Wednesday, March 7, 2012

History of Mexican Cinema Part 2

By Robert Nickel


While the rough time line of Hollywood is very well-known, not everyone knows that Mexico's film industry began only a few years after the American one did. The period from the early 1940s until approximately 1957 was known as the Golden Age of Mexican cinema; however, the end of that era did not signal the end of the country's filmmaking. There are many filmmakers and actors from the area who have established a brand new trend which has flourished into the twenty-first century.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a large number of cult horror and action movies being produced, many starring the professional wrestler El Santo. The later years of the 1970s and the start of the 1980s resulted in the flourishing of many prominent filmmakers including Luis Alcoriza, Felipe Cazals, and Paul Leduc. Alejandro Jodorowsky was one of the artists who sought to bring surrealism to the country's industry; his 1970 production 'El Topo' is a favorite of David Lynch, Bob Dylan, and Peter Gabriel, among other famous figures who found it inspiring.

From the 1990s until the present, Mexican filmmaking has become known for high quality, internationally famous productions; the era is called Nuevo Cine Mexicano. Directors were able to make movies in their native country that became world-renowned. One of the first films of the period was the adaptation of the novel 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Alfonso Arau; it was made in 1992, and became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film released in the United States at the time.

Alfonso Cuaron is perhaps best known among casual moviegoers for directing the third installment in the 'Harry Potter' franchise, as well as for the science-fiction feature 'Children of Men'. He began his career in Mexico by making the comedy 'Solo con tu Pareja', catching the attention of Hollywood producers. His 2001 drama, 'Y Tu Mama Tambien', gained a nomination for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, and is one of the most famous 21st-century Mexican movies.

Guillermo del Toro was born in Guadalajara, and rose to fame for his 1995 film 'Chronos'. He is well-known for his surreal, magical horror movies; his 2006 release 'Pan's Labyrinth' won three Academy Awards, for Art Direction, Cinematography, and Makeup. He has also made the two Hellboy comic book adaptations, and is credited as a writer of the highly anticipated 2012 production of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'. Other famous Mexican personalities include Salma Hayak, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Ricardo Montalban.




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