These movies are part of a sub culture in Mexico. First of all you have to understand the idiosyncrasy of this Country in order to really understand the meaning of these pictures. Mexico is(or was, perhaps till the 80's) a very conservative Country. The struggle going on in this movie of a common mid class family is real, values were meant to be sacred. The dominant figure of the father, along with the mother that with her faith and sacrifice kept her family together was, and still is up to a certain point very true in Mexico. No one that has not lived through this veryunique experience, can really understand these pictures. Very unfortunately Mexico was absorbed by the liberalism of the amoral societies that did away with all the values of Religion and family. This picture, if put in today's perspective means nothing and is clearly and totally out of context, at least for the upper classes in Mexico.
