Customer Reviews

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz [VHS]

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"The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo de la Cruz" is yet another brilliant film from the great Luis Bunuel. It vibrates with his exquisite eye for composition, style and eroticism. It's one of those films that keeps you gripped and watching without any actual violence (though there is some with the Bunuel mark of surrealism). The performances are all convincing, the plot is complex and keeps you guessing all the way through. There are surprises large and small and it all seems so real because Bunuel makes it all so plausible, he had such an insight into human behavior which is really evident here in a film driven completely by story and characters, more by the characters actually. There is also a lot of style here in the photography, costumes, settings etc. Bunuel was not a tame director and here his eye for style and conversations and behaviors is what makes this a brilliant jewel of cinema from his "Mexican years" after he left Spain. "The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz" stands among his best works. He shows a touch of eroticism here that is convincing and artistic (it usually has to do with his obsessions with legs and shoes, but it's brilliantly filmed). Here we have a great example of cinema driven by the characters and their minds, lusts and dark secrets. We really feel as if we are in the mind of de la Cruz. As always, Bunuel adds his touch of surrealism, which is great. Don't miss this one, great cinema.

This is one of the best creations by Bunuel. As always, unpredictable, surrealistic, beautiful, witty and puzzling. The cinematography is extraordinary, too. This is a true masterpiece for those who like Bunuel or enjoy the art of cinema.
Not a Hollywood mass-production style movie, for sure.

Adapted from a mediocre novel by Mexican playwright Rodolfo Usigli (gladly the only one he wrote) "Ensayo de un Crimen" gathers several of the worst cinematographic moments issued from such an uneven filmmaker as Luis Buñuel. Its many clumsy aspects are generously distributed on all areas of its making: there is not a single actor that can deliver his/her lines without sounding like your average end-of-semester college play. The scenery and decor are elementary and full of anachronisms. To mention just one, in the initial flashback Archibaldo (as a young child) is playing in the 20's with a Lionel train from the 40-50's! Buñuel's directing job is plainly bad, even if he tries to embellish it with a couple of his famous "oniric" sequences that just don't work here.

Maybe the worst part of all is the script. There's not a single line that doesn't sound corny and forced. Here's to those who watched the film with the benefit of translated subtitles or dubbed into a foreign language: I envy you. In Spanish, the dialogs are plainly awful.

However, the most remarkable feature is the enormous amount of praise this unholy stinker has received during its 50 years of existence! Undoubtedly this shows that to most moviegoers and critics -moviegoers of the Summa cum Laude species, I guess- suppose that the sole name of a famous filmmaker must mean you're watching a work of art.

To this I must add that practically none of the movies that Buñuel filmed during his stay in Mexico is a true masterpiece. Even the celebrated "Los Olvidados" is sadly marred by an unabashed pamphlet scene extolling the social merits of the Juvenile Delinquent re-adaptation centers issued from the government of President Cárdenas. Maybe Buñuel considered necessary giving a little lick to the hand that was feeding him at the moment...