Soy puro mexicano

This early Emilio Fernandez film ultimately falls between two stools - it is both a dated anti-fascist period melodrama and a beautifully wild celebration of Mexican lawlessness. It begins by reminding us - like we needed reminding - that World War II was setting much of the world afire (we're shown a globe with strategic areas [Europe, South Asia, the South Pacific] literally in flames).

Then we see various spies and counter-spies doing their dirty work in a relatively undecided Mexico. But Pedro Armendariz has to come to the rescue and purge Mexico (Puro Mexico) of these scoundrels.

It's all rather laughable. But you can see in this otherwise silly movie the germination of Emilio Fernandez' greatest work.