MovieChat Forums > Romancing the Stone (1984) Discussion > Could use some research about COLOMBIA!!

Could use some research about COLOMBIA!!

posted 19 years ago by juanpa1-1
85 replies | jump to latest

I've waited for a looong time to take this out of my chest. This movie is ok, it's entertaining blah blah blah, but it kinda started the Colombian subject on every movie dealing with stereotypical drug dealers. Just to quote some there's the Harrison Ford movie, recent Mr. & Mrs. Smith... you know there's a lot.

It would be nice if Hollywood people did some research about Colombia. I live in the capital city Bogota. Remember they had to take a funny bus to go to Bogota? well guess what, Bogota has an airport! also, like some dumb UnitedStatian asked me several years ago YES we wear shoes. We don't have monkeys on trees even if you travel from one city to another. Bogota is not some hot tropical city as they depict, it's average 13 celsius. We have some pretty amazing stuff that never gets mentioned in any movie that takes advantage of us! They don't even bother shooting those movies here, because it would take all the stereotype down, and they claim it's dangerous blah blah blah. Every foreign person that I know who have been here has left in love with Colombia. If you're out of places to say bad things about, at least make it up somehow!!

[–] drxcreatures 14 years ago

Well, they always shoot New Mexico, as a desert. I guess that's why people visit, in their summer clothes, when we have snow. What are you going to do?

http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] haafket 14 years ago

I live right next to a tree. And it just said that I should tell you guys that it feels offended by the lot of ya! It doesn't matter if your tree has a monkey in it or not. It can still be a pretty nice tree!

[–] thefiendguy_6 14 years ago

well this may be dead but

the only thing is that Hollywood has to learn to get Hispanics in general that actually speak Spanish, i'm sick of hearing stupid goddamn accents on people who are supposed to be Mexican or w/e. danny trejo should not act as a native Mexican

colombians should be played by colombians who use parcero, marica, hijuemachica or something that makes it look somewhat real,like we actually are. i mean where is the line between star wars and romancing the stone if they are both completely *beep* i'm i supposed to consider it fiction to the extent where cities change and whole groups of people change their culture, it's just bad writing. cien años de soledad is fiction, but people remain the same. the fiction is the plot not the setting, unless you want to make up a whole new country or some *beep* like gotham.

viva colombia

[–] HijodelCid 13 years ago

Because Mexico and Cuba are the only LatAme countries that have a border or are real close to the USA, too many Americans think that every other LatAme country is Mexico and/or Cuba with a different name. That includes Spielberg and his KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, which depicts typical Peruvian music that is actually mariachi music, which does not resemble at all the real music of Peru.
God is subtle, but He is not malicious. (Albert Einstein)

[–] mentisafer 12 years ago

this is so stupid, it never fails on these forums when a movie depicts Colombia, a colombian is going to complaint it doesn't portray all the beautiful things of the country; by the way I am born and raised in Colombia. I find it hilarious the outrage about the movies, since no other nationality reacts like we do; the damn movie is NOT about Colombia, is about a fun adventure, see the sequel "the jewel of the nile" set in the middle east, who cares, they just used a country that made the news for a couple of decades, big deal. What's the deal with colombians being so concerned about what others think of us? And it only shows how we are so racist and biased, we believe ours is the best of latin american countries while at the same time kissing up to americans. It's hypocritical and childish. One more time: WE ARE NOT THAT MUCH!

[–] CapitanJusticia 9 years ago

Lambon vendepatrias! Si odia tanto a Colombia, entonces largase de alla o nunca vuelva a pisar esa tierra, imbecil!

[–] pnayballer10 12 years ago

I honestly don't get what the OP is whining about.

First off this movie didn't start the Colombian drug dealer stereotype. A movie called "Scarface" did that a year earlier. And is it our fault that Pablo Escobar and the Godmother were big stories in america during the 80s?

Secondly I didn't see what was so offensive about the drugs. It was mostly played for laughs. Big Whoop we do it all the time. Ever heard of cheech and chong?

And sorry that the movie wasn't a catalogue commercial for your country. But it was an action and adventure movie. Its kind of hard to show the protagonist in danger. When the area they are in looks like paradise.

[–] juanpa01 12 years ago

Hey OP here

Yes you're right, the druglord stereotype put us on the map, but that's not what I criticize the most.

What I criticize the most is how little was known (then) about the country (by the filmmakers) and how in the US movies like this were making people ignorant (don't just blame the schools). Like I said, we have (and had then) airports, highways, wore shoes, had electricity and chicken-free and pig-free buses. Some people know about Colombia only what the movies show them.

Since the original post date a lot has been going on, we have Shakira and Sofia Vergara and many many other things that have put on everyone's minds new associations when hearing "Colombia".

Also lately there have been movies with a great background research on the locations, it doesn't matter if they are comedies, drama or action movies. This is what a professional filmmaker would do and I'm glad they are doing it nowadays.

Thanks to everyone for enriching this topic over the years, no matter which opinion you had it was an interesting debate that hadn't taken place anywere else and that, maybe, changed someone's point of view.

Time to move on and start a topic somewhere on your favorite stuff about Colombia.

[–] mentisafer 12 years ago

you kidding? colombia also has chickens in the bus, i remember growing up getting on the bus from Fusa to Bogota, a lot of country people with fight roosters and awful armpit sweat stink and the ruana (poncho), people selling all kinds of things or begging for money, etc. Maybe they where in a similar location, it does exist in Colombia, the fact that they didnt want to shoot an upscale neighborhood la zona rosa or anything doesnt mean it's couldnt be Colombia

[–] BigAl (161) 5 years ago

Columbia is a cool country. spend a month out there couple years back. very cool place would recommend

[–] liscarkat (17106) 5 years ago

It was a sure thing that somebody would start whining about how they were offended by Colombian stereotypes. Sorry, but nobody gives a rat's ass. This is an entertaining movie, and people watch it to be entertained, not as an ethnographic documentary. Lighten up.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 4 years ago

Colombia has some GREAT ass, and that’s about it; but I thank Colombia for that😈

[–] blue1981 (6960) 4 years ago

Since this movie was made in the early 80s I'm guessing it was before the war on drugs.