TBH, I'm not familiar with the filmmaker or the writer who contributed the 'story' for 'Mala Noche'; I just watched it as part of TCM's Pride Month offerings.
Going in, I was kind of hoping a love story might develop (despite linguistic and other barriers) between Walt, a clerk at a rundown liquor store, and Johnny, one of a group of young Mexican men who hang around nearby, looking for work. Well, let's just say I didn't get what I was hoping for; this tale's about obsession, sexual fetishism, and racism....but not love.
Initially (as in most relationships, probably) Walt is purely 'in lust' with Johnny for his youthful, Indigenous looks, while Johnny is wary, needing to be convinced by his friends that a sexual encounter with the scruffy white guy is worth the $15 he'd be paid for it. Eventually, he agrees to an encounter, after which Walt seems to develop feelings...or, more likely, an obsession with...him, wanting to continue their liaison, but Johnny seems disinterested. His sexual orientation is unknown to the viewer, but it seems, even if he's gay or bi, Walt just doesn't do it for him.
And Walt is not a romantic hero you can pin your hopes on. In fact, he's downright racist, something that comes out thru snatches of 'interior dialogue', in which he remarks on Mexicans in general, Johnny in particular, and himself. The ones about Mexicans refer to his perception of their mental inferiority and childlike behaviors, while those about himself, though acknowledging 'white privilege', seem to ignore the fact he's on the same rung of the ladder as those he criticizes. Or maybe a few down, since much like the alcoholics he serves at the store, Walt's grungy, unshaven, and dressed in ragged clothes. In seeking to bed Johnny once more, he makes no attempt to improve his appearance, or make himself more attractive to the object of his desire, because he's sees himself as being 'in charge' of the situation.
Perhaps this is why his pursuit leads nowhere, except a couple of joyrides with Johnny on which his friends come along. You'd think Walt would deduce from this that Johnny has no interest, and it's time to back off and leave him alone, But no, he continues obsessing...until Johnny mysteriously disappears.
In the wake of that incident, Walt becomes attached to one of Johnny's friends, and though he shows some kindness to the young man, you get the feeling he's just 'exchanging one Mexican for another' to please his sexual tastes. That attitude really comes to the fore when, during a driving lesson, the young man accidentally runs the car into a tree, and Walt starts screaming, 'You drive as well as you f*ck.' (Translation: 'Damn Mexicans, you can't teach 'em anything.')
Through a sad series of incidents, Walt's new 'friend' eventually dies, but this is forgotten one day when Walt sees Johnny on the street and the old obsession rises again. He brings him back to his grimy apartment, where he learns Johnny didn't voluntarily 'disappear' but instead was picked up by immigration. Instead of this news sparking a joyful reunion, however, things take an abrupt turn for the worse, when Walt shares his own news about Johnny's friend having died. In shock, unbelieving, Johnny spurns Walt and runs away.
Though at the end, Walt drives past Johnny, again waiting on the corner looking for work, and entreats him to stop by the liquor store to talk, you get the feeling Johnny's finished with a situation he never wanted to be in, in the first place. Personally, I found myself hoping Johnny eventually found steady work, and a partner (whatever orientation) who would love him for himself, not as a 'flavor' or 'fetish'.
Going in, I was kind of hoping a love story might develop (despite linguistic and other barriers) between Walt, a clerk at a rundown liquor store, and Johnny, one of a group of young Mexican men who hang around nearby, looking for work. Well, let's just say I didn't get what I was hoping for; this tale's about obsession, sexual fetishism, and racism....but not love.
Initially (as in most relationships, probably) Walt is purely 'in lust' with Johnny for his youthful, Indigenous looks, while Johnny is wary, needing to be convinced by his friends that a sexual encounter with the scruffy white guy is worth the $15 he'd be paid for it. Eventually, he agrees to an encounter, after which Walt seems to develop feelings...or, more likely, an obsession with...him, wanting to continue their liaison, but Johnny seems disinterested. His sexual orientation is unknown to the viewer, but it seems, even if he's gay or bi, Walt just doesn't do it for him.
And Walt is not a romantic hero you can pin your hopes on. In fact, he's downright racist, something that comes out thru snatches of 'interior dialogue', in which he remarks on Mexicans in general, Johnny in particular, and himself. The ones about Mexicans refer to his perception of their mental inferiority and childlike behaviors, while those about himself, though acknowledging 'white privilege', seem to ignore the fact he's on the same rung of the ladder as those he criticizes. Or maybe a few down, since much like the alcoholics he serves at the store, Walt's grungy, unshaven, and dressed in ragged clothes. In seeking to bed Johnny once more, he makes no attempt to improve his appearance, or make himself more attractive to the object of his desire, because he's sees himself as being 'in charge' of the situation.
Perhaps this is why his pursuit leads nowhere, except a couple of joyrides with Johnny on which his friends come along. You'd think Walt would deduce from this that Johnny has no interest, and it's time to back off and leave him alone, But no, he continues obsessing...until Johnny mysteriously disappears.
In the wake of that incident, Walt becomes attached to one of Johnny's friends, and though he shows some kindness to the young man, you get the feeling he's just 'exchanging one Mexican for another' to please his sexual tastes. That attitude really comes to the fore when, during a driving lesson, the young man accidentally runs the car into a tree, and Walt starts screaming, 'You drive as well as you f*ck.' (Translation: 'Damn Mexicans, you can't teach 'em anything.')
Through a sad series of incidents, Walt's new 'friend' eventually dies, but this is forgotten one day when Walt sees Johnny on the street and the old obsession rises again. He brings him back to his grimy apartment, where he learns Johnny didn't voluntarily 'disappear' but instead was picked up by immigration. Instead of this news sparking a joyful reunion, however, things take an abrupt turn for the worse, when Walt shares his own news about Johnny's friend having died. In shock, unbelieving, Johnny spurns Walt and runs away.
Though at the end, Walt drives past Johnny, again waiting on the corner looking for work, and entreats him to stop by the liquor store to talk, you get the feeling Johnny's finished with a situation he never wanted to be in, in the first place. Personally, I found myself hoping Johnny eventually found steady work, and a partner (whatever orientation) who would love him for himself, not as a 'flavor' or 'fetish'.