EL

Mexico, 1952, 100 minutes, Black and white.
Arturo de Cordova, Delia Garces.
Directed by Luis Bunuel.

El is considered one of Luis Bunuel's Mexican masterpieces. After his years in Spain, Bunuel went to Mexico in the 30s and produced many films there from the 40s to the 60s, eventually returning to Spain and making films there as well as in France. While in Mexico, he made a series of films with short running time (ranging from comedy to satire to melodrama and drama, including a Mexican version of Wuthering Heights).

Bunuel, the atheist, is always fascinated by the Catholic Church and its rituals, using them as symbols - but also reacting against them as well as the control of Catholic authorities. This is very clear here with the opening at the Holy Thursday washing of the feet ceremony and the place of the priest advisor. Bunuel is also critical of the Hispanic tradition, especially with Mexican aristocrats and their lauding it over one another and the local Indians. Bunuel was later to make a film called The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and ironic title. El is very much a film about the surface discreet charm of the Bourgeoisie covering over repression and madness.

The focus of the film is on Don Francisco, a powerful characterization of an aristocrat, a surface decent man who in fact is jealous, greedy, proud, sexually repressed and ultimately obsessively jealous - leading to madness. His victim is an Argentinian woman, visiting Mexico and engaged to an engineer. She falls under Francisco’s discreet charm only to find that she has married an obsessive madman. The film dramatises the struggles of the man and the woman - with the background of Mexican society and religion. The film is one of the most effective of Bunuel's dramas.

1. the work of Bunuel, his background, time in Mexico, his issues about men and women, relationships? Society, the Catholic church? His ironic perceptions? As applied here to high drama?

2. The Mexican settings, the cities, the affluent world of homes and apartments? The world of industry and technology and development? The musical score?

3. the title - and its macho tone? The focus on the Mexican male? The critique of the Mexican male?

4. The dramatisation of obsession, appearances and reality, the effect on other, destruction, madness?

5. Don Francisco as the edifying upper class gentleman? His presence in church, the Holy Thursday ceremony, the attraction towards Gloria - and her foot and leg? His being obsessed with her? The return to the church to find her, eventually finding her, the passionate embrace? His business, inheritance - and his jealousy about his inheritance? Going to see his lawyer, his anger and dismissing him? The loyalty of his servant? The friendship with Raoul, the discovery that Gloria is Raoul's fiance? His place in the church, the support of the priest? His manipulating the meal and his invitation? Meeting Gloria and Raoul? His charming Gloria - and her decision not to marry Raoul?

6. The background of wealthy society, the church? Reinforcing Don Francisco's behaviour patterns?

7. Gloria, with her mother, background from Argentina, seeing Francisco, alone in the church, the attraction to him? Breaking of the engagement after the party? The marriage?

8. Raoul, the gentleman, friend with Francisco, his work away from the city, his return - and his seeing Gloria in the street?

9. The jump in the drama from the party to Gloria bewildered in the street? Gloria's version of what had happened and the audience believing her? The wedding night and Francisco's jealousy, saying she was thinking of Raoul, the growing brutality, watching her behaviour, brutal to her, violent? Jealous of the men at the hotel, the man in the neighbouring room and hitting him, at the table in the restaurant? His jealousy of Raoul, his fears - and then his sudden asking of forgiveness? The effect on himself, on Gloria?

10. Gloria going to see her mother and finding that Francisco had been before her and poisoned her mother's attitude towards her daughter? Her going to the priest and the priest saying that he had known Don Francisco, knew him to be a good man - and Francisco having got there before Gloria?

11. Francisco and his outbursts against the lack of privacy, Gloria speaking to her mother, to the priest, to Raoul? The build-up to the separation? The role of the servant and his pandering to Francisco? The legal difficulties and Gloria typing the letter for Francisco?

12. Gloria's departure, Francisco pursuing her, seeing the woman in the car, getting the taxi, the desperate pursuit, going to the church, the attempted violence - and finding it was another couple? His hallucination of all the people laughing at him in the church, the cut editing for the people being serious and laughing? The priest laughing at him and his assault of him?

13. The postscript with Raoul and Gloria visiting the monastery? With their son Francisco? The friars? The irony of Francisco in the Franciscan monastery - and his having seen Raoul and Gloria through the window? The monastery as a haven for his madness?