11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Mexican Cinema., May 7, 2003
By A Customer
This is maybe the last great Mexican Golden Age cinema movie. It was directed by Roberto Gavaldon, one of the most important and creative directors from this country, and the cast allows several excellent actors from that time like Ignacio Lopez Tarso, Lucha Villa and Narciso Busquets; the screenplay was writen by Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez ( world size authors ) and the director Roberto Gavaldon who adapted it based on a text from the same name wroten by Juan Rulfo. All this clues takes us to the conclusion that this is a very representative movie of the mexican culture, but it only reflects a part of the ancient life of common people in the mexican towns, focus the atention in the gambling like cards games, cock fights and the palenques; The photograph of this movie take us to the mexican views, outside the big cities, on the fields where you can smell the clean air.
Few years later another movie of the same history was taken to the screen by another mexican director: Arturo ripstein, and the name was "El imperio de la fortuna" it doesnt looks like this one,that version is sader and more negative in the message, in my poor opinion, the original text by Juan Rulfo deserves to be changed and this movie really catches the spirit of that culture, so spiritual, so magic, so faithfull just doing that changes from the way rulfo concived it first.
The history spokes about two man, the poor Dionisio Pinzon and the gambling man , Lorenzo Benavides. They both fall in love with a palenque singer, La Caponera, and they really think she brings them good look in all theirs bussines. Finally they became partners and install a gambling house, but neither la caponera and Dionisio stand that "jail" and decide to leave, till a last cock fight where they face under la caponera sihgt just to prove who`s the luckiest man.
Some people will find this movie bured, but the play is just the way it should, slow and nice filmed to give us a picture that many much will apreciatte as a guide of what Mexico used to made.
Try to enjoy it.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
simple and warm, January 18, 2002
I enjoy old Mexican movies and this is up there with the best. Ignacio Tarzo puts in a strong perfomance as the little puebla's
cryer. This movie has drama, story and excellent singing by ranchera queen, Lucha Villa. A beautiful and warm movie.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
What goes around, comes around, June 12, 2011
To have it all and loose it all in gambling is payback for gaining everything the same way. Lucha Villa plays the unhappy woman who misses the action of the palenque. Fast pacing story with plenty of action.
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