THE TORCH/ DEL ODIO NACE EL AMOR

Mexico, 1950, 75 minutes, Black and white.
Paulette Godard, Pedro Armendariz, Gilbert Roland, Walter Reed.
Directed by Emilio Fernandez.

The Torch/, Del odio nace el amore (From hate love is born) was directed by one of Mexico’s most noted film-makers of the 20th century, Emilio Fernandez. Acting in films, directing from the 1940s, and also appearing in a number of American films including The Wild Bunch. Fernandez also worked with acclaimed cinematographer, Gabriel Figueroa. Figueroa was noted for his black and white photography, his compositions, light and shade, creating a special atmosphere. This is seen quite vividly in this film.

The film is set in the Mexican revolution, around 1918, focusing on life in a country town, with its aristocracy, its merchants, its teachers, the priest and the church, an ordinary people. Pedro Armendariz portrays a small-time general who leads rebels against the town, imprisoned some of the wealthy, confiscating their goods, but saving some lives from his over-eager assistant. He is also a long-time friend of the parish priest, played with great dignity by Gilbert Roland, with a screenplay very sympathetic to the church and its role, its mediation, its concern for the pool. It is an interesting example of non anticlerical perspectives from Mexico.

The main star, however, is Paulette Goddard, playing Maria Dolores, a young woman considerably younger than her age in real life. While she is fiery at times, it is not a very persuasive performance. She is preparing to marry an American doctor, but is caught in the crossfire when the rebels attack the town. The general meets her, is attracted, is lenient towards her family, especially her wealthy father, and begins to court her. She reacts in a very negative manner. However, it is a matter of protesting too much.
There is an interesting scene when Maria Dolores casts aspersions on the poor and is given a strong lecture by the general about arrogance and lack of sympathy for the poor.

She slaps him. He slaps her even more vigorously.

At this stage a plague breaks out in the town, Maria Dolores and her father wanting to escape are brought back to the general. She has a change of heart, helps with a sick, and comes to sympathise more with the general. Her fiancé returns from a city with a wedding dress rather than with medication, but he is persuaded to help with the sick of the dying.
The general decides to retreat, not wanting more slaughter of innocent people. Maria Dolores dresses for the ceremony, assures her fiancé that she wishes to go through with it but, at the last moment, hearing that the general is present, she leaves and the final scene is of her being a camp follower, marching with the general astride his horse.

1. The Mexican film industry of the 20th century? Telling local stories? Especially the Mexican revolution? The career of Emilio Fernandez, as actor, has film-maker? His sensitivities and perceptions on Mexico?

2. The photography of Gabriel Figueroa? Black and white, light and shade, compositions? The visuals more striking than the screenplay?

3. The Mexican revolution, the patterns of Zapata and other leaders? The story on a small scale?

4. The town, its way of life, the aristocracy, their wealth, the snobbery? The merchants and their raising prices, storing their wealth? The church? The challenge to rebels?

5. The general, the rebels, the advance on the town, the action sequences, Maria Dolores caught in the action? The occupying of the town? The headquarters? The general and his decisions, his assistant and his violent dreams, the general controlling him? The confinement of Maria Dolores father? The interrogation of the merchant, his hoarding money, his fear of death, his pleas? The encounter with the teacher, the general paying him more, opening the school again, Adelita enrolling?

6. Maria Dolores, her place in her family, engaged to the doctor, fiery and temperament? Anger with the general, the encounters, discussions, slapping him? His attraction to her, coming to her house, her using the fireworks and his using his gun? Protesting too much? Her arrogance towards the poor, the general and his attacking her verbally, hitting her? The effect on her? Her father being the least for her sake? Trying to escape the influenza? Stopped, her seeing the suffering, her change of heart, decision to help, her generosity? The return of her fiancé, bringing the wedding dress, her preparing for the wedding, assuring him that she would marry him, hearing the general, not signing the document, running outside, love for her father, going to the general, seen marching with him?

7. The doctor, from America, love for Maria Dolores, going to the town, getting the pass to buy medicine, buying the dress and returning, his helping with the dying? The marriage, his being jilted?

8. Adelita, the generals’ protégé, her keeping Maria Dolores’ secret, not wanting to go to school, her sickness and death?

9. The significance of the church? The anti-clericalism of the time? Not in this film? The character of the priest, his role in the town, liaison with the rich, his service of the poor, mediation for the people? his character, integrity? A proper man of the church? His friendship with the general, the several scenes with their shaking hands? his influence with the general? The preparation for the wedding? His observing what happened? Comparisons with other portrayals of priests of this period, for example The Fugitive and Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory?

10. The strength of the production values and photography in comparison with the performances and the dialogue? But the film as significant in Mexican film-making in the middle of the 20th century?