El imperio de la fortuna (1986)

A very poor and handicaped man, lives in a small town in Mexico with his mother. He works announcing things along the town ("The priest lost his cow, if someone sees it ..."). He is very ... See full summary »

Director:

Arturo Ripstein

Writers:

Juan Rulfo (story), Paz Alicia Garciadiego (screenplay)

Stars:

Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Blanca Guerra, Alejandro Parodi

11 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ernesto Gómez Cruz	...	Dionisio Pinzón
Blanca Guerra	...	La Caponera
Alejandro Parodi	...	Lorenzo Benavides
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez	...	La Pinzona
Socorro Avelar	...	Madre de Dionisio
Juan Antonio Llanes	...	Cura de San Miguel
Carlos Cardán	...	Don Isabel
Loló Navarro	...	Doña Iris
Edmundo Barahona	...	Merenguero
Raymundo Gómez Cruz	...	Quitamantas
María Barber	...	Monja
Jorge Fegán	...	Juez Veedor
Alfonso Godínez	...	Amarrador
Emilio Ebergenyi	...	Padrino
José Ruvinskis	...	Padrino

Storyline

A very poor and handicaped man, lives in a small town in Mexico with his mother. He works announcing things along the town ("The priest lost his cow, if someone sees it ..."). He is very interested in the cock fightigs. One day a man gives him a looser cock, thinking to give him something to eat, but instead he takes care of the animal and it becomes a winner cock. He begins to win some money. La Caponera, a very good looking singer, erlier avoided him but now she uses her coquetry to gain some drinks. He thinks she is his talisman so she marries her when he becomes rich, taking her apart from the show-bizz, so she begins to feel very unhappy.

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Plot Keywords:

cockfight | peasant

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

28 November 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Realm of Fortune

Filming Locations:

Tlaxcala, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of La caponera (2000)

User Reviews

Epic story of the struggle to appreciate good things of life.

A very poor, crippled man barely ekes out a living while his mother attempts to care for him. He is given a crippled cock to eat, but nurses it to health and some success in fighting. He rejects the offer of a professional gambler to win illegally. The gambler defeats him and then becomes his mentor in cock fighting and cards. A Mexican Ava Gardner sings in the settings where he is and lives with the gambler. Eventually she leaves the gambler, taking his luck to the poor man who then is vary successful materially, but never emotionally. One dramatic sexual scene and later a more degraded one. A daughter from infancy until early adulthood. A primitive life well portrayed. A story to see repeatedly.