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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
Directed & Written by: Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, based on the novel by Jorge López Páez. Produced by: Manuel Barbachano Ponce. Director of Photography: Miguel Ehrenberg. Edited by: Luis Kelly. Released by: Strand Home Video. Language: Spanish with English subtitles. Country of Origin: Mexico. 90 Min. Not Rated. With: Guadalupe del Toro, Leticia Lupercio, Arturo Meza & Marco Antonio Treviño.
A compassionate satire on acceptance and appearances, 1985’s Doña Herlinda
and Her Son stars Guadalupe del Toro as the titular character, a doting matron who invites her son Rodolfo’s young friend Ramón
(Arturo Meza) to live with them in their sprawling Guadalajara home by graciously explaining, “Rodolfo’s bedroom is big.”
Insisting that Ramón is a member of the family, she coerces the music student to remain under her roof even after Rodolfo
(Marco Antonio Treviño) courts and marries a woman closer to his age. That her son the doctor and Ramón are lovers is one of the
worst kept secrets in town. (Groping Ramón in his schoolyard is just one example of Rodolfo’s unique form of discretion.) Outwardly,
Herlinda feigns ignorance of her son’s passionate relationship, even when she walks in on one of their more intimate “workouts,”
but her home has very thin walls and she has a very warm heart. It’s due to her desire for Rodolfo to live a happy and full life
(and to have grandchildren of her own) that he and Ramón are able to survive as a couple.
The beginning is a bit slow, but as Ramón and Rodolfo show more of their affection for one another and the odd circumstances of
their relationship fully come to light, the film becomes a sly, heartfelt and frank portrayal of a gay relationship in
conservative mid-‘80’s Mexico. An obviously low-budget effort, the DVD’s picture quality is below average (even at the time of its
theatrical release, the film was criticized for its amateurish production values). But beyond the DVD’s renovated cover art (which is
worthy of Criterion’s graphic design squad), there are no new bonus features on this reissue, nor were the poorly translated subtitles redone either. And since the 2002 Vanguard Cinema DVD release didn’t have any extras either, it feels like a wasted opportunity for such an exceptional gay-interest film.
Zachary Jones
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