Vámonos con Pancho Villa

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Movie
Original title Vámonos con Pancho Villa
Country of production Mexico
original language Spanish
Publishing year 1935
length 92 minutes
Rod
Director Fernando de Fuentes
script Fernando de Fuentes
Xavier Villaurrutia
production Alberto J. Pani
music Silvestre Revueltas
camera Gabriel Figueroa
Jack Draper
cut Joseph Noriega
occupation
chronology

←  Predecessor
El compadre Mendoza

Vámonos con Pancho Villa is a Mexican historical film from 1935, directed by Fernando de Fuentes . The film tells the story of a group of friends who join Pancho Villa in his struggle. Over time, due to the tough fighting and Pancho Villa's lack of interest in his men, all of them die, only one returns home. In this film, De Fuentes deals with the cruelty of the revolution and refrains from glorifying it, as it should be expressed in many other cinematic treatments of the subject. The production of the film by the newly founded studio Cinematográfico Latino Americana was heavily subsidized by the state and was the most expensive in Mexico until then. After filming was completed, the studio faced bankruptcy and the state took over the debt. The film could not attract much public interest, only over time did interest in it increase. Now Vámonos con Pancho Villa is considered a masterpiece of Mexican film .

action

In the (fictional) Mexican village of San Pablo, the young Miguel Ángel del Toro (Ramón Vallarino) is harassed by a captain of the government troops while chopping wood ; only with difficulty can he escape it over a wall. His escape leads him to the dwelling of the farmer and father of two children Tiburcio Maya (Antonio R. Frausto), where other men from the poverty-stricken town have already met: the somewhat cheeky Melitón Botello (Manuel Tamés "Regulo"), plus Rodrigo and Máximo Perea (Carlos López "Chaflán", Raúl de Anda) and Martín Espinosa (Rafael F. Muñoz). Discussing the desperate situation, the sextet decides to join the advancing forces of Pancho Villa ; Their courage is also evident from the fact that they call themselves "Los Leones" - the "Lions of San Pablo".

On their arrival at the revolutionary leader's camp at a railway stop, they encounter a friendly villa (Domingo Soler) that is distributing maize to needy farmers. The exuberant atmosphere is soon over when the first fights begin, although the "lions" are particularly courageous when they take a city. The general remembers this when a battle on the open ground resulted in great losses caused by an enemy machine gun: Villa orders the men around Tiburcio to do something against the machine-gun nest, and in fact, Máximo Perea, the weapon, succeeds after a daring ride to wrest from the government troops - but he is fatally wounded. Little by little the supposed freedom fighter turns out to be a despotic despot, and in the ongoing events the small group of the brave from San Pablo decimates bit by bit: After Espinosa was killed in a night attack on a fortress, a "lion" - Trio (without young Miguel) on a rash parliamentary mission, is promptly arrested and is supposed to be executed; the slightly overweight Botello is already hanging on the rope, which fortunately breaks, but Rodrigo Perea dies in the shell fire of the subsequent rescue operation.

Finally Botello under a boisterous comes Cantina -Feier after conquering one other municipality killed - it is the tragic victim of an absurd revolver throw game, selected with an aching ball in the belly suicide. Only Tiburcio and Miguel are left, but the younger one is weak and has contracted smallpox ; When Villa learns about it, he orders his killing, citing the risk of contagion. The last "lion" carried out the order with great reluctance, burned the corpse of his comrade and was discharged from the army as he looked quite sickly himself. Disaffected by the villa and the revolution, he walks on night tracks towards his home village.

An alternative ending found in the eighties shows Tiburcio ten years after his return to his family. Just with his son Pedro (José "Pepe" del Rio) working in the fields, a large General Villas unit comes by. He recognizes the former "lion" and demands that Tiburcio join his armed forces again. However, he does not want to leave his wife and children, whereupon Villa shoots them both; Tiburcio's furious rebellion also ends with a fatal bullet; Villa then takes the desperate Pedro with him.

background

After El compadre Mendoza and El prisionero trece , Fernando de Fuentes presented Vámonos con Pancho Villa, the third film in his trilogy of revolution. The film was based on a novel, in which de Fuentes staged the great Mexican theme of the revolution as a revolutionary event that overwhelmed its incomprehensible participants. In doing so, he also highlighted the dichotomy between the ideals of the revolution and its chaotic, contradicting appearance. The film thus also contributed to overcoming the revolutionary events and conflicts in Mexico, which are still strongly present. Fernando de Fuentes was not hindered by the government, which was a sign of the open climate of the time. In contrast, later film adaptations with reference to Pancho Villa were glorifying and thus followed the state line that stylized him into a freedom fighter and role model. In this sense, Vámonos con Pancho Villa was the last film that was able to deal honestly and uninfluenced with this topic,

The production of the film was taken over by the newly founded company Cinematográfico Latino Americana , which was subsidized by the state and started work in 1935 equipped with the best technology at the time. The state supported the shoot by providing a complete train , a regiment of regular troops, artillery , uniforms, horses and other military material. Due to the elaborate production, Vámonos con Pancho Villa cost one million pesos, making it the most expensive film in Mexico to date. The studio could not bear these costs alone and would have had to file for bankruptcy if the government had not stepped in for this sum and thus ensured the continued existence of the company. The film could not attract much audience interest and was therefore a flop. It was only shown in the cinema for a week and then removed from the program. Only after a long time, in the 1989s, did he gain attention and its quality was noticed. An alternative ending was also found at this time. Nowadays it is considered a masterpiece of Mexican film . Fernando de Fuente's next film, Allá en el Rancho Grande , in contrast to Vámonos con pancho Villa, was a huge hit with audiences.

literature

  • Carl J. Mora, "Mexican Cinema: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2004: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2004." Mcfarland & Co Inc, 2005. ISBN 978-0786420834
  • David R. Maciel, Joanne Hershfield: "Mexico's Cinema: A Century of Film and Filmmakers." Sr Books, 1999. ISBN 978-0842026826
  • Andrea Noble: "Mexican National Cinema." Taylor & Francis, 2005. ISBN 978-0415230100

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Carl J. Mora: "Mexican Cinema: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2004: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2003." Mcfarland & Co Inc, 2005. Page 44.
  2. ^ Carl J. Mora: "Mexican Cinema: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2004: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2003." Mcfarland & Co Inc, 2005. Page 45.
  3. ^ Carl J. Mora: "Mexican Cinema: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2004: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2003." Mcfarland & Co Inc, 2005. Page 43.