One of the truly great things about movies being released on
disc is that it provides an opportunity for movie fans to see movies they might
otherwise miss. The majority of theaters in this country fail to feature
foreign films and finding classic films is near impossible there. At one time
select theaters tried to accommodate those fans but those days dwindled when
VHS arrived and have grown fewer with disc on hand at affordable prices. So
when a good movie comes along that is considered both a classic and an older
film that’s reason to rejoice. One such film is SKELETON OF MRS. MORALES.
By many accounts the film is considered a classic ranking
number 19 in the list of the 100 best films of Mexican cinema. So when I heard
it was being released I was anxious to see if it was worth that ranking. I’m
pleased to say that yes, it does.
The story involves the title characters, an unhappy woman
prone to hypochondria, self-righteousness and spreading gossip about her
husband. Gloria Morales (Amparo Rivelles) is a shrew of a woman who pleads her
case before the local priest telling him about how poorly she is treated when
her husband steps out for a drink. She accuses him of being an alcoholic, of
ignoring her and of blasphemy, all of which enrages the priest.
Pablo Morales (Arturo de Córdova) is honestly a simple man,
loved by the kids in the neighborhood. A taxidermist by trade he spends his
days working to provide for his wife and dealing with her issues. He loves her
and wants to spend time with her but she brushes off his romantic endeavors
telling him to go wash with alcohol to take off the stink of his profession.
When he sits down to enjoy a steak, she complains about the smell acting as if
she’s going to be sick, saying it reminds her of the work he does in his shop
downstairs.
Pablo has one dream, of owning a new camera so he can take
pictures of his friends and the children in the neighborhood. When he goes to
get his money to buy it, he finds Gloria has taken his money and given it to
the church. He insists on it being returned which once more infuriates the
priest and embarrasses Gloria. She wants to donate the money so she can have
her name in the church for all to praise her for.
At one point Gloria attempts to poison the hawk that Pablo
has been caring for, helping it mend. When the maid catches her she fires the
maid threatening to spread lies about her. Later on in a fit of rage she
smashes Pablo’s camera. After 15 years of dealing with her issues, he’s had
enough. What happens from there makes for an interesting and at times truly
funny film.
The movie is being released by VCI as part of their
Classicos Del Cine Mexicano series. They’ve done a fine job of cleaning up the
film offering it on blu-ray for the first time with a restored 2k version. The
image is sharp, clean and near perfect, a black and white film that uses the
form of shadow and light to perfection.
The biggest gripe many will have is that the film isn’t
dubbed. For those who have an issue I say stop complaining and give it a shot.
The subtitles here are clearly visible and nicely done and no one should have a
problem reading them. Open up the world to your movie viewing experience.
As for this movie I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly
recommend it. There wasn’t a moment in the film when I wanted to press the fast
forward button of get on with things. Each moment was enjoyable and the story
fantastic. Give this one a watch.
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