The Mule: A Deep Dive into Family and the Cartel

The Mule directed by Clint Eastwood is a film that explores a man’s descent into the cartel. This man, Earl, doesn’t emulate a usual criminal however. In fact, it is arguable that his good intentions rise him above the status of a criminal. In his old age, Earl loses everything and turns to his family for hospitality, but he is turned away, as he always held work higher than his family. It is then that he turns to a seemingly easy line of work, running drugs for the cartel.

Earl stands out in the film as a grumpy old man from a judgemental era. He calls Mexicans “beaners” and when talking to a black family he refers to them as “negro folks”. This gives him a bad wrap in some confrontations, but he is mostly liked by the people he meets. Earl may not have a filter, but he has a good heart. When he uses these offensive labels, he does so with no malicious intent. The family he calls “negro folks”, is a mother, father, and daughter that got a flat tire in the middle of the desert. He, with over a million dollars worth of cocaine in his truck and cartel members following his every move, stops to help this family regardless of this risk on himself. Earl finds a way for everyone to like him, even in the most tense situations.

Earl is very wise and charismatic. This helps him evade the spotlight of the law. There are many close shaves during Earl’s drug runs and in each case, he knew exactly what to say. For instance, when he stopped at a restaurant with two cartel members, a police officer stopped the two and questioned their business. Earl convinced the policeman that he had picked them up from Home Depot and they were helping him move. He then gave the officer two tins of popcorn and ushered him away. The officer sensed nothing of it and left, thankful for the popcorn. Even though Earl could sweet talk almost any stranger, he wasn’t so successful with his own family.

This film begs the question, do you work to live or live to work? Earl chose the latter, and regretted it. The beginning of the film shows Earl at a Daylily convention while his daughter was getting married. This motif of work over family is continued until the end of the film when Earl goes off route to visit his dying wife. This introduces the theme of family over work. Earl going off route actually saves him from being caught by the DEA, for the time being, who knew where he was going. He stays with his family for a week, seeing his wife pass and attending her funeral. After the experience, Earl’s family welcomes him with open arms. His family troubles are over. He leaves to continue the route, but is stopped short by the DEA and taken into custody. At his trial, he pleads guilty to all charges knowing he will go to prison. At the prison, he is content knowing that he is finally accepted in his family. The audience sees him last planting daylilies in the prison garden, just as he was in the beginning.

I give this film a Good-Good rating. One of the best films I’ve seen in a long time.