*Plot and ending analyzed*
Lauro Puñales (1969)
"Lauro the Knife"
First of all, the audio is horrible and very difficult to hear, add to that, a Mexican 'slang' that is spoken very fast. Still, if you speak Spanish at a basic level, you can understand most of it.
At the commencement, I noticed a lot of familiar faces from Mexican cinema, from Antonio Aguilar ("El Charro de Mexico" (The Horseman of Mexico) Mexican singer, film actor), Flor Silvestre (Mexican singer and actress, "Flor Silvestre" was a stage name of Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla, who was also married to Antonio Aguilar), Jorge Russek (Mexican actor, worked with director Sam Peckinpah in The Wild Bunch (1969), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) and Convoy (1978)) and quite a few others from various Western movies.
Lauro Punales was directed by Rene Cardona, who was a director in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Rene Cardona Sr, who was an in-house Mexican Director, along with his son, did some 1970's Exploitation films that played the world theater circuits. Together they produced, directed and distributed numerous low-budget Exploitation films that weren't very good, but are noted for having burnt out Hollywood actors and exotic themes (Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979), Carlos the Terrorist (1979), Cyclone (1978), The Bermuda Triangle (1978), ¡Tintorera! Tiger Shark (1977)).
Lauro Punales is choppy and lazily edited, and doesn't really follow through on any good dramatic storyline. Still, it definitely has its charms, however frivolously portrayed in the film. Antonio Aguilar sings a few serenade songs as well, keeping it going.
The basic outline is about a small town in Mexico that has an old landowner, who is both kindred to and highly sympathetic, to the local peons, or campesinos. Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) seems to be a foreman of the old landowner, and he is even wooing one of the landowner's three daughters. There's also a warm-hearted teacher, who buys shoes for one of his poor students. The teacher is also pursuing one of the other three daughters. Most of the campesinos in the small town are Zapatistas.
The old landowner's three daughters flirt, and then spurn the affections of the various men.
Also in the small town are a few conservative landowners, Huertistas, who support Victoriano Huerta, the new Mexican military officer who killed Francisco Madero and is now the dictator. They plan to harass the Zapatista campesinos, and have one of their goons burn a corn granary.
Many stilted and contrived scenes follow, from a concocted knife brawl in the tavern between Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) and one of the Huertistas' henchmen. Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) does not kill him, but later, the henchmen meets up with Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) and beats him severely with a log. Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) sits on his bed, unable to walk, but vowing revenge. Women cry and seek help from General Emiliano Zapata (Jaime Fernandez) but he tells them to persevere.
Later, the military is called in, and a young officer also turns his pursuits to soliciting love from another one of the other three landowner's daughters. He changes his tune towards the Zapatistas in front of his General father, who pronounces him a traitor and has him killed instantly. I thought it was entirely absurd.
During the funerary procession, Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) stumbles out on crutches, and heads to the tavern where he attacks the Huertistas' henchman who had beaten him. He "throws a knife" into his eye and he dies. It was a hilarious scene. Two other Huertista henchmen shoot him dead, but the old landowner's daughter, in tears, shoots them both. The film ends on that note, with a beautiful Corrido (a popular Mexican narrative song and poetry form, or a ballad).
The film itself is average but is a nice watch, and those who like old Mexican films will find something to enjoy in it. It is highly supportive of the Zapatista ideals of land redistribution and agrarian reform.
In Spanish with no subtitles.
Lauro Puñales (1969)
"Lauro the Knife"
First of all, the audio is horrible and very difficult to hear, add to that, a Mexican 'slang' that is spoken very fast. Still, if you speak Spanish at a basic level, you can understand most of it.
At the commencement, I noticed a lot of familiar faces from Mexican cinema, from Antonio Aguilar ("El Charro de Mexico" (The Horseman of Mexico) Mexican singer, film actor), Flor Silvestre (Mexican singer and actress, "Flor Silvestre" was a stage name of Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla, who was also married to Antonio Aguilar), Jorge Russek (Mexican actor, worked with director Sam Peckinpah in The Wild Bunch (1969), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) and Convoy (1978)) and quite a few others from various Western movies.
Lauro Punales was directed by Rene Cardona, who was a director in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Rene Cardona Sr, who was an in-house Mexican Director, along with his son, did some 1970's Exploitation films that played the world theater circuits. Together they produced, directed and distributed numerous low-budget Exploitation films that weren't very good, but are noted for having burnt out Hollywood actors and exotic themes (Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979), Carlos the Terrorist (1979), Cyclone (1978), The Bermuda Triangle (1978), ¡Tintorera! Tiger Shark (1977)).
Lauro Punales is choppy and lazily edited, and doesn't really follow through on any good dramatic storyline. Still, it definitely has its charms, however frivolously portrayed in the film. Antonio Aguilar sings a few serenade songs as well, keeping it going.
The basic outline is about a small town in Mexico that has an old landowner, who is both kindred to and highly sympathetic, to the local peons, or campesinos. Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) seems to be a foreman of the old landowner, and he is even wooing one of the landowner's three daughters. There's also a warm-hearted teacher, who buys shoes for one of his poor students. The teacher is also pursuing one of the other three daughters. Most of the campesinos in the small town are Zapatistas.
The old landowner's three daughters flirt, and then spurn the affections of the various men.
Also in the small town are a few conservative landowners, Huertistas, who support Victoriano Huerta, the new Mexican military officer who killed Francisco Madero and is now the dictator. They plan to harass the Zapatista campesinos, and have one of their goons burn a corn granary.
Many stilted and contrived scenes follow, from a concocted knife brawl in the tavern between Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) and one of the Huertistas' henchmen. Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) does not kill him, but later, the henchmen meets up with Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) and beats him severely with a log. Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) sits on his bed, unable to walk, but vowing revenge. Women cry and seek help from General Emiliano Zapata (Jaime Fernandez) but he tells them to persevere.
Later, the military is called in, and a young officer also turns his pursuits to soliciting love from another one of the other three landowner's daughters. He changes his tune towards the Zapatistas in front of his General father, who pronounces him a traitor and has him killed instantly. I thought it was entirely absurd.
During the funerary procession, Lauro Punales (Antonio Aguilar) stumbles out on crutches, and heads to the tavern where he attacks the Huertistas' henchman who had beaten him. He "throws a knife" into his eye and he dies. It was a hilarious scene. Two other Huertista henchmen shoot him dead, but the old landowner's daughter, in tears, shoots them both. The film ends on that note, with a beautiful Corrido (a popular Mexican narrative song and poetry form, or a ballad).
The film itself is average but is a nice watch, and those who like old Mexican films will find something to enjoy in it. It is highly supportive of the Zapatista ideals of land redistribution and agrarian reform.
In Spanish with no subtitles.
