Many critics consider this tragic love story one of the best movies ever made by Emilio Fernández, along with "Flor Silvestre" and "Víctimas del pecado". Dolores del Río plays a wealthy woman for a change, and she is indeed better cast as the spoiled daughter of a miner than the suffering peasant María Candelaria, the icon of the "cine indigenista" for which Fernández is better remembered. Again her love for Pedro Armendáriz brings death, and the B&W cinematography by Gabriel Figueroa is remarkable.
2 Reviews
Simplistic but powerful
filton12 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Bugambilia is a simple tale of impossible love and honour in a small Mexican town in the late 19th century. Dolores de Rio is wonderful as the coquettish Amalia, the only child of the local nobleman (shades of Scarlett in 'Gone With The Wind'). She has many suitors but none of them have that certain something ... until she meets by chance The One, the charismatic Ricardo Robles (Pedro Amendáriz). Of course, it's love at first sight, but it's an impossible love because of the class divide ... and tragedy ensues.
There are some marvellous scenes in this (the squeaky shoes in the church, the duel in the dead of night, the gift of a cockerel and what it does to Amalia's favourite hen ...). The photography and soundtrack are very good, the acting too (very melodramatic, but fitting for the theme).
It's my first taste of Mexican cinema but I'll be seeking out more after this.
There are some marvellous scenes in this (the squeaky shoes in the church, the duel in the dead of night, the gift of a cockerel and what it does to Amalia's favourite hen ...). The photography and soundtrack are very good, the acting too (very melodramatic, but fitting for the theme).
It's my first taste of Mexican cinema but I'll be seeking out more after this.
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