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The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz

Original title: Ensayo de un crimen
  • 1955
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
5.6K
YOUR RATING
The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
ComedyCrimeDrama

The delirious journey of a mental disordered man, who is obsessed in making the perfect crime.The delirious journey of a mental disordered man, who is obsessed in making the perfect crime.The delirious journey of a mental disordered man, who is obsessed in making the perfect crime.

  • Director
    • Luis Buñuel
  • Writers
    • Luis Buñuel
    • Eduardo Ugarte
    • Rodolfo Usigli
  • Stars
    • Ernesto Alonso
    • Miroslava
    • Rita Macedo
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    5.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Luis Buñuel
    • Writers
      • Luis Buñuel
      • Eduardo Ugarte
      • Rodolfo Usigli
    • Stars
      • Ernesto Alonso
      • Miroslava
      • Rita Macedo
    • 17User reviews
    • 39Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 8 nominations

    Photos79

    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)
    The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ernesto Alonso
    Ernesto Alonso
    • Archibaldo de la Cruz
    Miroslava
    Miroslava
    • Lavinia
    Rita Macedo
    Rita Macedo
    • Patricia Terrazas
    Ariadne Welter
    • Carlota Cervantes
    • (as Ariadna Welter)
    Andrea Palma
    Andrea Palma
    • Mrs. Cervantes
    Rodolfo Landa
    • Alejandro Rivas
    José María Linares-Rivas
    José María Linares-Rivas
    • Willy Corduran
    • (as J.M. Linares Rivas)
    Leonor Llausás
    Leonor Llausás
    • The Governess
    Eva Calvo
    • Señora de la Cruz, Archibaldo's mother
    Enrique Díaz Indiano
    • Señor de la Cruz, Archibaldo's father
    • (as Enrique Indiano)
    Carlos Riquelme
    Carlos Riquelme
    • The Commissioner
    Chabela Durán
    • Sister Trinidad
    Carlos Martínez Baena
    • Priest
    • (as Carlos M. Baena)
    Manuel Dondé
    Manuel Dondé
    • Colonel at wedding
    Armando Velasco
    • Judge
    Armando Acosta
    • Man at Gordo's
    • (uncredited)
    Eduardo Alcaraz
    Eduardo Alcaraz
    • Gordo Azuara
    • (uncredited)
    Janet Alcoriza
    • American tourist
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Luis Buñuel
    • Writers
      • Luis Buñuel
      • Eduardo Ugarte
      • Rodolfo Usigli
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie was shot in the middle of a big economic crisis for the Mexican cinema. Production was about to be shut down a few times and the famous scene with the mannequin being cremated was filmed only once because they couldn't afford another mannequin.
    • Goofs
      When the nun falls down the empty elevator shaft; she screams loudly. However, the sound of the scream is obviously that of a man. In fact, it sounds like a Wilhelm Scream.
    • Connections
      Featured in Miroslava (1993)

    User reviews17

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Psychological Dark Comedy – Another Great Film of Buñuel
    In the 50's, in Mexico, Archibaldo de la Cruz (Ernesto Alonso) comes to a judge to confess crimes of his own. He tells his life since he was a spoiled boy, in the days of the Mexican revolution, when he won a music box from his mother and developed a bizarre desire of killing women, becoming a serial killer. In the end, this movie is a psychological dark comedy of the Mexican phase of Buñuel. I have just had the chance to see this film on DVD, recently released by the best Brazilian distributor (Versátil), and I found it another excellent work of Buñuel, one of my favorite directors ever. The story is very ironic and unpredictable, and I totally disagree with the User Comments `Minor Buñuel' indicated for this film. My vote is nine.

    Title (Brazil): `Ensaio de um Crime' (`Rehearsal for a Crime')
    helpful•25
    5
    • claudio_carvalho
    • Aug 22, 2004

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 19, 1955 (Mexico)
    • Country of origin
      • Mexico
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Kriminalni zivot Arcibalda Kruza
    • Filming locations
      • Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
    • Production company
      • Alianza Cinematográfica Española
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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