Film: The Brute
Release date: 14th March 2011
Certificate: 12
Running time: 80 mins
Director: Luis Buñuel
Starring: Pedro Armendáriz, Katy Jurado, Rosa Arenas, Andrés Soler, Roberto Meyer
Genre: Drama
Studio: Mr. Bongo
Format: DVD
Country: Mexico
Luis Buñuel is arguably Spanish cinema’s best known filmmaker. Even those who can’t provide an extensive recollection of his filmography will be able to discuss the famous ‘eyeball slitting scene’ in Un Chien Andalou, which is surely a defining example of surrealist filmmaking. This is why it may come as a surprise to many that El Bruto (The Brute) is a classic example of Mexican melodrama. Staunchly opposed to Franco’s regime, Buñuel travelled to Mexico in exile in 1946. Therefore, The Brute falls neatly into what was to be known as his ‘Mexican period’, which took place between 1946 and 1964.
The film tells the story of ‘Bruto’ (Pedro Armendáriz), a giant of a man who has more brawn than brains.
Whilst working at the local slaughterhouse, he is hired by the landlord of a block of flats, Andrés (Andrés Soler), who needs someone to forcibly evict his tenants so that the flats can be demolished, but the locals are refusing to leave without putting up a fight. This leads to Bruto unintentionally killing a man with a punch when he refuses to leave his home.
As a reward for his work, Bruto is invited to live with Andrés and his wife, Paloma (Katy Jurado), with whom he embarks upon an affair. However, Bruto falls in love with Mechee (Rosa Arenas), who is unaware that Bruto is the man who killed her father earlier in the film. Meanwhile, Paloma refuses to let another woman take Bruto away from her...
The Brute is heavily rooted within the conventions of melodrama; it boasts a classical narrative structure, and the soundtrack expertly reflects the drama of the scene. The set which makes up the home of the bourgeois Andrés and his wife is also suitably lavish, which is in stark contrast to the overcrowded homes of the local people. However, although the film is very clearly a melodrama, this does not mean that the film does not possess many of Buñuel’s trademark touches.
Buñuel’s social conscience is highly evident throughout the film. As with a lot of his work, there is an implicit condemnation of Franco’s dictatorship within both the narrative and the film as a whole. The oppressive nature of the regime is conveyed through the character of Andrés and the way in which he is prepared to destroy the lives of the lower classes to further his own gains. In a particularly interesting scene, Andrés plies Bruto with alcohol in order to convince him that it’s the locals who are in the wrong, which can be read as a criticism of the regime’s use of propaganda. Moreover, the link between Andrés and the oppressive patriarchal regime is further enhanced by the revelation that Andrés is also Bruto’s father.
Despite its conventional structure, the film does not shy away from dramatic and controversial images. The scene in which Bruto violently attacks Andrés when he realises life within this patriarchal order is not as good as it seems is uncomfortable to watch, and this awkwardness is heightened when one considers the time in which the film was made. In addition to this, the film’s final scene contains a slight nod towards Buñuel’s surrealist roots as it is enigmatic, unsettling and somewhat absurd.
However, the film isn’t perfect. There are times when the narrative feels slightly rushed; the relationship between Bruto and Mechee isn’t given much time to progress and her character remains underdeveloped as a result. In addition to this, the dialogue is occasionally repetitive and clunky. Bruto’s strength is frequently alluded to and he is directly referred to as a “brute” numerous times throughout the film, as though to emphasise the distinction between people’s perception of him and the fact that, in reality, he is a man who is capable of feeling genuine emotions, such as love and guilt.
Despite this, the film displays some clever comic touches. Andrés’ father is fine comic character played purely for laughs, but the film also displays more subtly comic moments. A good example of this is when one of the residences, surprisingly, manages to coax money out of Andrés and thanks him by telling him that he is the “people’s hero,” before adding, “the dead ones” when Andrés is safely out of earshot.
In general, The Brute is a well-made film that manages to be both comic and tragic whilst exhibiting some of the recognisable conventions of Buñuel’s work. However, on the whole, the film is most certainly a melodrama, and those who are expecting the level of cinematic experimentation that is associated with Buñuel’s more surrealist films may end up being disappointed. SH
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