El Bruto Reviews

This devastating, little-seen Mexican entry from Luis Bunuel was one of seven films he directed during 1951 and 1952 (only three of which he wrote). Pedro the Brute (Pedro Armendariz), a slaughterhouse worker who is all brawn and little brain, is indebted to Don Andres (Andres Soler), a callous landlord who is preparing to evict a number of families from their low-rent homes. When the tenants, who have nowhere to go, threaten to defy the court-issued eviction order, Don Andres hires Pedro to frighten them off. Unaware of his own awesome strength, Pedro hits the tenant organizer so hard he kills him. Meanwhile, Don Andres' sexually hungry mistress Paloma (Katy Jurado) makes amorous advances toward Pedro, with whom she openly discusses his stupidity. It is only later, as the frightened Pedro hides out from a band of murderous tenants, that his compassionate side is revealed. Injured in a fight, Pedro is treated by, and attracted to, the young, virginal Meche (Rosita Arenas), who is unaware that the man she nurses is her father's killer. Within the limits of a commercial, film noir -styled Mexican entertainment, the masterful Bunuel has created a moving and expertly crafted tale of brutality and compassion set in the context of class conflict. The Wellesian Pedro, in his self-discovery and his futile attempt to tame himself in the name of his love, is one of the most touching characters Bunuel has ever written. (In Spanish; English subtitles.)