Wuthering Heights (1954)
"Abismos de pasión" (original title)

A partial retelling of Wuthering Heights in 19th century Mexico.

Director:

Luis Buñuel

Writers:

Emily Brontë (novel), Luis Buñuel (story),

Stars:

Irasema Dilián, Jorge Mistral, Lilia Prado

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Irasema Dilián	...	Catalina (as Irasema Dilian)
Jorge Mistral	...	Alejandro
Lilia Prado	...	Isabel
Ernesto Alonso	...	Eduardo
Francisco Reiguera	...	José
Hortensia Santoveña	...	María
Jaime González Quiñones	...	Jorge (as Jaime González)
Luis Aceves Castañeda	...	Ricardo

Storyline

Gone several years, the brooding Alejandro returns to the hacienda of his foster sister, Catalina, whom he loves, to find her married to the wealthy and effete Eduardo. Alejandro hates Eduardo and Catalina's brother Ricardo; he's rich now and has a lien on the drunken Ricardo's ranch. He also wants Catalina to run away with him. She loves him as if he was her soul, but she also loves Eduardo and is pregnant, so she won't leave. She wants Alejandro to stay nearby, a soul mate, but he, ruled by instinct and passion, stays only to hurt her. He woos Isabel, Eduardo's impressionable young sister. The passions of impossible love and corrosive hate play out against Mexico's barren high chaparral.

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Plot Keywords:

foreign language adaptation | based on novel

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

30 June 1954 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Wuthering Heights

Filming Locations:

Hacienda de San Francisco Cuadra, Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producciones Tepeyac

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Óscar Dancigers would only allow Luis Buñuel to make the film if he used a stock cast Dancigers had prepared for a musical comedy. Bunuel used them, but was ultimately very displeased with their acting.

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Connections

Version of Wuthering Heights (1970)

User Reviews

Pure cinema made of human bodies

Like most of Bunuel's works, the main (and also the most interesting) layer of this film is the mental one. Yes, there are lots of dialogs, but it can be easily watched without hearing a word, due to Bunuel incredible talent of telling stories, feelings, fears, desires and lust exclusively through images. Only a bunch of directors are capable of achieving such a purity in visualization.

Abismos de pasiòn is a very classical story, filtered through Bunuel's will to further inspect desire (both sexual and mental). Alejandro is clearly ruled by his passion and instincts; characteristic which is praised by Bunuel, envying it.