I cant see why a movie so popular and important have so few reviews. Important, because it's hard to find in Mexico a people that has not seen yet, because his dialogues and his songs are part of cotidian talk, and everyone have had sometimes friends nicknamed with the figures that poblate this film (the first of a extraordinary trilogy of a wise director with a notably smell for success) Well, if you think that this popular trilogy was one of George Lucas, you are wrong. This one is the creation of Ismael Rodrìguez, that made a trilogy of films that, even that more than 50 years have passed, it's still one of those monumental hits of popular culture in Mèxico (maybe in Latinoamerica), and one of those reference points for a history in our colective dreams. We have here a Great Melodrama, with the most charismatic characters surrounding the great Pepe el Toro, (who else could be than Pedro Infante)the noble carpenter, around him are his daughter Chachita, his girlfriend La Chorreada, and unbelievable secundary characters all of them living in a world of adversities. Is a picture so sharp written and well acted that you have see to believe, the narrative is dense and barroque, you pass in matter of seconds of the most sweet tender to extreme violence to romance to suspense to unforgettable musical moments to (if you like it) a very little moment of gore (Just check the fight in the jail and you'll jump) and so and so. Very wise crafted ( I imagine that Ismael Rodrìguez could with tranquility predict the great success of it) that most people forgive all the flaws that have. Of course, is one of the most attacked mexican pictures by the rigurous critics, i should say, maybe by the fact that tends to make idilious and romantic the cruel cuestion of poverty, maybe because all the efectism in the narrative. They are right, of course, but this picture surpass all of this, in fact this is a film of stereotypes, the urban and legendary stereotypes (you just cannot imagine the enormous figure of Pedro Infante without separate him of Pepe el Toro) and in this sense i think, will be hard to imagine other film like that (I know, times are very diferent) but in the deep skin of Mèxico, one or two times at day everyone whistles like Pepe el Toro, the song "Amorcito Corazòn". I have it for sure. Ten of ten stars, of course.
P.D. You should check too "Ustedes los Ricos" , the second of the trilogy, superb like this one.
