In this past week’s class we discussed the framework for many characters in Buñuel’s Mexican
films, and viewed The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz. Buñuel made 20 films in Mexico, which
oftentimes focused on melodramas, with characters being the bad woman (mala mujer), the lady and the
macho. Alongside the maternal “saint” figure, independent women would often show up in most Mexican
films, having a lover or an affair outside their marital relationship; whilst men are overcome by their
obsession in romance paired with religious fanaticism, bigotry, and more. Buñuel would play with these
themes of machismo and love, having most men in his films become obsessed with having power through
brute strength and some sense of insecurity. This can be seen in the film The Criminal Life of Archibaldo
de la Cruz as the character Archibaldo is a rich man with a bloodthirsty lust for killing women, although
failing at every murder attempt he pursues.
The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz is the perfect display of the macho mentality, with
Archibaldo constantly fighting his insecurity with bloodlust and frail masculinity. Having an obsession with
grooming, pottery and women, Archibaldo can display signs of frail masculinity, and in order to achieve a
sense of closure he seeks to kill women to prove control. This is the perfect display of the macho figure as
it is an over-exaggeration of masculinity, which the act of being macho provides. In another case, we see
the women characters Lavinia, Patricia and Carlota all display some aspects of the mala mujer, as they
display signs of infidelity or independence from a male figure. The concept of them being mala mujer may
frustrate Archibaldo as it gives himself no control of these women, possibly leading to his actions and
machismo.