Miércoles de ceniza

Although this is far from being one of his best, any film by Roberto Gavaldón is of interest because of his mastery of the medium.

This concerns a luscious young woman named Victoria who is saved from drowning by a priest who then proceeds to rape her whilst she is semi-conscious. She is thoroughly embittered by this and sides with the government during the Cristero War which seeks to crush the supremacy of the Catholic church. She has meanwhile enriched herself as a courtesan but falls for a doctor named Lamadrid who just happens to be a priest in disguise.........

Victoria is played by Maria Félix in what is a demanding role. Her new-found love for the priest conflicts with her long-held hatred for the priesthood and causes her a great deal of soul-searching. She is obliged to go through the emotional gears and one would have to say that the sight of Dona Maria in full throttle is truly spectacular.

The fundamental weakness of the film lies in the character of Lamadrid and it is quite frankly inconceivable that such a full-bloodied woman would get herself in a state over someone so unbearably dull and self-righteous. Arturo de Córdova is a fine actor but this must surely be one of his crummiest parts.

Good support from Victor Junco and the always dependable Andrea Palma and excellent camerawork from Augustin Solares.

Eleven years had elapsed since the pairing of Félix and de Córdova in 'Kneeling Goddess' for the same director. There was alas precious little 'chemistry' between them in that and in this it is non-existent.

Although some of the early scenes were filmed with striking black and white compositions, as the story unfolds, the film's style devolves into that of a standard glossy melodrama. However, the overwrought drama, whose title translates as "Ash Wednesday," has been done in style, and it is reminiscent of Hollywood's golden age of "women's pictures." This tale of unrequited love and retribution is told against an interesting backdrop of early 20th century Mexican history when Roman Catholic clerics and nuns were persecuted and anti-Catholic feelings ran high. The central character, Victoria, is a strong woman who carries a hatred for clerics from a devastating incident in her youth. Lana Turner or Joan Crawford would have chewed scenery in the part and probably have chewed Maria Felix to get the role. However, Maria Felix suffers and hates and wears high fashion with the best of Hollywood's leading ladies, and she has an elegance, beauty, and talent of her own that dominate the film. None of the male actors makes an impression, and the object of her supposed unrequited love elicits no visible sparks, which leaves the viewer mystified as to why she is attracted to him, especially when two younger and better looking men are interested in her. However, if you love Joan Crawford movies of the 40s and 50s, then you might want to wallow in this one. Note: the DVD is in Spanish with NO English subtitles.