Ánimas Trujano (El hombre importante) [The Important Man] (Ismael Rodríguez, 1961)

Dec

16

Underdog Day

Now very important Ánimas Trujano [Toshirō Mifune] holding his Juana (Columba Domínguez). DP: Gabriel Figueroa.

An underdog for National Underdog Day (USA)

 

Underdog Ánimas Trujano is dead set on becoming his town's next mayordomio, the wealthy, respected man in charge of funding one of Oaxaca's major religious festivals. He does find a way, a terrible one, and does get the respect and riches he wishes for. But even with all the money and praise in the world, Ánimas' continuous down his well-trodden path of gambling away the riches bestowed, and cheating on his long-suffering wife.

 

It took me a moment to get comfortable with the casting of Japanese movie legend Toshirō Mifune as the titular important man (also see Noé Murayama in Rodríguez's Los hermanos Del Hierro from 1961, but from that moment on, Ánimas Trujano feels as universal as any great cinematic experience should be.

#Bales2023FilmChallenge #UnderdogDay #IsmaelRodríguez #RogelioBarrigaRivas #ToshirōMifune #ColumbaDomínguez #FlorSilvestre #GabrielFigueroa #BookAdaptation #drama #Mexico #Oaxaca #1960s ★★★★½