Companion to Saslavsky's Ceniza al viento, this handsomely mounted weepy is a curiosity, with John Alton's claimed presence most likely in the abrupt eruption into atmospherics of the finale, complete with hat wearing gangsters throwing their shadows and filling the frame with menacing close up groupings.
The nicely sparse iron cage women's pokey doors open (get it!) to release Libertad gone grey. Flash back takes us to her young as an musical theatre entertainer ("Frou Frou" number on stage) and her affair with Irusta/Raul the artist from the rich family.
The wedding dolls in the street suggest a happy pairing and we get the nice "Pianito de juguete" number performed with toy instruments. She gives birth to a baby boy. Problems with money and the hostile family ensue.
After a debtor montage, Libertad goes back on the boards where the husband shows up and a shooting accident has her on the run. The child ends in the hands of the nun in the white habit.
Back in the present, Libertad is shunted off to the Porte de Servicia of the wealthy household where the child has grown. Further drama with the gangster element and tragic outcome.
The handling is sophisticated, with costumes, settings and fluid dimensional compositions showing accomplished film form. Libertad's numbers are agreeable enough and she is attractively filmed. The support make little impression and the tear drenched plot, taken seriously by all, drains away any respect the craft aspects may earn.
The most interesting aspect is finding John Alton working in the noir style yet to establish itself in Hollywood.
The nicely sparse iron cage women's pokey doors open (get it!) to release Libertad gone grey. Flash back takes us to her young as an musical theatre entertainer ("Frou Frou" number on stage) and her affair with Irusta/Raul the artist from the rich family.
The wedding dolls in the street suggest a happy pairing and we get the nice "Pianito de juguete" number performed with toy instruments. She gives birth to a baby boy. Problems with money and the hostile family ensue.
After a debtor montage, Libertad goes back on the boards where the husband shows up and a shooting accident has her on the run. The child ends in the hands of the nun in the white habit.
Back in the present, Libertad is shunted off to the Porte de Servicia of the wealthy household where the child has grown. Further drama with the gangster element and tragic outcome.
The handling is sophisticated, with costumes, settings and fluid dimensional compositions showing accomplished film form. Libertad's numbers are agreeable enough and she is attractively filmed. The support make little impression and the tear drenched plot, taken seriously by all, drains away any respect the craft aspects may earn.
The most interesting aspect is finding John Alton working in the noir style yet to establish itself in Hollywood.
