Mexican Macabre Laughters

Cecilia Antonieta Guillermo Valencia (Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila)

Death has always held an important place in the artistic expressions of Mexican culture. From engravings with skulls, festive days with specific traditions, and of course, films that address the theme from a unique and characteristic perspective of the country. 

Probably due to the simultaneous occurrence of the event, and as a consequence of it, many of the early Mexican films portrayed stories about the Revolution. Audiences went to the cinema to watch fictional depictions that, in some way, represented the situation they were facing. Some films even developed stories around real-life figures involved in the conflict. Such is the case of Vámonos con Pancho Villa (Fernando de Fuentes, 1936). In this film, we follow a group of young men who, with great ideals, join the fight but die under General Villa’s command. In the discourse of these films, a certain unease provoked by the brutality of the Revolution can be distinguished (Roddick, 2019).

While the revolutionary genre offered a clear commentary on Mexico’s struggles and problems in the early 20th century, directors of the time also found a space for expression in horror films. Movies like La Llorona (Ramón Peón, 1933) or El fantasma del convento (Fernando de Fuentes, 1934) provide a more subtle and considerably darker response to the violence and fear experienced by Mexicans. 

However, as society evolved, so did its problems and, therefore, the cinematic narratives that sought to represent them. And while death was mainly associated with horror, it soon began to be accompanied by a slightly less traditional partner: comedy. This is how Mexican Macabre Laughter films (Paz y Ortega, 2023) were born; perfectly combining horror and humor in an apparently normal context. El caso de la mujer asesinadita (Tito Davison, 1955) and El esqueleto de la señora Morales (Rogelio A. González, 1960) are significant examples of the national take on macabre comedies.

In El caso de la mujer asesinadita (1955), Mercedes dreams of her husband, Lorenzo; Raquel, his lover; and Frank, a character from the novel she was reading before falling asleep. In the dream, Lorenzo and Raquel confess to having murdered Mercedes, and the events that unfold after she wakes up make it clear that the dream will soon become a reality. What could have been a simple story of infidelity changes tone with the presence of Frank, who appears as Lorenzo’s boss and Mercedes’ romantic interest, with whom she also shares a telepathic connection.

On the other hand, in El esqueleto de la señora Morales (1960), we see Gloria, who is dedicated to making her husband’s life miserable, and Pablo, the husband who, after an unfounded lie from his wife, murders her. Using his taxidermy skills, Pablo preserves Gloria’s skeleton, which leads to a brief imprisonment that ends with his death.

Both films present marriages in the midst of terrible situations that lead to the worst possible outcomes. In both stories, the wives die at the hands of their husbands, and although the events leading to such terrifying conclusions are completely different, the irreverence and madness seen in the middle leave the viewer wondering whether they should feel fear or burst out laughing.

Bibliography

Paz, R. y Ortega, J. (04 de agosto de 2023). The Inevitable Morbidity of Mexican Cinema. MUBI. https://mubi.com/es/notebook/posts/the-inevitable-morbidity-of-mexican-cinema 

Roddick, C. (25 de julio de 2019). Deep focus: the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. BFI. https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/deep-focus/deep-focus-golden-age-mexican-cinema 

Filmography

Bustillo, J. (Director). (1934). Dos monjes [Película]. Producciones Proa S.A.

Davison, T. (Director). (1955). El caso de la mujer asesinadita [Película]. Filmex. 

De Fuentes, F. (1936). ¡Vámonos con Pancho Villa! [Película]. Cinematográfica Latino Americana S.A. 

Fernández, E. (1944). María Candelaria [Película]. Films Mundiales.

Fernández, E. (Director). (1946). Enamorada [Película]. Panamerican Films S.A.

Gavaldón, R. (Director). (1960). Macario [Film]. Clasa Films Mundiales.

González, R. (Director). (1960). El esqueleto de la señora Morales [Película]. Alfa Films S.A.

Martínez, G. (Director). (1950). El rey del barrio [Película]. AS Films S.A.

Méndez, F. (Director). (1957). El Vampiro [Película]. Cinematográfica ABSA.

Moreno, A. (1932). Santa [Película]. Compañía Nacional Productora de Películas. 

Peón, R. (Director). (1932). La llorona [Película]. Eco Films.

Rodríguez, I. (Director). (1953). Dos tipos de cuidado [Película]. Cinematográfica Atlántida.