Feature film
The Wave
Redes
Emilio Gómez Muriel · 1936
Synopsis
In Alvarado, on the coast of Veracruz, fishermen work more than ten hours a day for a merchant who buys their fish at low prices. Miro's son dies for lack of money to treat him. Miro then urges his companions to unite against the merchant, who buys off a local politician, a candidate for deputy, to divide the fishermen. The roles are played by inhabitants of the village.
Context
The project originated in a proposal by the American photographer Paul Strand, then in charge of cinema at the Secretariat of Public Education, where Carlos Chávez directed the fine arts: it was the first production of that State body. Shot from April to October 1934 in Alvarado and on the banks of the Papaloapan, it was co-directed by the Austrian Fred Zinnemann, who did not speak Spanish, while Gómez Muriel directed the actors and the editing. The music is by Silvestre Revueltas. The film was released in cinemas on 25 July 1936.
Who it is for
A film of about an hour, played by fishermen, in which image and music carry more than the dialogue; restored and released in France.
Prizes and reception
Regarded as a forerunner of neorealism; Revueltas's score, praised by Aaron Copland, also lives on in the concert hall.
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