: I wanna dance.
How about going out?
We get some
nice fresh air?
DAGGER: Hey,
what's the matter?
Hey, you don't
love me anymore?
I love you.
You wanna go out
and get some air?
We danced. Come on.
DAGGER:
How am I doing, Emilio?
Bueno.
See how nice
it is out here?
There's a step there.
Hey, Emilio,
I gotta pee.
Shh! Dagger,
there's a lady present.
DAGGER: Oh, but I gotta
pee bad, ese.
Okay, how about we go
right in here, okay?
How did you
get so drunk?
DAGGER: (SLURRING)
Drunk? Who's drunk?
I'm fine.
EMILIO: You look
very drunk to me,
I tell you that. You okay?
DAGGER:
Yeah. Hold it.
EMILIO: All right,
just stand there.
DAGGER: Hey, Emilio!
Yes, Dagger?
DAGGER: Can't find my zipper.
Hey, Emilio!
It's okay now.
Hey, do you wanna
go out to a parked car?
(SIGHS)
(EXCLAIMS
DISMISSIVELY)
Hey, we carnales, huh?
Oh, wow, hey!
Emilio! Watch!
It's night. Wow!
Whoa, I'm here!
Wow!
(GROANING)
(ALL GRUNTING)
(CRYING OUT IN PAIN) Emilio!
Emilio! Emilio!
(GANG MEMBER
SPEAKING SPANISH)
No! God!
Milo!
(POUNDING ON GATE)
(DAGGER CLINKS)
SARAH: Milo! Stop it!
Find help!
Go get help! Now!
Let's get out of here, man.
Come on! Come on!
Cesar, Carlos, Espanol...
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Emilio.
Emilio!
Oh, no!
MAN: Let's go!
(SHOUTING IN SPANISH)
You're cut!
Emilio, you're bleeding!
(SPEAKS IN SPANISH)
Give it to me.
Can you make it? Huh?
Let's kick ass!
(CHUCKLING)
That's right.
All right.
(GROANING)
Okay, I got him.
Yeah. Careful with him.
DAGGER: Hey.
They had wheels.
They got away.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Emilio, I don't
want you to go.
I'm gonna get Katie
to take you home, okay?
I'll call you later.
Milo? Don't go!
I'm an Azteca.
(CESAR SPEAKING SPANISH)
Don't go.
CESAR: Emiliano!
Sarah.
Sarah, come on.
CESAR: We're gonna
dig everything up.
We're gonna throw
everything at 'em!
(CHUCKLING) They think
they can mess
with our honor, man.
They think they can
come here tonight
at Katie'presentacion,
mess up her party,
mess up our guys?
(ALL REACTING)
Man, they wrong!
They gotta know
who we are
and what we are.
ALL: Right.
CESAR: We're Los Aztecas,
that's who we are!
And we're Chicanos!
(ALL REACTING IN AWE)
That's what we are!
That stuff
is a cannon, man!
Look at that.
Put a hole
in that chicken-shit,
Tigre's head.
Hey, remember that time
with those Culver City dudes?
CARLOS: Yeah, the time
they shot Petie.
CESAR: Yeah, we came down
with more shit.
CARLOS: Oh, man!
Yeah,
hey, some of you guys
don't remember this.
CARLOS: Yeah, they shot
Petie at the school, man.
He was minding
his own business, right?
Hey, he was only
walking along.
They jumped him.
They blew his arm
right off.
Yeah, man, we got
in the cars, man.
And we went
after them, man.
Remember, Emilio?
Emilio?
ANGEL: We find
those Culver City dudes.
We don't wanna...
We got him against the wall.
I hit him in the head
with a baseball bat.
And his head's bleeding
all over the Goddamn place.
(ALL LAUGHING)
Stabbed him right
in the stomachese.
He's holdin' himself.
Those assholes
can't believe it, ese.
He can't believe he's got
a knife hole in him.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
CESAR: Hey!
We gonna show 'em tonight.
Tonight we show
Santa Monica!
(ALL CHEERING)
The heat comes down,
we show them, too.
(ALL AGREEING)
We're gonna burn
those bastards out, man.
We go straight
to the pier, man.
Hey, there
is nobody there.
We burn down the whole pier!
(ALL AGREEING)
Then we go look
for them in the street.
I want El Tigre.
El Tigre is gonna
eat this piece, man.
(ALL WHOOPING)
He's gonna have a hole
in the back of his head,
when I'm finished.
Los Aztecas!
(ALL CHEERING)
We'll write it
all over their walls.
We're gonna claim
that whole barrio
for ourselves!
Los Aztecas!
Los Aztecas!
(CHEERING)
Los Aztecas!
I wanna kick ass, man,
for doing this to my face!
CESAR: We're gonna
give it to them all, man.
Kill 'em!
ALL: Yeah!
Los Aztecas!
Los Aztecas!
(ALL YELLING)
All right, Dagger,
you, me, Carlos
in Emilio's car.
Going to Santa Monica!
(ALL YELLING EXCITEDLY)
No.
When we get
to Santa Monica,
we're gonna hit
the pier first!
No!
What's the matter?
I'm not going.
What?
I'm not going
with you, Cesar.
Come on, come on, what...
Mmm-mmm.
What the hell's
the matter with you, ese?
I don't wanna
go with you, Cesar.
Those bastards
crossed out my name, vato.
So what?
So, they crossed
your name off a wall!
Where does it end,
Cesar?
We get them!
They get us!
We get them again
and for what?
For a name on a wall?
No! No, vatos!
No, Cesar.
I want something else.
Not this.
You're chickening out, huh?
No!
No?
Then what do you
call it, man?
You're chickening out, man!
You got no balls!
You're a pussy!
You're a little sissy!
You have it your way.
I'm still not going
with you, Cesar.
(SPITTING)
Aztecas! Aztecas!
ALL: Viva!
(CHEERING FADING)
(CAR DOORS CLOSING)
(ENGINES STARTING)
You chickened out.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(WHISPERING)
I'm sorry
I called so late.
Shh! Milo,
my parents
are asleep.
I just had to talk to you.
I know.
You told me
on the phone.
Come here.
I didn't
go with them.
Oh, Milo.
That's good.
(SIGHS)
My brothers!
You remember Espanol?
They don't think
he's gonna make it.
Oh, God!
And for nothing.
Some guy of Los Espiritus
hit him across the neck
with a machete.
And Danny...
You don't know Danny.
Danny got shot
in the back.
Dear God!
I don't know
how many of them
Los Aztecas got,
but Dagger told me.
There were guys
laying all over the place.
You stayed out of it,
that's all that matters.
Milo, they won't try
to hurt you, will they?
No.
Are you sure?
You don't have to worry.
Emilio, please, tell me,
what will they do to you?
They jumped me out.
What does that mean?
Sarah, there are
just some things
you'll never understand.
It's late.
I better get going.
Milo?
No, listen, I'm okay.
Hey, you!
I'd like you to step up
on the curb, please.
EMILIO: What?
I'm gonna ask you
a few questions.
(MOUTHING)
What's this?
I cut my hand.
Where do you live?
I live in Venice.
What?
I live in Venice.
Well, where are
you going now?
To my car.
I can't hear you.
What...
You... You mind
telling me what I did?
We just wanna
talk to you.
Do you mind telling me
what I did?
SARAH: Stop it!
Wanna talk to you.
Look, leave him alone!
He's a friend of mine.
He just left me.
I live right here
in this building.
1220, right here.
My name is Sarah Lassiter.
You can look
on the mailboxes.
He's a friend of mine.
He's my friend.
Now take it easy, miss.
Oh, but he's
a friend of mine.
Come on, Jake.
Does this happen a lot?
Hey, wait a minute.
Sarah, you told them
that I was your friend.
What if you had to tell them
that I was your boyfriend?
What if you had to say
that we were engaged,
or this is my husband?
"This man here
is my husband."
What would you
do then, Sarah?
I'd say
what had to be said.
Would you?
Emilio, I did say it.
They knew exactly
what I was talking about.
You see,
it's never gonna work
in a million years.
Emilio, I love you.
That's all that matters.
I love you, too.
But how can this work?
Don't you see that?
Milo.
(GULLS CAWING)
What are you doing here?
How did you find out
where I'd be?
I called Katie.
She told me
you'd be here.
Oh, Emilio,
don't do this.
I have to.
No.
You don't have
to do anything
you don't wanna do.
Sarah, go home!
Just get the hell
out of here!
For Christ sakes, go.
Please.
I want you
to understand this.
I wanna make sure
you understand this.
After today,
you're not an Azteca
no more.
That means you don't
come around no more.
You don't come no place
near us, you hear?
You don't tell nobody
what we ever
talked about...
Save your breath,
Cesar.
I know it by heart.
I think you better
save yours, maybe!
We're gonna break
every bone
in your body, Emiliano.
You get up off
the ground again,
es un milagro.
You know why
we doing this?
'Cause you're a disgrace
to Los Aztecas.
And when you disgrace us,
you disgrace
the Chicano people!
That's bullshit!
They're not
the same thing, ese.
I'm gonna beat the shit
out of you anyway, ese.
And then I'm personally
gonna kick your ass
through that line!
Good, you do...
(GROANING)
CARLOS: Emilio? Emilio.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Come on.
You wanna get
out of our clica
with honor and pride.
I'm already out!
I have nothing
to prove to you.
Only to myself.
(GRUNTING)
(ALL YELLING)
(ALL TAUNTING
EMILIO INDISTINCTLY)
(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
CARLOS: I have to
do it all myself?
What the hell's wrong here?
(ALL STOP TALKING)
This is the way
you wanted it,
huh, Emilio?
(MEMBERS CHEERING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
Carnal!
Oh!
♪ New day dawnin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ New time comin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ New sun
crowns the eastern sky
♪ Now I've found
the reason why,
why I'm livin'
♪ What is within
my head and my heart
♪ My head
and my heart
♪ Just this mornin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ Without warnin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ Everything
seemed different today
♪ Even dreamed
a brand new way
♪ All at once
the dreams I dreamed go
♪ Past tomorrow
♪ Stand up, Chicano
♪ Mano a mano
♪ It's plain to see
it's up to me
♪ Gotta try
the odds are high
♪ No alibi,
it's all up to me
♪ It's all up to me
♪ Stand up, Chicano
♪ Mano a mano
♪ Life against me
♪ No guarantee
I will win
so let's begin
♪ It's plain to see
it's all up to me
♪ It's all up to me
(SPOKEN)
It's all up to me.
(SONG BEING SUNG IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday ♪
DAGGER: Hey, Emilio.
(LAUGHING)
(MEN TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
(MAN EXCLAIMING)
Whoo!
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Cowboy says they
threw in a cocktail
last night.
Tell him, Cowboy.
The Hippo
and his brother,
they threw a cocktail
through the window.
The old man runs out,
and this is the same old man
they jumped two days ago.
He's in this country
illegal.
So, who's gonna help him
if we don't?
We're his brothers, man.
We're Chicanos!
If somethin' like that
happened in Marina del Rey,
the cops would
be there In a minute.
Right.
Excuse me, sir.
I beg your pardon, sir,
did someone
throw a bomb
in your bed, sir?
Don't worry, we'll bust him.
We'll send him
straight to jail.
But Venice
ain't the Marina.
So what do you
wanna do, Cesar?
I wanna show them.
We call ourselves Los Aztecas.
That's a proud thing to be!
So how come
we let them come down
on somebody in our race?
No way, man!
We show them!
What do you think?
Okay.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(GLASS SHATTERS)
Johnny, get out!
(GRUNTING)
Hey, fellas.
I was just kiddin' around,
you know.
Gimme a break.
Come on, give me a break,
all right?
(EXCLAIMS)
(GROANING)
(MEN LAUGHING)
(JOHNNY BREATHING HEAVILY)
Burn him, Vincente.
You're the one wanted to
carry a piece. Now use it.
No!
Don't shoot me, man!
Put the gun in his mouth
and blow his Goddamn head off!
Oh, God, come on, man,
please don't shoot me!
Don't shoot me, man!
(YELLING IN SPANISH)
SARAH: Don't forget.
GIRL: All right, I won't.
Maybe you can
spend the night.
Come early.
I will. (LAUGHS)
EMILIO: Never.
No, that wasn't me.
No, it wasn't me.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(TIRES SCREECH)
Oh.
(ENGINE STALLING)
(HORNS HONKING)
Shit!
What's the matter
with it?
It won't start!
You want me to
take a look at it?
Um...
I know a little about cars.
I won't rip off
your hubcaps.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, why don't you
open up the back?
I'll take a look.
Yeah, right.
You got it?
Yeah, I got it.
Okay, start her up.
All right.
Turn the key.
I am turning the key.
Wait a second.
Okay, try it now.
What did you do
to this car?
This is the deadest automobile
I ever saw in my life.
Thanks.
Lock it up.
I'll take you home.
Listen, I think
I better call my father.
Well, I'll catch you later,
all right?
Bye.
Bye.
You know, you really
shouldn't keep
your car here.
I know.
Whatta you say
if I kinda push you
over there someplace?
Okay.
Do you think you can?
Are you kidding?
Do you know
who you're talking to?
No.
I'll be your engine, okay?
All right.
Put it in neutral.
You like this car?
Yes, I do, very much.
It's nice.
How much did it cost you?
I don't know.
It was a present.
I got it for my 17th birthday.
That's a nice present.
I know.
And I'll send you
my bill in the morning.
CESAR: I didn't want
none of the others here.
That's why I'm tellin'
you guys first.
We're the ones
who started
the clica, m an.
We, the...
Oh, it's about time, ese.
I want John Vincente
out, ese.
He's a chicken-shit dude!
I tell him what to do
last night.
He don't do it!
I tell him stick the piece
in the bastard's mouth,
blow his head off.
He shoots him
in the leg instead.
(SHOUTING) What for, man,
so he can screw up again?
Hey, Cowboy, maybe
Cesar's right, ese.
We did make the rules.
Damn right I'm right,
home boy!
This is my Azteca
and he's with us.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Or not at all.
I tell somebody
to do somethin',
I want him to do it!
Otherwise,
get another president!
Hey, carnal, uh,
to jump him, huh?
Yeah.
I don't want him
in my clica no more.
CESAR: I want you
to understand this.
I wanna make sure
you understand this.
After today, you're not
an Azteca no more.
That means, you don't
come around no more.
You don't come
no place near us,
you hear?
You don't tell nobody
what we ever talked about.
You don't say where
we keep our pieces.
You just keep
your mouth shut!
You hear?
To us, you don't
exist no more.
You get in trouble
some other clica,
tough shit!
You go no more insurance.
Do you understand that?
Cesar, I swear to God...
Ooh, good!
You want to hear
he understands?
(ALL YELLING)
(GRUNTS)
CESAR: Hit him!
Leave him!
Let's go, Emilio.
Come on, Emilio,
let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go cruise up.
Let's go get some home girls.
I know this nice...
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
RECEPTIONIST:
Community Action Center.
All right, guys,
let's go.
Hey, where's Cesar?
COWBOY: He had
some business, man.
What do you mean,
he had some business?
I said I wanted to
talk to all four of you.
He couldn't make it.
MIKE: Aw, he couldn't make it.
All right, come on,
let's go.
Hey, Russell,
you got those forms?
Straight ahead, man.
Straight ahead, Diego.
Make yourselves
comfortable, huh?
GANNETT: Call downtown
and see who Central had.
Yeah, yeah,
well, I told you I was
takin' care of that, man.
Yes, sir. Mmm-hmm.
Well, I'll settle that
when I get to the office.
Sure.
This is Sergeant Gannett,
of the Police Department.
He's here because
there's a 15-year-old kid
in the hospital.
It's a kid who belongs
to your gang.
His name is...
It's a club, Sergeant.
His name is Vicente Carranza.
Anybody know
how he got hurt?
Where's Arrelano, Mike?
You said he'd be here.
He couldn't come, Jim.
He's the leader
of your gang, isn't he,
this Cesar Arrelano?
He's president of our club,
Sergeant.
Well, this Carranza kid,
a patrol unit found him
in a field
behind the airport.
His arm was broken,
half of his teeth
was knocked out.
He's in a coma
and the hospital says
he may not pull through.
Does anybody know
what happened?
Who do you think did it?
Maybe some other club,
Sergeant.
Yeah, from
Santa Monica, maybe.
Culver City.
Crazy dudes
over there.
What about you?
Do you think
some other club did It?
That's a possibility.
Do you know what
"jumping out" is?
I've heard that term.
Mike and I both think
this Carranza kid
was jumped out of the Aztecs.
What do you think?
He might die.
Now that makes a lot of sense,
doesn't it?
One of your own brothers
dying because of
some stupid gang bullshit.
Sarge, it's a club!
It's a gang, punk!
And don't be interruptin' me
when I'm talkin'!
You didn't invent
gang-busting.
I was a member of
the East L.A. Guardians
before your
mother and father
even thought you up!
In those days,
we called it war counseling.
That's right,
I was a war counselor.
But it's the same bullshit
any way you slice it!
Was Vicente Carranza
macho enough for you today?
Did he have enough balls
to make it through your line?
Well, I hope he has
enough balls
to make it through the night.
Thanks, Mike.
(DOOR OPENS)
I don't know what's worse,
Chicano cop
or a nigger cop!
They're all punks, ese.
(SIGHS)
MIKE: Okay, we got the law
in here again, huh?
Sometimes,
you guys make me sick,
do you know that?
You guys think you got it made
'cause you're not 18 yet.
You get into a mess,
the most you can get
is six months
and then you're out
in the damn streets again.
I did nine months
at that camp.
And you didn't learn
much there either,
did you?
Hey, Mike, I learned how to
read and write English.
That's more than
I ever learned in school!
Yeah, but that didn't make you
any smarter, my friend.
Would you like to
go back to that camp?
Who the hell cares?
Besides, it was easy.
I could do nine months
standing on my head.
Yeah, but what happens
when you're 18, Diego?
Name's Dagger.
You can write any name
you want on that wall.
To me, you're still Diego.
Do you know what happens
when you're 18?
COWBOY: Yeah.
His record gets wiped clean.
Whatever he done as a juvenile
don't matter no more.
They start you from scratch!
You start
with a clean slate.
I mean, just think
of that chance.
Don't you understand?
When are you gonna be
18 anyway?
October 21st.
That's next month.
Yeah.
Well, that's when
they're gonna start treating
you like a man, Diego.
Will you be a man
by then?
Will any of you be men?
(CLASSICAL PIANO MUSIC
PLAYING)
(PLAYS WRONG NOTE)
(SPUTTERING)
Hi.
I'm the great mechanic,
remember?
Yeah, hi.
So what was wrong
with it?
Oh, they still don't know.
They had to tow it away.
You know, you have
to be careful
about those garages.
Sometimes,
it's just a loose wire
or something,
they'll try to sell you
a whole new engine.
Yeah, I know,
but my father
knows this guy.
He's worked
on the car before.
Okay then.
How you gettin' home?
The bus.
You want a lift?
What's your name anyway?
Sarah Lassiter.
Didn't we have
art together once?
No, I don't think so.
I think so.
I know, didn't you
used to have, like,
you know, darker hair?
No, my hair
has always
been this way.
What's so funny?
I know even Chicano girls
that dye their hair.
Even niggers.
I seen niggers
with blonde hair.
Would you believe that?
Blacks, yes.
Here, let me get
the door for you.
So what's your name?
Emilio Mendez.
That's for Zapata.
Emiliano Zapata.
Big Mexican hero.
Oh, yeah?
Emilio, Emiliano. Same thing.
There must be over
two million Mexican kids
name after Zapata.
Hmm.
Maybe more.
Did you see that movie?
What movie?
Viva Zapata!
No!
That was a good one.
Here, this is my car.
You want a ride?
Oh, uh...
See, get in.
Yeah, all right. Thanks.
What are you seeing?
Do you think I look like
Marlon Brando?
Around the eyes. Look!
No.
Oh, come on!
How do you know
if I look like him or not?
You didn't even
see the movie!
I know what
Marlon Brando looks like.
No, but I mean
in the moviZapata!
Did you see the movie?
Oh, forget it.
Did you see
The Brave Bulls?
No.
That was
a good one, too.
Ay, toro, toro, toro!
(LAUGHING)
(ENGINE STARTS)
That's what
I'd like to be.
A bullfighter?
Did you know
that in Mexico,
bullfighters
are like movie stars.
Yeah.
Except I don't think
I really wanna
kill a bull.
I just wanna fight the bull.
Yeah.
They stick these things
all over his back.
Is that a contest?
I ask you,
is that a contest?
So, how do you
like my car?
It's nice.
Yeah, I know.
I like it.
I like it.
So you want a hamburger?
Um, no, thanks.
Are you sure?
Yeah, I'm positive.
You thirsty?
No, really.
So anyway, my grandmother,
she still lives down there
in Mexico.
Yeah.
She came up here,
with my, with my mother
when I was pregnant.
Well, when my mother
was pregnant.
I wasn't pregnant.
You were pregnant.
Tell me about it. (LAUGHS)
You're funny.
Anyway, my father, see,
he split and my mother
came up here all by herself.
I never met him,
my father.
I wouldn't even know him
if I fell over him.
How about you?
Your people
still together?
My people?
Yes, they're together.
Good.
What does he do,
your father?
He's a dentist.
(CHUCKLES)
How about...
Maybe I oughta
look him up.
Get my teeth fixed.
Oh, he's a periodontist,
actually.
What's that?
He takes care
of gums.
Are you thirsty?
No.
Are you Jewish?
What? Am I Jewish,
did you say?
You see, Sarah,
lots of dentists
are Jewish.
(LAUGHING)
No, I'm not. I...
I don't know what I am,
actually.
I'm English, I think,
and Irish and Scotch
and maybe a little German.
Well, I'm Spanish,
and Toltec and Nahuac,
and maybe a little
Chichimecas.
You want
some ice cream?
You were born
here though,
weren't you?
Oh, yeah, right here.
Well, not in
Venice, actually.
I was born
in East Los Angeles.
What was that
you just did?
What?
This.
This? (CHUCKLES)
This. That means
I'm from Venice.
That's my neighborhood,
my barrio! Venice.
I love Venice.
I never wanna
leave Venice.
And that's,
that's my barrio!
I love Venice.
You want a hamburger?
No, thank you.
No? Okay.
My car is nice, huh?
But I got my eye
on this '68 Riviera.
Really sweet car.
I'm gonna put on
some silver paint panels,
you know?
Boy, would that be
a smooth ride?
Yeah?
But you see the problem
is that the guy, he wants
like 900 bucks more.
I figure I could sell,
I could sell my Ford for,
I don't know,
2,000 bucks.
I gotta come up
with 900 bucks.
You might as well say
9,000 bucks.
Yeah, well, listen, great.
Well, listen, Emilio,
this is my house.
Nice area.
Yeah, it's nice.
Well, listen,
thanks a lot, Emilio.
Oh, that's...
That's Emilio.
Ay-mee-lio.
Ah, yes. Emi...
Emilio.
Emilio.
Emilio.
Right.
Right.
Okay.
You wouldn't want to
go to a, uh, a show
or nothin', would you?
A show?
You know, a movie?
Oh, we were
talking about movies
before, you know?
Yeah.
Zapata!
You know, I was thinkin'
maybe, you know,
you might really enjoy it.
I don't think so.
But thanks a lot,
really for everything.
Why not?
Is it because I'm Chicano?
Is that it?
Ah, that's no reason.
So what do you say?
Okay.
Okay.
(GIGGLES)
(WHISTLING)
MRS. MENDEZ: Your cousins
are here, Emilio.
Hey, hi.
Don't you look pretty?
Ooh.
Hey, Emilio.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Katie just invited us
to her presentacion.
And your old suit
is gonna be just perfect
for Manuel.
Yeah?
You're 15 already?
Uh-huh.
Two Saturdays
from now.
Okay, you.
That's it.
Okay, remember,
September 24th.
We'll be there.
Don't you worry.
Come on, Manuel.
Take care, huh?
Gee, I wonder why
they call us "beaners?"
I like beans.
I wish I did.
(WHISTLING)
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello?
(SPEAKING SOFTLY)
Hey, Cowboy.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Uh-huh.
Oh, that's good, huh?
Si.
Well, did you call Dagger?
Call Dagger
and let him know
for me, okay?
Yeah.
Thanks for letting me know.
I was getting worried.
Si.
I'll catch you later, man.
Okay.
Who was that?
That was Cowboy.
Cowboy? Who's Cowboy?
Julio Zamora.
He calls himself Cowboy.
Why?
I don't know why, Ma,
he just calls himself
Cowboy.
What did he want?
He called to tell me
that his cousin Vicente
died.
Vincente who?
Vicente Carranza.
I know his mother.
How did he get hurt?
He was in an accident,
I guess.
I really don't know.
Anyway,
he's gonna be all right.
Your friend Cowboy,
is he in a gang?
No, chale, no!
Then why does
he call himself Cowboy,
I mean, if his name is Julio?
Probably belongs to
a club or something.
When these guys belong
to a club, they give
themselves these names.
What club?
I don't know.
Does Vicente belong to it?
I don't know!
Is it Los Aztecas?
What I see on the walls,
Los Aztecas?
Because that
is not a club, Emilio,
that is a gang!
Los Aztecas, a gang!
Look at me!
Swear to me
that you don't belong
to that gang.
I swear.
Swear
on the Virgin.
I swear on the Virgin.
You know, I'll take you
to a real good
hot dog place.
So listen, Sarah,
you didn't tell me,
you know, why?
Because I was curious
about the word.
"Chicano?"
Yes.
So you mean,
you just went
to the library, huh?
Uh-huh.
Do you know
what it means?
It means "double-cross"
in slang.
What?
Who told you that?
The book!
That book told you
tha"Chicano"
means "double-cross?"
(SCOFFS) That book,
that's crazy.
Chicano, that's a word
of honor and of pride.
Get in.
Where did you
get that book?
I told you,
in the library.
You mean, you just
went into the library
and you asked for a book
on Chicanos?
Yes.
Why?
Because I knew
we were going out
tonight.
That really
pisses me off.
That really
pisses me off,
you know that?
Why?
Because it's like
I'm a midget
or something.
And you went into the library
and you got a book on midgets.
That's the best hot dog
in all of Venice.
Very good.
I'd say maybe
in all of Los Angeles,
right there in your hand.
So tell me
about that time?
Well...
We just moved
from the Valley
to the Marina, right?
And I was
12 years old,
and this girl
was sleeping over
for the night.
A girl from school...
♪ Starlight
fills the evening
♪ You wrote it
and I played it
♪ Somethin' happened
♪ It's so strange,
this feelin'
♪ Naive notions
that were childish
♪ Simple tunes
that tried to hide it
♪ But when it comes
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes
(INDISTINCT)
♪ Did we, didn't we,
should we, could we?
♪ I'm not sure
♪ 'Cause sometimes
we're so blind
♪ Struggling through the day
♪ When even
your best friend says
♪ Don't you find
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes ♪
So is your father strict?
Um...
What do you think, huh?
This is beautiful.
(CHUCKLES)
Hey, you didn't
answer me, you know?
What?
About your father.
Oh.
You know,
was he strict or not?
No, no.
He's really okay.
I mean, now that
we've resolved
the Oedipal thing.
Or Electra, I guess
it is with girls.
What?
In any case,
we get along fine.
What? What is that?
What?
Electra?
Electra?
Electra was a person
in Greek mythology.
What is that?
Come here, come here.
The legends?
The Greek legends?
Oh, the legends.
I want you to sit.
Anyway, why do you
wanna know about Electra?
No, I know about that.
Oh.
I wanna know
about your father.
You know, I wanna figure out
whether your father
raised you strict or not.
I'm not following you.
Well, you see, Sarah,
Chicano girls
they're raised very strict.
Yeah?
Most of them.
Some of them...
Well, they're raised
not so strict.
Down in the barrio,
guy learns pretty quick
who's who and what's what.
So the dude knows
how to behave
with a girl.
Do you understand that?
Um... Yeah.
Comes the dawn.
Whether to, uh...
You know.
Yeah.
Or whether
to cool it.
So, what you're trying
to figure out is...
No, what I'm trying to
figure out, you see,
if you were
raised strict or not.
And you wanna know
whether it's gonna be
trick or treat, right?
And here I thought
you were beginning to
love me for my mind.
Okay, well, tell me
about these
niceChicano girls.
No, seriously, I wanna know.
Do nice Chicano girls
kiss for example?
Yes, they kiss.
You mean without a duena?
Yeah, without
a friggin' duena.
Look, Sarah,
don't you make fun of me.
♪ As long as I have
some time to kill
the boredom we acquired
♪ Runnin' with the losers
for awhile
♪ But our empty sky
was filled with laughter
♪ Just before the flood... ♪
Do you know that book?
What book?
AbouChicanos.
Honor and machismo,
it said, very important.
Si, machismo.
What else
did the book say?
What book?
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes
♪ We all fall in love
sometimes ♪
What do you think?
What do I think?
I think this
is armed robbery, ese.
Yeah.
I mean, you know that?
Yeah.
But, Emilio,
this way we got a shot
at $400 to $500.
The other way,
we just break into
a house someplace.
Come on, what did
we get for that
television in Malibu?
Fifty bucks.
Fifty bucks, sure.
I don't think we should
go in there
with a piece, ese.
The piece
is only to scare him.
You won't use it?
Yeah, if I have to.
But he's
an old man, Emilio.
I stick the gun
in his face,
and he'll piss in his pants.
What do you say?
When did
you wanna do this?
Tuesday.
Tuesday?
That's el dieciseis.
That's the whole idea.
They don't expect you
in the school
on Mexican Independence Day,
and they don't expect us
to hold up
no record store, either.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)
(CAR ENGINE IDLING)
(DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)
MAN: Well, that's $6.98,
tax, and it comes
to $7.40.
Right.
Here's your change.
Eight, nine, ten.
Thank you very much.
Bye-bye.
Enjoy.
Thank you.
That's $9.95
and, uh, tax
makes $10.55.
Open the register.
Open it!
♪ Do you like it?
Are you ready?
♪ Are you ready for this?
♪ Do you like it,
do you like it like this?
♪ Push, push ♪
(TIRES SCREECHING)
(HONKING)
(UPBEAT MARIACHI MUSIC
PLAYING)
(PEOPLE CLAPPING IN SYNC)
Hey, do you know
what I'd love to do,
is go to Mexico.
Will you take me
to Mexico sometime?
Yeah, sure.
I'll take you
to Mexico.
Uh...
Hey!
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Thank you.
My parents
are gonna like you.
What'd you tell 'em about me?
Nothing.
But I will.
By Saturday, they'll know
all about you.
What's Saturday?
You're coming to meet them.
Who said?
I said!
Think I'm a gardener?
CESAR: Hey, hey, Emilio!
Sarah, this is Cesar.
(GREETING IN SPANISH)
This is Dagger.
Hi there.
And Carlos.
Carlos.
And Angel,
he's a boxer.
A boxer? (LAUGHING)
Heavyweight.
Manuel.
He's my cousin.
Hello, Manuel.
Hey.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, everybody,
this is Sarah.
Hello.
It is my great honor
to make your acquaintance.
CESAR: Hey,
look who's here!
Sergeant!
Over here!
What is it this time?
Well, this time,
it's a hold up.
Oh, so of course,
you come straight to
the barrio, huh?
Yep, I come straight
to the barrio.
The Cowboy
got himself shot
this afternoon,
holding up a record store
in Santa Monica.
Armed robbery
is a felony.
Now two of you went in there
this afternoon,
and one of you got away.
Cowboy won't say
who it was.
The store owner will.
Oh, well, we've been here
at the fiesta all day long.
All day, huh?
Yeah.
Well, we'll just see
about that when
we get to the station.
You bustin' us,
Sergeant?
It's no bust.
For what?
I'm rounding up
as many Aztecs
as I can find
because I'm gonna have
a little talk with you
at the station, gentlemen.
Now if you don't mind,
your cars
are waiting outside.
Aw, this is
a waste of time.
I've got all the time
in the world.
Let's go, Emilio.
(SHUTTER SLAMMING)
CESAR: I don't care which one
of you was with Cowboy.
That don't matter to me.
Cowboy behaved with honor.
He refused to
betray his brothers.
Bueno.
The store owner will be here.
He's gonna look us over.
They got a one-way mirror.
He can see us,
but we can't see him.
But that don't matter.
When you look in the mirror,
stare him down.
Make him know
he fingers one Azteca,
the rest of us come back
to get him!
You understand?
Look at the mirror
as if you're lookin' him
straight in the eye.
We're brothers.
We're brothers.
All of us.
Just remember that.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
(KEYS CLANGING)
GUARD: Oriano,
come on over here.
You, get in the back.
Open the door.
Close the door.
Let's go.
Move out.
Hello, Oriano.
Have a seat, my friend.
Did they feed you
in there right?
Mmm-hmm.
Are you settled down
from all the excitement?
Listen, Oriano, you and I
are you know, we've done
business together, huh?
Mr. Henderson,
just take your time.
Look each one
over carefully,
and if you recognize anybody,
let me know.
So what I want you to do
is just to explain to me
how you got involved.
Did somebody entice
you into it?
Are you sure they can't
see through this thing?
No, I'm positive.
OFFICER...all together.
It's all right here.
It feels like...
Like they can.
Somewhere in there,
I'm sure you can fit.
Just go ahead and explain
to me, how you got hung up
in the whole thing.
Loosen up, man.
I've got
half the case together.
It's gotta go together.
You know
how they all fall together.
(SIGHS)
Just give me your partner.
I know it wasn't
really your fault.
I know what
you suddenly
get caught up in.
GANNETT:
Do you recognize anybody?
OFFICER: You know
I'm not gonna
back up on you.
No, not yet.
Come on, Carlos,
you know
what's gonna happen.
You know
what's gonna
become of it.
Tell me about the robbery
and how you got
involved in it.
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
He's...
He's not the one.
I've had Oriano in here
I've had Diego in here,
I've had Miguel in here,
Carlos in here,
and now you're in here.
So all the pieces
are falling together,
Emilio.
No, he's...
OFFICERWe kinda
understand each other.
OFFICER...may well
end this investigation.
Are you sure,
Mr. Henderson?
And so what I want you to do
is just let me know
how you got involved in It.
(STAMMERING) I don't remember.
I don't recognize anybody.
Can I go now?
I gotta get back
to the store.
OFFICER: Just tell us
how you got started
in all this.
Now you can't take
the top line now.
Sure.
Thanks.
Your buddy's lying out there.
He's shot up
and he's gonna be okay.
Now where
you gonna stand?
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello? (SPEAKING SPANISH)
Hi, Milo,
It's Sarah.
When did you get home?
Just a little while ago.
Because I figured
it was too late to call.
I didn't wanna
wake your people.
Nothing.
The cops
are always hasslin' us.
They think
anybody's Chicano
belongs to a gang.
No. No, no,
chale, no.
I don't belong
to no gang, Sarah.
I'm telling you, okay?
The store owner came in,
he looked us over,
and he didn't
recognize anybody.
Are you telling me
the truth?
That's the truth.
I don't belong
to no gang.
All right, I'm sorry.
Yeah,
I'll see you tomorrow.
Good night.
Tighten the jenny
a little bit, Abby.
How long
have you known Sarah?
Are you in the same class?
Oh, yeah,
we both graduate in June.
What are you gonna do
afterwards?
I'd like to get a job.
What kind of job?
I wanna be a mechanic.
See, I like cars.
I'm really good with cars.
Yeah, Dad?
Emilio's got this '60 Ford
that he customized himself.
You should see it.
Yeah.
I stick with Ford power,
you know? (LAUGHS)
I parked it just up the block
from your apartment,
you know,
if you wanna see it.
You know,
if you wanna see It.
Is your father
a mechanic, too?
My father?
I don't know.
I never met my father.
Is...
Is he here in America?
No.
Yes, I think so.
I really don't know.
What's that on your hand?
Tattoo?
Oh, no, no.
I made it myself.
With India ink,
you know?
You see
these letters here?
C.S.?
That means Con safos!
That means
"safe" in Spanish.
Looks like a crucifix.
Are you religious?
I don't think
this is a crucifix.
I really don't know
what it is.
You put it on your hand
yourself, didn't you?
Oh, yeah. But you see,
a lot of guys,
they put it on their hands.
It's like a superstition,
you know?
It don't mean nothing.
I see.
It don't mean nothin'?
No, nothin' at all.
This course is fine.
Sails look good.
Uh, Sarah,
maybe we ought to
get lunch started.
Lunch. Yeah.
Beautiful.
I could stop her
from seeing you,
you know?
She still listens to me.
You know that won't work.
What makes you so sure?
I know Sarah.
All right, then.
From now on
you pick her up
at the house.
No more street corners.
Yes, sir.
Sarah?
Yeah?
Would you like to
come up here
and take the helm?
Yes.
Thank you.
I'm, uh, going below
to get something to drink.
Would you
like something?
No, thank you.
Well, what did he say?
I think it's okay.
Well, is it
or isn't it?
I think so.
(LAUGHING)
I don't know
if they would invite
my mother to supper yet,
but it's okay.
(INDISTINCT TALKING)
Hey, whatchen, vatos.
Somebody
crossed out my name.
Con safos
is supposed to mean
free and clear safos.
This wall, my place, man!
That's my name on it.
Whoever crossed it out,
he answers to me.
EL TIGRE: So...
Why did Cesar send you, man?
I mean, such a big man!
Why didn't
he come himself?
He don't trust you.
You crossed out
his name, Tigre.
You shouldn't have done that.
Don't point at me, man!
There was a treaty
between the twclicas.
You shouldn't have
started this.
He never should've
marked the walls!
That was nobody's wall.
Where was that wall?
Santa Monica.
Yeah, Santa Monica, right.
So when did
Santa Monica become
Azteca territory, huh?
Santa Monica
is Los Espiritus, man!
It's ours!
Did you get that? Ours!
Cesar wrote on it,
and we crossed it off!
That's all there is to it!
You crossed it off.
Yeah, I crossed it off,
so what?
Tigre, you're a dead man.
Cesar says
to tell you that.
He's gonna
waste you, Tigre.
He's gonna plant you
six feet under, man.
And something else, Tigre,
you tell your president
that Los Espiritus...
MAN: Tell me yourself,
Emilio.
Hello, Hugo.
What's the matter
now, Emilio?
I think you know
what the matter is.
When Clemente
was president
of this club...
Clemente got
busted in June.
I'm president now.
So why don't you
take care of your members?
You got a jerk
like El Tigre here,
he goes and he does
something stupid!
He didn't do
nothin' stupid!
If we see Venice writing
here in Santa Monica,
we cross it out, man.
That's it.
Hugo, you're fooling
with Los Aztecas.
That's too bad
about Los Aztecas.
If they don't wanna
see their names
crossed out, man,
you tell 'em
not to write
on the walls out here.
Cesar says,
"No more safe passage."
If anybody on Los Espiritus
gets caught coming through,
he gets jumped.
Then you better stay
out of Santa Monica, man.
Because the same thing
happens here.
Los Aztecas
go wherever they want.
Not if the shit
is on, man.
He's telling you it's on,
that's why I'm here.
Now, I think
you better get the hell
outta here, man,
while you can still walk.
What is it?
Your grandmother's dead.
Emilio.
Mamacita.
She wants to go home,
for the funeral.
Si. Si, mamacita.
They called from Mexico
about an hour ago.
Mama, do you want me
to go with you?
Si, Emilio.
Okay.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
I just heard
the news, senora.
I'm so sorry.
Gracias.
Emilio.
If you've got a minute,
I'd like to talk to you,
all right?
Outside.
(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)
Emilio, did you go
to Santa Monica today?
Hey, look,
I'm talking to you.
Is it true you went
to Santa Monica today
to meet with Los Espiritus?
Look, Mike,
what do you want from me?
I want you to stay out
of what's coming.
Man, chale, there
ain't nothin' coming.
(CHUCKLING)
Don't "chale" me, huh?
Mas respeto, man.
You know,
Cesar is bragging
all over the barrio
he's gonna get El Tigre.
He's gonna show
Los Espiritus!
Stay out of it, Emilio!
I'm an Azteca.
I can't stay out of it.
Cowboy's an Azteca, too.
Yeah.
And he's going to jail!
Cesar's an Azteca, too.
And he's talking
about killing somebody!
Is that what
an Azteca
is supposed to be?
You wanna know?
MIKE: Yeah!
Okay, I'll tell you, man.
It is somebody with honor!
Somebody with pride
in his race!
Our race, Mike!
We'rChicanos!
We're Aztecas!
And the two of them
together...
Si, muy macho.
Si, muy macho!
I'm an Azteca, Mike,
and that is something!
No, that is bull-shit!
To call myself an Aztec?
You know how many guys
would give their right arms
to call themselves an Azteca?
How about
calling yourself
Emilio Mendez?
How about
finding your pride
and your honor
and your Goddamn manhood
in that?
Could you try that,
Emilio?
For once in your
Goddamn life try that.
Stay out of it, Emilio.
How long
will you be gone?
Oh, only two
or three days.
I'm just going down
for a funeral.
I'm really gonna
miss you, Sarah.
(SHOUTING) You wanna tell me
what the matter is with you?
You lied to me!
You belong
to a gang, Emilio!
I asked Carl,
in my English class.
What the hell
difference does it...
"What the hell
difference does it make?"
Jesus!
You expect me
to go with somebody
who belongs to a gang?
Somebody who goes around
breaking heads?
That's right!
We break heads, Sarah!
Why?
We kick ass!
Oh!
I belong
to a gang, Sarah!
Los Aztecas!
Oh, no!
I'm proud of it!
And when I walk down
that street in Venice,
I hold my head high
because I have
my brothers!
That's right, Sarah.
Why?
I'm proud of it!
Because I need them,
that's why.
Because when I'm in trouble,
they come running, that's why!
I'm sorry, Sarah,
but that is
just the way it is.
Oh, God!
(SNIFFLING)
Just the way it is.
(BAND PLAYING
SLOW MARIACHI MUSIC)
MAN: Alicia.
I'm sorry
about your mother.
You gonna be here long?
We leave tomorrow.
Jerry,
this is your son.
She never told you, huh?
Never.
Who'd you think I was?
She said
you were
a handsome
Mexican businessman.
It's true enough.
I run
a taxi service here.
Gerald R. Kelsey,
Mexican Transit System.
Drink up,
you're not drinkin'.
Don't you drink?
How old are you anyway?
Wait a minute,
don't tell me.
I'll be 18 in May.
You're a good-looking
kid, Emilio.
You take after
your old man.
You got a lot of girls
up there in L.A.?
I have a girl.
(CHUCKLING)
Now, what else
did she say about me,
your mother?
She said, you left!
Yeah, I left.
Why?
I didn't wanna marry her.
She was 16, I was 28.
And I didn't want
my balls cut off either.
I couldn't come back
to this town till after
her father died.
Very big on them,
honor, bullshit!
(SCOFFING)
These Mexicans, you know.
So what do you do
up there in L.A.?
I go to high school.
You on any teams?
I used to play football
in high school.
I drifted down here to Mexico
after the Korean War.
I met your mother.
Well, you know,
I had to leave.
You could've stayed.
Tell me something.
Did you think
that I was a Mexican?
Did you think
that your old man
was a greaser?
I didn't know
what you were.
Well, you know now.
(CHUCKLING)
Hi.
Hi.
How was it?
It was okay.
Hey, met my father.
Yeah.
He's an Anglo.
Who'd have
guessed that, huh?
There are guys
in Los Aztecas,
they've got skin, you know,
much lighter than me.
They got Spanish blood
going back centuries,
and me, I got
an Anglo father.
Mexico... Mexico
is really something.
Beautiful.
I didn't even know
half the things they did
down there, in Mexico.
And that's Mexico
down there, Mexico.
And what the hell
does Mexico
have to do with me?
I was born right here
in East Los Angeles,
and I got an Anglo father.
Oh...
Mexico,
(MUMBLING)
US of A.
Well, it's like
going back to maybe,
100 years.
Sarah, my father...
On the plane coming back,
you know, I asked her.
I said,
"Why didn't you tell me?
Why did you let me believe
"my father was..."
I don't know,
I don't know what I thought.
Handsome Mexican businessman,
that could be anything.
She told me she didn't
wanna confuse me.
Wow, she told me
she wanted me to be
proud of my heritage,
proud of my language,
proud of being Chicano.
Confuse me.
Well, if I'm not American
and I'm not Mexican,
then what the hell am I?
They tell me...
Tell me I'm Chicano,
but they're just
selling me
a bunch of bull!
They're selling me a word
about honor and pride!
Because I don't even
know who I am!
Sarah, my father,
he's an Anglo!
He's a drunk!
He's a... His clothes
stink of vomit!
I didn't mean to say that.
Milo.
No, leave me.
Some machismo, huh?
Your father,
he thinks I am Pancho Villa,
come to steal his daughter.
What he doesn't realize
is that I am
Pancho ninguno.
Pancho nobody.
I couldn't steal you
if I tried.
You don't have to
steal me, Emilio.
No, huh?
I love you.
I love you, too.
I don't know
what to do.
I know you want me
to quit the gang.
Yes!
I know
that's what you want,
but you see, Sarah,
if I quit Los Aztecas,
what have I got left?
Me.
And when
I lose you, Sarah?
You're not
gonna lose me.
MRS. MENDEZ: He told you,
Emilio, why I cannot go
to the presentacion,
I am in mourning.
SARAH: Yes, I'm sorry,
Mrs. Mendez.
You don't have this
in your religion?
A presentacion?
No.
What is your religion?
Presbyterian.
This has Jesus?
Yes.
How long have you
known Emilio?
Just a little while.
Did you meet in school?
Yes, we did.
(WOMAN SINGING IN SPANISH)
Those are all
Katie's closest friends.
You remember Manuel?
You met him at the fiesta.
There are 14
of them here,
because, you see,
when you add Katie,
that makes it 15.
And this is to celebrate
her 15th birthday.
(CONDUCTING SERVICE
IN SPANISH)
(PLAYING UPBEAT MUSIC)
(PEOPLE TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
Hey, Emilio!
EMILIO: Hey, Dagger!
I wanna...
I wanna dance with
your girlese.
(BOTH CHUCKLING)
DAGGER: I wanna dance.
How about going out?
We get some
nice fresh air?
DAGGER: Hey,
what's the matter?
Hey, you don't
love me anymore?
I love you.
You wanna go out
and get some air?
We danced. Come on.
DAGGER:
How am I doing, Emilio?
Bueno.
See how nice
it is out here?
There's a step there.
Hey, Emilio,
I gotta pee.
Shh! Dagger,
there's a lady present.
DAGGER: Oh, but I gotta
pee bad, ese.
Okay, how about we go
right in here, okay?
How did you
get so drunk?
DAGGER: (SLURRING)
Drunk? Who's drunk?
I'm fine.
EMILIO: You look
very drunk to me,
I tell you that. You okay?
DAGGER:
Yeah. Hold it.
EMILIO: All right,
just stand there.
DAGGER: Hey, Emilio!
Yes, Dagger?
DAGGER: Can't find my zipper.
Hey, Emilio!
It's okay now.
Hey, do you wanna
go out to a parked car?
(SIGHS)
(EXCLAIMS
DISMISSIVELY)
Hey, we carnales, huh?
Oh, wow, hey!
Emilio! Watch!
It's night. Wow!
Whoa, I'm here!
Wow!
(GROANING)
(ALL GRUNTING)
(CRYING OUT IN PAIN) Emilio!
Emilio! Emilio!
(GANG MEMBER
SPEAKING SPANISH)
No! God!
Milo!
(POUNDING ON GATE)
(DAGGER CLINKS)
SARAH: Milo! Stop it!
Find help!
Go get help! Now!
Let's get out of here, man.
Come on! Come on!
Cesar, Carlos, Espanol...
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Emilio.
Emilio!
Oh, no!
MAN: Let's go!
(SHOUTING IN SPANISH)
You're cut!
Emilio, you're bleeding!
(SPEAKS IN SPANISH)
Give it to me.
Can you make it? Huh?
Let's kick ass!
(CHUCKLING)
That's right.
All right.
(GROANING)
Okay, I got him.
Yeah. Careful with him.
DAGGER: Hey.
They had wheels.
They got away.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Emilio, I don't
want you to go.
I'm gonna get Katie
to take you home, okay?
I'll call you later.
Milo? Don't go!
I'm an Azteca.
(CESAR SPEAKING SPANISH)
Don't go.
CESAR: Emiliano!
Sarah.
Sarah, come on.
CESAR: We're gonna
dig everything up.
We're gonna throw
everything at 'em!
(CHUCKLING) They think
they can mess
with our honor, man.
They think they can
come here tonight
at Katie'presentacion,
mess up her party,
mess up our guys?
(ALL REACTING)
Man, they wrong!
They gotta know
who we are
and what we are.
ALL: Right.
CESAR: We're Los Aztecas,
that's who we are!
And we're Chicanos!
(ALL REACTING IN AWE)
That's what we are!
That stuff
is a cannon, man!
Look at that.
Put a hole
in that chicken-shit,
Tigre's head.
Hey, remember that time
with those Culver City dudes?
CARLOS: Yeah, the time
they shot Petie.
CESAR: Yeah, we came down
with more shit.
CARLOS: Oh, man!
Yeah,
hey, some of you guys
don't remember this.
CARLOS: Yeah, they shot
Petie at the school, man.
He was minding
his own business, right?
Hey, he was only
walking along.
They jumped him.
They blew his arm
right off.
Yeah, man, we got
in the cars, man.
And we went
after them, man.
Remember, Emilio?
Emilio?
ANGEL: We find
those Culver City dudes.
We don't wanna...
We got him against the wall.
I hit him in the head
with a baseball bat.
And his head's bleeding
all over the Goddamn place.
(ALL LAUGHING)
Stabbed him right
in the stomachese.
He's holdin' himself.
Those assholes
can't believe it, ese.
He can't believe he's got
a knife hole in him.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
CESAR: Hey!
We gonna show 'em tonight.
Tonight we show
Santa Monica!
(ALL CHEERING)
The heat comes down,
we show them, too.
(ALL AGREEING)
We're gonna burn
those bastards out, man.
We go straight
to the pier, man.
Hey, there
is nobody there.
We burn down the whole pier!
(ALL AGREEING)
Then we go look
for them in the street.
I want El Tigre.
El Tigre is gonna
eat this piece, man.
(ALL WHOOPING)
He's gonna have a hole
in the back of his head,
when I'm finished.
Los Aztecas!
(ALL CHEERING)
We'll write it
all over their walls.
We're gonna claim
that whole barrio
for ourselves!
Los Aztecas!
Los Aztecas!
(CHEERING)
Los Aztecas!
I wanna kick ass, man,
for doing this to my face!
CESAR: We're gonna
give it to them all, man.
Kill 'em!
ALL: Yeah!
Los Aztecas!
Los Aztecas!
(ALL YELLING)
All right, Dagger,
you, me, Carlos
in Emilio's car.
Going to Santa Monica!
(ALL YELLING EXCITEDLY)
No.
When we get
to Santa Monica,
we're gonna hit
the pier first!
No!
What's the matter?
I'm not going.
What?
I'm not going
with you, Cesar.
Come on, come on, what...
Mmm-mmm.
What the hell's
the matter with you, ese?
I don't wanna
go with you, Cesar.
Those bastards
crossed out my name, vato.
So what?
So, they crossed
your name off a wall!
Where does it end,
Cesar?
We get them!
They get us!
We get them again
and for what?
For a name on a wall?
No! No, vatos!
No, Cesar.
I want something else.
Not this.
You're chickening out, huh?
No!
No?
Then what do you
call it, man?
You're chickening out, man!
You got no balls!
You're a pussy!
You're a little sissy!
You have it your way.
I'm still not going
with you, Cesar.
(SPITTING)
Aztecas! Aztecas!
ALL: Viva!
(CHEERING FADING)
(CAR DOORS CLOSING)
(ENGINES STARTING)
You chickened out.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(WHISPERING)
I'm sorry
I called so late.
Shh! Milo,
my parents
are asleep.
I just had to talk to you.
I know.
You told me
on the phone.
Come here.
I didn't
go with them.
Oh, Milo.
That's good.
(SIGHS)
My brothers!
You remember Espanol?
They don't think
he's gonna make it.
Oh, God!
And for nothing.
Some guy of Los Espiritus
hit him across the neck
with a machete.
And Danny...
You don't know Danny.
Danny got shot
in the back.
Dear God!
I don't know
how many of them
Los Aztecas got,
but Dagger told me.
There were guys
laying all over the place.
You stayed out of it,
that's all that matters.
Milo, they won't try
to hurt you, will they?
No.
Are you sure?
You don't have to worry.
Emilio, please, tell me,
what will they do to you?
They jumped me out.
What does that mean?
Sarah, there are
just some things
you'll never understand.
It's late.
I better get going.
Milo?
No, listen, I'm okay.
Hey, you!
I'd like you to step up
on the curb, please.
EMILIO: What?
I'm gonna ask you
a few questions.
(MOUTHING)
What's this?
I cut my hand.
Where do you live?
I live in Venice.
What?
I live in Venice.
Well, where are
you going now?
To my car.
I can't hear you.
What...
You... You mind
telling me what I did?
We just wanna
talk to you.
Do you mind telling me
what I did?
SARAH: Stop it!
Wanna talk to you.
Look, leave him alone!
He's a friend of mine.
He just left me.
I live right here
in this building.
1220, right here.
My name is Sarah Lassiter.
You can look
on the mailboxes.
He's a friend of mine.
He's my friend.
Now take it easy, miss.
Oh, but he's
a friend of mine.
Come on, Jake.
Does this happen a lot?
Hey, wait a minute.
Sarah, you told them
that I was your friend.
What if you had to tell them
that I was your boyfriend?
What if you had to say
that we were engaged,
or this is my husband?
"This man here
is my husband."
What would you
do then, Sarah?
I'd say
what had to be said.
Would you?
Emilio, I did say it.
They knew exactly
what I was talking about.
You see,
it's never gonna work
in a million years.
Emilio, I love you.
That's all that matters.
I love you, too.
But how can this work?
Don't you see that?
Milo.
(GULLS CAWING)
What are you doing here?
How did you find out
where I'd be?
I called Katie.
She told me
you'd be here.
Oh, Emilio,
don't do this.
I have to.
No.
You don't have
to do anything
you don't wanna do.
Sarah, go home!
Just get the hell
out of here!
For Christ sakes, go.
Please.
I want you
to understand this.
I wanna make sure
you understand this.
After today,
you're not an Azteca
no more.
That means you don't
come around no more.
You don't come no place
near us, you hear?
You don't tell nobody
what we ever
talked about...
Save your breath,
Cesar.
I know it by heart.
I think you better
save yours, maybe!
We're gonna break
every bone
in your body, Emiliano.
You get up off
the ground again,
es un milagro.
You know why
we doing this?
'Cause you're a disgrace
to Los Aztecas.
And when you disgrace us,
you disgrace
the Chicano people!
That's bullshit!
They're not
the same thing, ese.
I'm gonna beat the shit
out of you anyway, ese.
And then I'm personally
gonna kick your ass
through that line!
Good, you do...
(GROANING)
CARLOS: Emilio? Emilio.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Come on.
You wanna get
out of our clica
with honor and pride.
I'm already out!
I have nothing
to prove to you.
Only to myself.
(GRUNTING)
(ALL YELLING)
(ALL TAUNTING
EMILIO INDISTINCTLY)
(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
CARLOS: I have to
do it all myself?
What the hell's wrong here?
(ALL STOP TALKING)
This is the way
you wanted it,
huh, Emilio?
(MEMBERS CHEERING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
Carnal!
Oh!
♪ New day dawnin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ New time comin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ New sun
crowns the eastern sky
♪ Now I've found
the reason why,
why I'm livin'
♪ What is within
my head and my heart
♪ My head
and my heart
♪ Just this mornin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ Without warnin'
♪ Adios yesterday
♪ Everything
seemed different today
♪ Even dreamed
a brand new way
♪ All at once
the dreams I dreamed go
♪ Past tomorrow
♪ Stand up, Chicano
♪ Mano a mano
♪ It's plain to see
it's up to me
♪ Gotta try
the odds are high
♪ No alibi,
it's all up to me
♪ It's all up to me
♪ Stand up, Chicano
♪ Mano a mano
♪ Life against me
♪ No guarantee
I will win
so let's begin
♪ It's plain to see
it's all up to me
♪ It's all up to me
(SPOKEN)
It's all up to me.
(SONG BEING SUNG IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday
(SINGING IN SPANISH)
♪ Adios yesterday ♪
DAGGER: Hey, Emilio.