*** This review may contain spoilers ***
*Plot and ending analyzed*
El caballo Bayo (1969)
"The Bay Horse"
Bay is a hair coat color of horses, usually a reddish-brown body color with a black mane, ear edges, tail, and lower legs, so that is what "El caballo Bayo" means in English.
I think "El caballo Bayo" might be an old corrido (a popular narrative ballad) from the Mexican Revolution (Revolución Mexicana).
At the commencement, I noticed a lot of familiar faces from Mexican cinema, from Antonio Aguilar ("El Charro de Mexico" (The Horseman of Mexico) Mexican singer, film actor), Jaime Fernandez (Mexican actor, brother of Fernando Fernández), Víctor Manuel Mendoza (Mexican actor, The Proud and the Beautiful (1953)), Enrique Lucero, Maricruz Olivier (Mexican actress of film, television) and quite a few others from various Mexican or Western movies.
El caballo Bayo was directed by Rene Cardona, who was a director in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Rene Cardona Sr, who was an in-house Mexican Director, along with his son, did some 1970's Exploitation films that played the world theater circuits. Together they produced, directed and distributed numerous low-budget Exploitation films that weren't very good, but are noted for having burnt out Hollywood actors and exotic themes (Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979), Carlos the Terrorist (1979), Cyclone (1978), The Bermuda Triangle (1978), ¡Tintorera! Tiger Shark (1977)).
El caballo Bayo is an unusual and haphazard film, and doesn't really follow through on any good dramatic storyline. Still, it definitely has its charms, however frivolously portrayed in the film.
It starts out with a father (Antonio Aguilar in gray beard), his son (Antonio Aguilar again), and a friend of the father riding horses in some small town. The father reminisces about the Mexican Revolution (Revolución Mexicana). He remembers some vicious and arrogant general, who is insulting, whipping and shooting the retreating soldiers. Antonio Aguilar defends the soldiers from the mean general. The general is about to cross a river, but no one follows him because it is deadly. The whole scene is odd, since it goes on so long. The mean general eventually drowns, but Antonio Aguilar attempted to save him but gets knifed in the back by the mean general's adjunct. Also, a story about treasure was given to Antonio Aguilar by the mean general.
Cut back to the 1940's or so, where Antonio Aguilar is talking with some woman (we later learn she is the daughter of the mean general's adjunct so she is seeking revenge) and they are entering a horse in a race. The horse dies in the race, so the woman lost her ranch because she bet it all on the losing side. Antonio Aguilar (as the father) gets shot and Antonio Aguilar (as the son) looks for his killer, but doesn't know what happened.
Antonio Aguilar (as the son), the woman, her Indian helper and the friend of the father go on the hunt to look for the treasure. It all collapses and everyone shoots or kills each other. It was a bit odd, since one would think that Antonio Aguilar (as the son) loved the woman, but they keep bickering at the campsite.
There's not much holding the film, and the scenes are a bit odd and extended, which I enjoyed to some extent. There is one scene with three ugly bandits who are about to kill the people and they even go as far as burning the friend of the father.
Antonio Aguilar did quite a few of these revolutionary Mexico films in the 1960's. They are worth a look.
Zapata (1970), Lauro Puñales (1969), The White Horse (1962), El jinete enmascarado (1961).
In Spanish with no subtitles.
*Plot and ending analyzed*
El caballo Bayo (1969)
"The Bay Horse"
Bay is a hair coat color of horses, usually a reddish-brown body color with a black mane, ear edges, tail, and lower legs, so that is what "El caballo Bayo" means in English.
I think "El caballo Bayo" might be an old corrido (a popular narrative ballad) from the Mexican Revolution (Revolución Mexicana).
At the commencement, I noticed a lot of familiar faces from Mexican cinema, from Antonio Aguilar ("El Charro de Mexico" (The Horseman of Mexico) Mexican singer, film actor), Jaime Fernandez (Mexican actor, brother of Fernando Fernández), Víctor Manuel Mendoza (Mexican actor, The Proud and the Beautiful (1953)), Enrique Lucero, Maricruz Olivier (Mexican actress of film, television) and quite a few others from various Mexican or Western movies.
El caballo Bayo was directed by Rene Cardona, who was a director in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Rene Cardona Sr, who was an in-house Mexican Director, along with his son, did some 1970's Exploitation films that played the world theater circuits. Together they produced, directed and distributed numerous low-budget Exploitation films that weren't very good, but are noted for having burnt out Hollywood actors and exotic themes (Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979), Carlos the Terrorist (1979), Cyclone (1978), The Bermuda Triangle (1978), ¡Tintorera! Tiger Shark (1977)).
El caballo Bayo is an unusual and haphazard film, and doesn't really follow through on any good dramatic storyline. Still, it definitely has its charms, however frivolously portrayed in the film.
It starts out with a father (Antonio Aguilar in gray beard), his son (Antonio Aguilar again), and a friend of the father riding horses in some small town. The father reminisces about the Mexican Revolution (Revolución Mexicana). He remembers some vicious and arrogant general, who is insulting, whipping and shooting the retreating soldiers. Antonio Aguilar defends the soldiers from the mean general. The general is about to cross a river, but no one follows him because it is deadly. The whole scene is odd, since it goes on so long. The mean general eventually drowns, but Antonio Aguilar attempted to save him but gets knifed in the back by the mean general's adjunct. Also, a story about treasure was given to Antonio Aguilar by the mean general.
Cut back to the 1940's or so, where Antonio Aguilar is talking with some woman (we later learn she is the daughter of the mean general's adjunct so she is seeking revenge) and they are entering a horse in a race. The horse dies in the race, so the woman lost her ranch because she bet it all on the losing side. Antonio Aguilar (as the father) gets shot and Antonio Aguilar (as the son) looks for his killer, but doesn't know what happened.
Antonio Aguilar (as the son), the woman, her Indian helper and the friend of the father go on the hunt to look for the treasure. It all collapses and everyone shoots or kills each other. It was a bit odd, since one would think that Antonio Aguilar (as the son) loved the woman, but they keep bickering at the campsite.
There's not much holding the film, and the scenes are a bit odd and extended, which I enjoyed to some extent. There is one scene with three ugly bandits who are about to kill the people and they even go as far as burning the friend of the father.
Antonio Aguilar did quite a few of these revolutionary Mexico films in the 1960's. They are worth a look.
Zapata (1970), Lauro Puñales (1969), The White Horse (1962), El jinete enmascarado (1961).
In Spanish with no subtitles.
