The Miss International Beauty pageant is a symbol of beauty and elegance. In the film Miss Bala 2011 which was written by Mauricio Katz and Gerardo Naranjo and directed by Gerardo Naranjo, recreates the chilling trials and tribulations of real life 2008 Miss Sinaloa (Laura Zuniga). Naranjo shocked the world with an amazing twisted story of a 23 year old pageant contestant Laura Zuniga, played by Stephanie Sigman, caught up in the world of the Mexican drug-trafficking cartel. In 2006, President Felipe Calderon in cooperation with the American’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) ordered the Mexican Military to confront the drug cartel with brute force. Five years after the order from President Calderon there were close to 50,000 deaths related to this war on drugs. Instead of highlighting the drug war, Naranjo focused on the innocent victim in his story.
This film is would seem to be an oxymoron film, meaning that it is completely opposite of what society would expect from a beauty pageant film. I would compare this film to Zoot Suit (1981) where you have Chicano gang-members carrying switchblades singing and dancing a jitterbug. Naranjo transformed the film from beauty pageant to a bullet pageant. Ironically, the title of the film Miss Bala translated in Spanish means Miss Bullet. Naranjo miraculously kept the focus on the innocent victim instead of only focusing on just the drug trade. The scene is set in Baja Mexico where Laura Zuniga (Stephanie Sigman), a pageant contestant goes to a bar with her friend and a gunfight breaks out with the drug cartel and the police. In a panic to survive Zuniga runs to a corrupt cop that takes her hostage; then kidnaps her brother and dad for leverage to make Zuniga transport drug money across the United States border. It is quite obvious that the film tackles the two issues at hand, one being the Mexican/ American drug-trafficking problem and the innocent victims that are claimed everyday.
In the final scene of the movie Zuniga is captured and driven to an unknown location and
dropped off. In essence, this exaggerated thriller could and has happened to many innocent victims that end up in jail or even worse–dead. Naranjo illustrated just how quickly things can change if you are not careful in border towns that are known for drug trafficking.
(Archived 2016) Ethnic Representations in Film
Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies in Cinema
I enjoyed reading the review; it was well-written, informative, and easy to understand. Unfortunately, in Mexico, a lot of the women who become a Miss for their country are usually bought or kidnapped by the cartels. Currently, Mexico is not a safe place to live in for anyone. Women are sexually assaulted and kidnapped, men are recruited or killed by drug lords, and children are kidnapped to work. Mexico has a beautiful and rich culture that is being destroyed by crime. I hope this film provides awareness and consciousness to the Mexican government of issues in the country. Excellent review.
Wow that’s interesting to read that beauty pageant contestants in Mexico are often bought or kidnapped by cartels. I had not idea. I’ve never seen this film but what seems interesting is that it goes against the stereotypes for Latina women. The role she seems to play is a role that is usually portrayed by a man. The stereotypes for Latina women are either usually the sexy diva or the homemaker. In this film she is neither. She is involved with a drug cartel and that’s something you don’t see much in films is a woman taking this role. It’s scary to think how dangerous a country Mexico has become and it’s no wonder people are risking their lives to migrate to the U.S. in search of better lives and opportunities. So sad. Good review though!
This film sounds so interesting I am going to watch it based on your review of the film. Its an amazing storyline and I would have never thought of a pageant contestant being used or kidnapped for drug trafficking. Its a sad reality that the Mexican people are being terrorized by the cartel and its government so corrupt it wont or cant do anything about it. I won’t vacation there because of all the kidnappings and killings that are happening. Thanks for this review it was very good.
This movie sounds very interesting. I had no idea that the cartel would use people, such as beauty contestants, as drug smugglers. So sad. They even kidnapped her brother and father in order to make her do as they wished. Surprisingly to me was that it was a woman that was a drug smuggler, even though she was forced to do it. This movie would be interesting to see because in the movie Scarface you see the movie from Tony Montana’s point of view. Him being the drug smuggler and how he builds his empire out of nothing. This movie, though, you see the other side of the drug trade. The actual victims that get hurt in this. I would be really interested to see this movie. Thanks for the review.