Río Escondido

A master's camera at work, great still moments, superb use of black and white. Eisenstenian shots of people. And one of the most overtly manipulative films in Mexican cinema. The story of a mean (priista) landlord and major who takes away the water from the always suffering helpless indians and the beautiful (priista) teacher who opposes him, delivering one (priista) political speech after another to her children, becomes so dated it leads to unintentional laughter. The crucial moment, in which dying Rosaura after yelling that the children are Mexico, decides to write a letter to (priista) President Miguel Alemán himself is one of the lowest political moments I've ever witnessed in film. The President as God. Very enjoyable to the eye, Río Escondido tells us of a Mexico that only existed in the minds of propagandists. Great acting -as usual- by López Moctezuma as the mean cacique.