The Torch

You have to have like zero sense of Mexican history and culture not to understand the multiple levels of thematic development and narrative going on in this film. And unfortunately some of the reviews on this film evidence just that lack of sense.

The Mexican revolution (roughly 1910-1920) was one of the most confusing - and bloodiest - in the annals of national political developments in the West. Perhaps only the Spanish Cuivil War could equal it for ferocity, and that only lasted less than half as long. An entire generation was shaped by the slaughter but also by the struggle to establish a national identity at last committed to some principle of legitimate democratic governance. The legacy - and the problems -continue.

The leading male, General Reyes (based loosely on Zapata), is a complex character; he is hardly a saint - he passes judgment on a wealthy businessman (who has raise the prices of necessities to prevent their purchase by the poor) and has him executed. Is he authoritarian murderer and thief? Or is he trying to establish and enforce a new law? Can this be determined in a time of revolution, when the very question of what constitutes legitimacy is at issue? Yet we are given to know that he can love individuals - and also the people as a whole, when an influenza epidemic breaks out and he orders his men to help the stricken, even at the risk of their own lives - and his.

The relationship between Reyes and the wealthy landowner's daughter Maria will probably not make much sense unless you understand that Mexican culture is profoundly Romantic in the 19th Century usage of that term. Both Reyes and Maria are fiercely struggling to determine how to maintain their individuality while pursuing a courtship threatening to engulf them both. Their resolution - allowing the revolution to seal their fates together - is pure (Percy) Shellyan. (This is a very tough-minded romance, and only a true Romantic would know what that means. The closest Hollywood came to it is Gone With The Wind which this film resembles, as a rather compressed variant at 80 minutes - and maybe Casablanca.)

As to the film-making - it is glorious - absolutely beautiful cinematography, exquisitely taut direction, brilliant performances by the leading actors. The editing is a bit rugged, but it may have to be. I was at first confused by the influenza epidemic sequence - it is all smoke, darkness, sudden jump cuts and time ellipses - until I realized that this was as intended. Director Fernandez knew that his audience wanted a battle to decide the fates of the characters, but also recognized that this would spoil the romance. So the epidemic displace military engagement; nonetheless, it too is a battle, a battle to survive, and so must be both confusing and threatening, involving the loss of life and the definition of the personalities at risk and how they respond to it.

That is intuitive film-making, and very risky, and brilliant if pulled off well. And I think it is. The ending, for me, was emotionally staggering, but only Reyes' and Maria's collective endeavors to survive the epidemic - and help others during it - could properly prepare me for it.

An absolutely knockdown film. The existing prints - the one at Internet Archive I saw was a Mexican television edit, and I've read of worse - are not great, and maybe lacking episodes. Still what is available makes proper claim that this ought to stand as a (perhaps minor, but necessary) classic of commercial film-making. God knows what was going through RKO's Hollywood brains when they decided to make a Mexican film by a Mexican director (in English, with US actors), but thank god they did.

(BTW influence: Undoubtedly seen by Sam Peckinpah who hired Fernandez to play Mapache in the Wild Bunch - note certain character similarities. Probably also seen in Europe, where it would have earned more respect than in the US, I suggest Sergio Leone may very well have been a fan, note similarity of certain shots, certain relationships, certain characters, to those in The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.)

It's the Mexican Revolution of a century ago, a time of great anarchy and in a town where Paulette Goddard is the town beauty and richest girl there one of many Mexican generals comes to town. Pedro Armendariz is looking to set up headquarters there. as the local warlord.

Goddard is set to marry American doctor alter Reed, but Armendariz sets uphis own campaign to win her in is own boorish way. Will she stay with Reed or respond to Armendariz?

The Torch is a remake of a Mexican production Enamorada with Armendariz in h same part. Goddard is added for some American box office draw and Gilbert Roland who is of Mexican ancestry shaves his mustachw and becomes a priest here. Not a typical Roland part but he carries it off.

For fans of he principal players.

THE TORCH was shot entirely in Mexico, originally titled BELOVED and starring, along with Paulette Goddard, was Pedro Armendariz and Gilbert Roland. It is said that Diego Rivera painted Paulette while she was there filming the movie. It was also where she acquired much of her famous jewelry collection.

THE TORCH is a dark comedy/drama with a screenplay by Inigo de Martino Noriega about a notorious Mexican bandit (Armendariz) who ransacks a town and takes it over. He's a sort of South-of-the-border Robin Hood. While he proceeds to bring all the wealthy business men of the town down to their knees, he discovers the daughter of one of them (Goddard) whom he immediately pursues. She, of course, refuses his advances. With the help of the local Padre (Roland) the two are brought together, and in time she discovers his good intentions and qualities. Engaged to another man of the town, she leaves him to join the bandit king. The final picture shows the rich daughter walking bedside the bandit on horseback, as a camp follower, a symbol of devotion in those days and times. A bit corny, but fun to watch the stars hold their own. The scenery of Mexico along with Goddard's still good looks make it worth the watching. It is available on VHS.

Paulette Goddard had a hand in the production of this because she liked the (far superior) source film "Enamorada" from four years earlier. Pedro Armendáriz reprises his role as the conquering general "José Juan" who arrives in a town determined to secure it's riches for his libertarian cause. He also has an old friend here, in the form of the priest "Sierra" (Gilbert Roland) and quickly takes a shine to the feisty "Maria Dolores" (PG) who is already promised to the local, rather decent, "Dr. Stanley" (Walter Reed). Regrettably, the production here is pretty basic, there is way too much dialogue and little enough action for the usually charismatic Armendáriz to get his teeth into. Goddard looks the part, but doesn't feature anything like enough to keep this from meandering along waiting for the plague and/or the government troops to come and force a few hands. It's only eighty minutes long but there really isn't enough story to pad it out that long and it struggles to sustain much interest - even with a population of two-faced townsfolk and a little personal tragedy thrown in too. It's poor, this, sorry.

From the beginning of this film it felt like something was amiss. The opening has a group of rebels taking over a small Mexican town. The townsfolk, which had no way of protection, falls under the band of gunmen that happens to be lead by General Reyes. You get an early projection of how the movie is going to play out as the General tells his men to kill a city official and the next scene the General is buying candy for a small child in the ravaged conditions. This scene was to prove that the General is not all bad but perhaps just a misunderstood individual.

But the main plot of the story is between the General and a local woman named Maria. Maria is due to be married to a doctor but it seems the General has eyes for the saucy woman and does his best at wooing her away from the good doctor. This was not a poor concept as the story seemed to be moving in an interesting direction. Then the production staff felt that the movie needed a bit of playful comedy that included an embarrassing conversation between the General and Maria through a closed door. Thereafter the movie took a much kinder tone as the good/bad General is pining over a woman that was about as detached as himself.

Pedro Armendáriz, that played the General, for the most part did a nice job as the strong fighter wanting the strong female. The way that he handled the change from tough character, that also showed a soft side, was refreshing. In fact, Armendáriz was the only actor in the film that seemed sincere in his role. Paulette Goddard, that played the fiery Maria, came across the screen as a twin of Norma Desmond. She played the part as someone that needed mental help instead of a person that the viewer could identify. She over-played the part and used such odd facial expressions that she became nearly scary. Add the fact that she was forty years old at the time of the filming-- even the pigtails that she wore could not make her the age that the movie want her to appear.

Even with the suspicious acting, the movie did have some nice moments. If some of the actors were changed and the director tone downed a few notches, then this could have been an exciting movie. Instead, we are left with a film that had good intentions but failed to meet the mark that was possible.