[Joo Seong-cheol's Locker] What Beer Did Sergio (Benicio Del Toro) Always Carry in 'One Battle After Another'?

〈One Battle After Another〉 made me curious about the beer that Sergio (Benicio Del Toro) always carried. It was that can of beer that he casually handed to Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), who was stuck on the phone, unable to recall the code word. Later, when Bob Ferguson was rescued from the hospital and immediately got into Sergio's car, it was the beer he offered, which also led to them being chased by the police. The beer that Sergio drinks almost like water is none other than the Mexican beer 'Modelo'. Founded in 1925, the Modelo Group in Mexico also produces the well-known beer 'Corona'. Like Terra and Kelly, Corona and Modelo are brother beers. Moreover, it surpassed Budweiser to become the best-selling beer in the U.S. last year, and I heard it is now available at E-Mart, so I went to buy some right away. While it didn't make me want to dance on the highway like Sergio, it was just the right authentic pale lager taste for everyday drinking.

In 〈One Battle After Another〉, Modelo also represents the strong emotions of the Hispanic community led by Sergio. As the number of Hispanic immigrants increased, it became the best-selling beer overall. Additionally, thanks to the film's popularity, various parody photos could be seen on social media. From photos holding Modelo in front of theater signs to pictures of DiCaprio wearing the bathrobe while drinking Modelo, there were even recreations of Sergio being arrested with his arms tied while drinking Modelo. According to estimates from the production company Warner Bros., the film's box office performance fell far short of the break-even point, yet one could read the passionate affection fans have for this movie.

I liked Sergio, played by Benicio Del Toro, who is the 'Sensei' and leader of the Mexican immigrant community. Moreover, Benicio Del Toro is the one who played Che Guevara in Steven Soderbergh's 〈Che〉 two-part series (2008). Personally, he felt like the 'Open' Ark that always appears in Kim Yong's martial arts novels. He reminded me of a free-spirited hero who is always willing to help others, the ultimate embodiment of a hero. I wonder if he was intentionally named Sergio, but when he told Bob, who was shouting for revolution, "We have been suffering for hundreds of years," I could see a resemblance to Charles Bronson in Sergio Leone's 〈Once Upon a Time in the West〉 (1968). The nameless man he played, who plays the harmonica, is a character who embraces Mexico's sad history and dreams of revenge, yet his expression is always calm and peaceful.

 In the extension of that calmness, when Sergio in 〈One Battle After Another〉 drinks beer and hums, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose," despite the fact that soldiers are about to burst in, I could feel his character, which is hard to gauge. Perhaps Sergio's Modelo can is like the harmonica that Charles Bronson always held. Moreover, as he teaches Willa (Chase Infinity) about 'breathing' while teaching karate, saying, "Imagine the waves," it leads to the climax's twisting car chase, where Willa catches her breath and suddenly stops the car. Although his role was small, Sergio was indeed the true protagonist of 〈One Battle After Another〉 and a superhero who looks to the future.

 PS. It was also interesting that Sergio was subtly set up as a movie buff. The name of the karate dojo he runs is 'Ninja Academy', and there is a 〈Superman〉 Japanese poster behind his desk. Moreover, although it was very brief, the ringtone on his phone was the theme song 'Eye of the Tiger' from Sylvester Stallone's 〈Rocky III〉 (1982). While being chased by the police, when he shouted at DiCaprio, who couldn't jump out of the car, "Tom f***ing Cruise!" as if to mean, "Do it like Tom Cruise, who actually performs all the action scenes himself," and threw him out of the car, it was undoubtedly the highlight.

***** Starting with 'Joo Seong-cheol's Locker', which excessively attributes meaning to objects in movies, the actor's user manual 'Kim Ji-yeon's Jewelry Box', the movie music appreciation room 'Choo Ah-young's Music Box' that moved my heart, and the subculture merchant's purchase diary 'Sung Chan-eol's Comic Book' will be serialized biweekly by Cineplay reporters, each with their own tastes and perspectives. *****