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It's a shame that such fantastic cinema goes to waste; not only because it got overrun by huge blockbusters, but in this case, as with almost every single non-English-language film, it gets doubly ignored due to peoples' seeming allergy to reading subtitles. Palabras Encadenadas, which technically translates to "word chains" in Spanish, gets the US title Killing Words, because, not only would the original title hold less meaning to an American audience, but a title with the word "killing" in it gives it, potentially, much more power, than what sounds like a kid's game.

But that is exactly the sinister charm that this film pulls off beautifully. Ramón, played by Dario Grandinetti (Habla con Ella), appears to be a decently charming man who just so happens to be experimenting, all the while showing the audience step-by-step, with his first "adventures" in becoming a serial killer. Word Chains, is indeed, a child's game, but when conducted by Ramón, the stakes only become increasingly fiendish and inescapable as time goes on.

The first thing we see as the audience, is Ramón's character speaking directly to us (i.e. seeming to break the 4th wall), but as the camera pans out, it is revealed that we are watching Ramón watch a video recording which he recorded of himself confessing/conferring with/to his potential audience about his burgeoning "talents" as a killer. He openly brags about how easy it has been to gain a potential victim's trust, and exactly how he has conducted these first few murders. Once he has what he feels is enough confidence in his newfound skills, he sets out to target the one person he would love to torture and kill most of all: his ex-wife.

Psychologists, such as Wayne Wilson, would say that certain serial killers, like Edmund Kemper (aka the Co-Ed Killer) keep killing their victims – sometimes unwittingly – as substitutes for their ultimate target. It seems that we are witnessing the birth of that very kind of serial killer in the character of Ramón.

The ex-wife, Laura, played exquisitely by Goya Toledo (Amores Perros), is then subjected to intense psychological torture by Ramón as he keeps her tied down to chair, and insists that she play word chains with him. Slight disclaimer: the words they say as part of the game aren't necessarily what is said in Spanish – obviously, everything that rhymes in one language isn't going to rhyme in another. So, please bear that in mind if you are coming into this film with absolutely no knowledge of Spanish. The subtitles, however, are done in such a way that capture the essence and nuances of the specific words they are using.

As Ramón gleefully keeps his ex-wife prisoner, he rants and boasts of his newfound "hobby". Laura, being a psychologist, desperately tries to find cracks in his statements. Is Ramón actually a cold-blooded killer willing to torture and kill his own ex-wife? Or is he just lonely, delusional, and scared, crying out to be noticed by his former love abandoning him?

Wow! Words cannot describe how absolutely magical this film is, but I will try. Its not often that a film will truly captivate me from moment one as this one has, especially in the world of silent film. Its been a long time since I've been glued to the screen in complete rapture. Granted, I like the silent medium and of course I respect it, but usually I watch them as a piece of film history; I see them for what they are and judge them only amongst their peers: other silent films. But this silent film is like no other! There were many times when I felt as though if Guy Maddin were to make a actual serious film this would be it. Anyone who has seen 'Cowards Bend The Knee' or 'Saddest Music In The World' will know what I'm referring to. Throughout the film I kept thinking that it looked "new" and was made to look old. Some of the special effects such as the swirling fog were just mesmerizing so much so that I found myself wondering why in our modern day we haven't done something so simple yet effective (at least as compared to the films I've experienced).

Even the score that they created for it was incredible. There were some scenes in the beginning of the film, especially ones where Allan was approaching the house, that I didn't think quite fit, but for the rest of the 95% of the film it went along with the action of the film perfectly.

While everything in the film is as close to perfect as film gets, I must point out the acting was so well done as to almost bring me to tears. I cant quite explain how that is possible, but it is. Each tiny emotion shows through so remarkably well. I really would love to commend the actor who played Roderick Usher for his wonderful display. I even feel right in comparing his acting to the likes of the female lead in 'The Passion Of Joan Of Arc' -- and thats hard to beat!

Oh, and the cinematography! Its absolutely impeccable! And I'm not just saying that due to the fact that "its the best they could do back then". It really could rival any modern day film in that regard. It makes me miss shots of a large looming building from down below instead of the aerial helicopter shots most films use now; so macabre and eerily inviting. This film was definitely ahead of its time thats for sure.

I'm not sure how much a screenplay translates to a silent film, but whatever/however Bunuel contributed, it definitely worked. Even though there weren't any overtly surrealistic things going on, you could definitely smell the Bunuel in it. The film is like a dream that you don't want to wake up from even though at its heart it is a nightmare.

I love Bunuel, and as such I had to see this film even though his Mexican period is my least favorite. I found it at the library (the only Bunuel film they had in fact). What we get is a very sloppy, poorly edited, and VERY poorly subtitled film.

In this little Mexican town, there aren't any legal ways to get married so as long as the groom has the to-be mother-in-law's blessing, then the couple is considered married. Well, before our new couple even get a mile out of town, they are informed that his mother is on her death bed and needs him to go to town to get the man who always takes care of the family's affairs. From there, we get on the bus.

On the bus, we have the silly driver, the town femme fatale, a politician, a couple who become new parents while on the ride, and a few other odd characters. You can see some of Bunuel's surreal effects shine through, if only slightly, in the mishaps along the way. For example, the bus driver tries to make the bus go across a lake at one point which of course it cant and it ends up being a 5 year old girl leading two oxen that saves the day. We also have a scene where the bus comes face to face with another vehicle (that cant go in reverse) on a steep mountain trail. After a few moments, everything is fine again, but we don't know why. Thats Bunuel for you.

Overall, I wouldn't say the film is bad. Its great to see all the stages that a director goes through, especially someone like Bunuel who is one of the finest directors to have ever lived. The biggest flaw with this film, which will hopefully be fixed once this gets a DVD release (Criterion are you listening?), is that the subtitles are quite possibly the worst I've ever seen. the first problem is that they're white and in some cases you cant see the far left or the far right of the words because they stretch off the screen, and the worst part is that you can tell that half of whats being said isn't even translated at all. Thankfully I know a tiny bit of Spanish and the gesticulations of the actors were good enough to allow me to get at least the gist of what was going on. For the most part, you might as well be watching a silent film.

This definitely ends up being an interesting glimpse into the life of 1950s Mexico. Its such a crude life but everyone seems to be happy. Its worth seeing, but only if you're a hardcore Bunuel fan or you are studying Mexican life of the 1950s.