Touros Bravos

Downbeat bullfighting drama from Columbia Pictures and director Robert Rossen has Luis Bello (Mel Ferrer) as one of the top bullfighters in all Mexico, but after getting gored in the arena, he begins to question his vocation and his life in general. His manager and best friend Raul (Anthony Quinn) tries to snap him out of his funk, but when Luis takes up with party girl Linda (Miroslava), the matador descends even further into self-doubt. Also featuring Eugene Iglesias, Jose Torvay, and Charlita.

Much of this stark black and white film is shot in a documentary fashion which adds to its verisimilitude. Ferrer isn't bad as the struggling bullfighter, battling with the pitfalls of celebrity. Quinn returned to the screen after a hiatus of several years to play the manager, and he's not bad, if underused. Miroslava was a Czech-born Mexican movie star who became a cult figure after her suicide in 1955. I abhor bullfighting, so those who can tolerate it may like the film more than I did. But I will say that Rossen presents the matches in a unique manner, more as a semi-religious ritual than a sporting event, almost as a modern form of animal sacrifice.