Aventurera

Not to be confused with Michelangelo Antonioni's later movie L'Avventura (1960), Aventurera (1950) is one of the most famous films of the Mexican cinema. Similar to other popular melodramas of the period, it was conceived as an entertainment, not an art film. However, by showcasing a dynamic performer in a narrative with an underlayer of social commentary, the makers of Aventurera struck a blow against machismo and created a classic woman's picture. The title means "adventuress" and the style was called cabaretera meaning "cabaret entertainer." What the term meant to Mexican moviegoers however, was a mix of music and melodrama with sexy women thrown into dark and dangerous situations in Mexico's "sin" towns where their virtue and often their lives would be threatened. Ninon Sevilla plays Elena, the unlucky object of desire in Aventurera. A sweet, innocent daughter in a typical middle-class family, she comes home to find her mother in the arms of a lover and her father, shamed by the discovery, having committed suicide. Elena runs away from home and straight to the decadent town of Ciudad Juarez where she is drugged by a man who poses as a friend and sold into sexual slavery at the brothel/cabaret run by Madame Rosaura (Andrea Palma). Now, not only must she accept the advances of men, she must also perform every night as a singer at the cabaret! For most movies this would be enough plot but in Aventurera, this is only the beginning of a story that sends Elena ricocheting through the highs and lows of Mexican society, exposing more and more corruption as she goes. The cabaretera style of Mexico co-existed with the American film-noir thrillers and served much the same purpose, providing thrills and suspense with a cynical social commentary that could be missed by the less-observant patrons. The different slant of cabaretera comes with the inclusion of music, juxtaposing Latin musical numbers, often in florid costumes, with sex and touches of sadism. The greatness of Aventurera is in spotting another important difference from film noir - the stronger emphasis on women - and using this melodramatic story to expose the injustice and hardships encountered by Mexican women. With a central performance by Sevilla that is both provocative and emotional, campy musical numbers and a briskly paced plot, Aventurera is immensely entertaining while pointing forward to the socially conscious American melodramas of Douglas Sirk in the late 1950's. Director: Alberto Gout Writers: Alvaro Custodio, Carlos Sampelayo Producers: Guillermo Calderon, Pedro A. Calderon Cinematographer: Alex Phillips Editor: Alfredo Rosas Priego Music: Antonio Diaz Conde Cast: Ninon Sevilla (Elena), Tito Junco (Lucio), Andrea Palma (Rosaura), Ruben Rojo (Mario), Miguel Inclan (Rengo), Miguel Manzano (El Rana). BW-101 min. by Brian Cady