La passionaria

La Escondida (The hidden one) is one of the most famous films directed by Roberto Gavaldòn and was deservedly shown at the 1956 Cannes film festival. Its personal and fascinating portrayal of one woman's journey through the Mexican revolution is both captivating and enlightening. The film provides the viewer with a political insight and background into the conflict. The lead performances by Felix and Armendariz are convincing making the plot enjoyable and easy to follow. The use of various well-known Mexican corridos adds depth and sentimentality to the storyline. La Escondida adopts a unique approach, focusing on the heart wrenching romance of two lower class Mexicans struggling to be together in such troubled times.

I was very pleased with the simplicity of the film and the deep Mexican sentiment related to those times. Many Mexican songs relate to the play and add taste to the movie. The historic contents are very valuable for people not familiar with the Mexican revolutionary era. Gabriela (maria Felix) is a very decisive and strong willed women that does not forget her poor roots and will not give up until reaching her wealth. One thing to watch out for is the closed captioned English subtitles, they do not always resemble or closely match what is truly being said by the actors. The word "Cascala" mentioned numerous times should be "Tlaxcala"( a central Mexico's state). nevertheless an awesome movie. This classic from Mexican director Roberto Gavaldón is a harrowing drama about the Mexican Revolution. Based on the novel by Miguel N. Lira, LA ESCONDIDA is an unflinching look at the scope and consequences of that monumental conflict