

EL COMPADRE MENDOZA (Mexico / 1934) 



Even though the violent and perfidious Mexican Revolution of the early twentieth century had often been depicted in films that constituted the rise of Mexico's national cinema, "the revolution trilogy" by Fernando de Fuentes (1894-1958), arguably the best and most important filmmaker the country had during the 1930s, delved deeper and unveiled more aspects of the upheaval than any previous works. El compadre Mendoza, the second and, arguably, the best film of the three -- the others being Prisoner 13 (1933) and Let's Go With Pancho Villa (1936) -- perceptively explored the encompassing tragedy from an individualized perspective. 

Well played by Chilean-born character actor Alfredo del Diestro, Rosalío Mendoza is the wealthy middle-aged owner of a hacienda. The revolution is at its peak and for a variety of reasons, primarily financial, his loyalties reside with both the governmental forces of General Victoriano Huerta (and later Venustiano Carranza) and the revolutionary, agrarian army of Emiliano Zapata. But in time Mendoza develops a special bond with a young Zapatista, General Felipe Nieto (Antonio R. Frausto), who also considers him a good friend and especially becomes close to his family after Mendoza opportunistically marries a much younger woman (Carmen Guerrero, Drácula [1931]) and has a son named after him. Mendoza's comradeship is eventually tested however due to the tumultuous times and the growing suspicion within the warring factions. 

Based on a story by the talented Mauricio Magdaleno, this gracefully shot and edited effort (featuring seamless dissolves and montages) is technically on par with Hollywood films of the time-period (de Fuentes was partly educated in the U.S.). The credit also certainly goes to his colleague, Juan Bustillo Oro, a fine filmmaker in his own right, who not only collaborated with de Fuentes on the screenplay, which generally avoids melodramatic moments, but also assisted him in direction. While El compadre Mendoza could be seen through the allegorical lens of the Mexican Revolution and Zapata's eventual murder, its depiction of the resulting dissolution at the fundamental level is universal and timeless. 

____________________________________________ 

*Now available on DVD in the U.S. from Cinemateca/Facets. The transfer is adequate given the available resources (the print itself needs to be restored). Lamentably, there are no extra features of any value.

*Related: Somos' 100 Best Mexican Films. 
_____________________________________________ 
[note]added DVD info/new link/fixed yuku errors