Macario (1960)

Poor, hungry peasant Macario longs for just one good meal on the Day of the Dead. After his wife cooks a turkey for him, he meets three apparitions, the Devil, God, and Death. Each asks him... See full summary »

Director:

Roberto Gavaldón

Writers:

B. Traven (story), Emilio Carballido (screenplay),

Stars:

Ignacio López Tarso, Pina Pellicer, Enrique Lucero

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Ignacio López Tarso	...	Macario
Pina Pellicer	...	Esposa de Macario
Enrique Lucero	...	La muerte
Mario Alberto Rodríguez	...	Don Ramiro
José Gálvez	...	El diablo
José Luis Jiménez	...	Dios
Eduardo Fajardo	...	Virrey
Consuelo Frank	...	Virreina
José Dupeyrón	...	(as Jose Dupeiront)
Celia Tejeda	...	Chona
Pepé y sus Marionetas

Storyline

Poor, hungry peasant Macario longs for just one good meal on the Day of the Dead. After his wife cooks a turkey for him, he meets three apparitions, the Devil, God, and Death. Each asks him to share his turkey, but he refuses all except Death. In return, Death gives him a bottle of water which will heal any illness. Soon, Macario is more wealthy than the village doctor, which draws the attention of the feared Inquisition.

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Plot Keywords:

death | starving child | starvation | hunger strike | hunger | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

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Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

9 June 1960 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Morte in vacanza

Filming Locations:

Estudios Churubusco Azteca, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Clasa Films Mundiales

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Losely based on Brother Grimm's tale "The Death's Godson."

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Connections

References Destiny (1921)

User Reviews

A beautiful tale that displays important part of Mexican colorful culture : Death.

I am ashamed to admit that I didn't find about "Macario" until 2000 when it gained some attention because "Amores Perros" was about to get nominated for Best Foreign Picture at the Academy Awards. "Macario" went to the spot light because it was Mèxico's first movie to get nominated for such an award. So I took away my prejudgments towards classic movies and I tracked down a "Macario" DVD.

And I am extremely glad that this movie has worldwide recognition because it truly is one of Mexico's best movies of all time (if not the best).

"Macario" is more than a fairy tale with macabre overtones such as displaying The Devil, or The Death. No, "Macario" has a social and humanitarian message PLUS it displays in a beautiful way Mexican culture towards the dead and how we (Mexicans) feel about Death. There's also a strong criticism against authorities and noble titles in the 18th century. This movie is rich in all the sense of the word.

Meet Macario, a Mexican campesino or land worker who isn't completely happy with his life because he desires what rich people have; specifically, eating turkey. Macario works hard for his family but it isn't enough for establishing a life full of comfort.

One good day, Macario's wife gets a turkey for him; a turkey that cost her a lot of effort and work. Macario is thrilled and delighted with it and decides to eat it all by himself, not sharing it. He walks too far until he gets tired and takes a rest in the woods. On his eating turkey journey Macario meets Satan, The Death, and God. The three iconic figures want a bite of that turkey but Macario won't share it. But Death makes a deal with him... a deal that will give Macario all the power, money, fame, respect and all the turkey goodies he always wished. But in exchange for what? True, he will be the savior for many souls but will also risk his own soul.

I don't want to give much away from this wonderful piece of cinema. It is a tender tale with dark overtones and Horror references but to be honest, this is more of a fantasy story displaying interesting facts of Mexican culture.

Ignacio Lòpez Tarso delivers an amazing performance as Macario. That's all I can say about him. He's the master. Also Pilar Pellicer delivers a great performance. Too bad that she committed suicide at such a young age.

The direction is flawless and sometimes looks way ahead of it's time. The same with the fantastic art direction and cinematography. The final scene where Macario is in front of thousands of candles it's a visually stunning and rich piece of art direction and cinematography. A memorable movie designed to charm everybody.

Please watch "Macario" if you haven't. You won't find a better Mexican movie than this. It has everything to become a favorite.

To be honest, I haven't seen it in 3 or 4 years but some scenes just keep repeating in my memory. This is a memorable movie in all the sense of the word. This movie makes me proud of being Mexican.