United States as a land of power as well as opportunity." However, Canby did find the acting top-rate and noted the realism they bring to their tasks. He added: "Mr. Nava does not patronize his 'little people.' This has something to do with the straight, unactorly quality of the performances, especially by Zaide Silvia Gutierrez as Rosa and David Villalpando as Enrique, two splendid Mexican actors." The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 92% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 60 reviews. Accolades Wins Montréal World Film Festival: Grand Prix des Amériques, Gregory Nava; 1984. Nominations Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas; 1985. Writers Guild of America, East: WGA Award; Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen; Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas; 1985. Other distinguishments In 1995 the film was selected for preservation by the United States National Film Registry. Soundtrack A soundtrack for the film was produced in France by Island/Phono-Gram. The album was produced by Gregory Nava and Danny Holloway. The CD features original music for the film by Los Folkloristas, Emil Richards, and Linda O'Brian. It also features "Rosa's Song" sung by the actress Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez. Adagio for Strings, by the American composer Samuel Barber, was featured at two different points in the film. It also contains excerpts from the First Cello Concerto and De Natura Sonoris No. 1 by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, the latter of which is used twice. Home media The Criterion Collection released El Norte in DVD and Blu-ray format on January 20, 2009. References External links El Norte essay by Matthew Holtmeier at National Film Registry El Norte essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 , pages 781-783 El Norte extensive summary and analysis at The Free Library El Norte film review: a Christian point-of-view El Norte scholarly analysis by Hugo N. Santander at American University El Norte film trailer at YouTube Promised Land: El Norte an essay by Héctor Tobar at the Criterion Collection 1983 drama films 1983 films American political drama films American independent films British political drama films British independent films 1980s English-language films Films about illegal immigration to the United States Films about the labor movement Films directed by Gregory Nava Films set in Guatemala Films set in