I watched four more movies from the list suggested by Michael Paarlberg:
https://twitter.com/MPaarlberg/status/1560397489156624384
That leaves me with six. It would be nice to think I could finish them next year, but sometimes locating them is difficult.
Also, there was one surprise addition.
Here are the films I watched, listed from most recent to oldest. This is also almost the order I watched them in, which was mainly a coincidence. The change to that would be to put Lone Star second.
La Dictadura Perfecta (2014) (Mexico)
I was never able to find a subtitled version, but I did find a dubbed one on Netflix. It's not my favorite way of watching anything, but it worked out.
This is a dark comedy focusing on news and government corruption, which are shockingly aligned. Maybe the strongest message of all is how easy it is to end up dead.
Tropa de Elite 2: O Inimiga Agora e Outro (2010) (Brazil)
Terrible corruption and violence again, but with less humor. This time it is set in Brazil, where I know the least history and have the least language comprehension. I suspect that in the setting of Rio de Janeiro, the large population also has an impact. The setup of the favelas certainly does.
Perhaps the most interesting part is Nascimento, a devoted cop, having to learn to work with teacher and politician (and husband of Nascimento's ex) Fraga, coming to respect someone who has seemed to be a natural enemy.
Tropico de Sangre (2010) (Dominican Republic)
For this one, I have read In the Time of the Butterflies, so had some familiarity with the Mirabal sisters and their story. The film differed in that it focused much more on Minerva. Also, where the book focused more on their interior lives and relationships, in the film you saw more of the organizing they did, the torture they experienced, and difficult to forget images of their deaths.
For getting an idea of the background of the country, you see how the need to placate Trujillo keeps encroaching on freedom and life, not just for the Mirabal family but for everyone, even his friends and supporters. That arc with Antonio de la Maza is important for understanding Trujillo's eventual end.
The torture is not shown in great detail, but what you do understand makes a strong impression, making the movie effective. I also appreciated Trujillo's pallor. He just keeps looking more monstrous every time you see him.
There is a film specifically based on In the Time of the Butterflies, and that will be interesting for comparison.
Lone Star (1996) (border)
This is the one where I most understood how it gave you the feel for understanding the area. With the different people featured and their interactions, yes, that makes sense for how being right on the border would be.
The timing of my watching it also worked well with some of my reading, so that was a nice bonus.
Born in East L.A. (1987)
Shockingly, this is the one that was not recommended by the college professor.
When I was picking the daily songs for the month, and focusing on regions, I kept thinking about Los Angeles, and I kept thinking of the song. I knew there was a movie, and decided to just go for it.
Like many movies done by people who have worked in sketch comedy, sometimes it is uneven, and there are probably scenes that are unnecessary, though some of them are very memorable. I did not really appreciate the scenes with Feo, which was a shame to me because I am really fond of Tony Plana (who was also in Lone Star).
I must nonetheless concede that the sequence going over the hill to Neil Diamond's "America" was set up perfectly and really pays off.
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