Cronos (1993)

A mysterious device designed to provide its owner with eternal life resurfaces after four hundred years, leaving a trail of destruction in its path.

Director:

Guillermo del Toro

Writer:

Guillermo del Toro (screenplay)

Stars:

Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook

21 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Federico Luppi	...	Jesus Gris
Ron Perlman	...	Angel de la Guardia
Claudio Brook	...	De la Guardia
Margarita Isabel	...	Mercedes
Tamara Shanath	...	Aurora
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Tito
Mario Iván Martínez	...	Alchemist
Farnesio de Bernal	...	Manuelito
Juan Carlos Colombo	...	Funeral Director
Jorge Martínez de Hoyos	...	Narrator (voice)
Luis Rodríguez	...	Buyer
Javier Álvarez	...	Bleeding Man
Gerardo Moscoso	...	Drunk
Eugenio Lobo	...	Stoned Man
Adriana Olivera	...	Tango Student

Storyline

In 1535, an alchemist builds an extraordinary mechanism encapsulated into a small golden device. The invention, designed to convey eternal life to its owner, survives its maker until 1997, when it shows up with an antiques dealer. Fascinated with the strange device, Gris (Luppi) doesn't note that there's more than one person looking for it. The promise of eternal life has become an obsession for old and sick Mr. De la Guardia (Brook). He and his nephew (Perlman) will do anything to get the Chronos Invention.

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Plot Keywords:

eternal life | antique dealer | invention | tycoon | aging | 

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence and for language

Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chronos

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$621,392 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

CNCAIMC, Fondo de Fomento a la Calidad Cinematográfica, Grupo Del Toro

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Guillermo del Toro started writing on the script as early as 1984, where it was titled "Vampire of the Grey Dawn".

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Goofs

When Jesús searches for Aurora after she has taken the Cronos, as he walks through two doors, he stops. Behind him, reflected in the glass of the door, is crew and equipment.

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Quotes

[to Jesus, who is about to take the blood from her fingers]
Aurora Gris: Grandfather.

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Crazy Credits

Dedicated to the memory of Josefina Camberos

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Connections

Featured in Boogeymen II: Masters of Horror (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Prisionero del Mar"
Luis Alcaraz y Ernesto Cortizar
(C) 1941, PHAM Mexico

User Reviews

An interesting, original and engaging retelling of a classic story!

Guillermo Del Toro's stylish and original take on the vampire legend is one of the most strangely overlooked and underrated films of the 1990's. It's films like this that make me want to watch films - films that are fresh, unpredictable and so rich in symbolism that it has leaves lots of room for discussion. Del Toro was little more than an amateur director at the time this made, but in spite of that he's more than given the professionals a run for their money. Every scene is adeptly filmed, and the way that Del Toro makes contrasts between locations and the two central families is a pleasure to observe. The way that the film switches language from English to Spanish and back again is indicative of the fact that this is a rich tapestry of contradictions and one that makes intelligent comments on many subjects, from obvious ones such as addiction, to more concealed ones, such as a commentary on family; stemming from the way that the roles of child and parent become reversed when our hero becomes afflicted with the vampire-like curse.

For the story, Del Toro has taken the classic vampire theme and mixed it with essences of mechanics and the human lust of being able to live forever. The story follows Jesús Gris, an antique dealer that lives with his granddaughter Aurora and wife Mercedes. One day, our hero happens upon a mechanical scarab that latches itself onto his palm, causing him to bleed. Jesús slowly gets addicted to the mystical scarab, but there's someone else that wants it and will stop at nothing to get it. The mythology of the scarab is told in a great opening sequence that sets the viewer up for an intriguing and original horror story. The film retains the intrigue that it sets up in it's intro for the duration, and Del Toro ensures that his audience is always left guessing and wanting to see what comes next. The film works due to interesting characters that the audience is able to feel for, and is constantly interesting by the way that Del Toro handles the contrasts that the story presents.

On the whole, this is a fabulous horror story that takes an existing legend and makes it it's own. This is exactly the sort of film that cinema needs more of; and it's not one that film fans will want to miss. Highly recommended viewing.