Mexican Cinema

Mexican filmmaking is traced from its early beginnings in 1896 to the present in this book. Of particular interest are the great changes from 1990 to 2004: the confluence of talented and dedicated filmmakers, important changes in Mexican cinematic infrastructure and significant social and cultural transformations. From Nicolás Echevarría’s Cabeza de Vaca (1991), to the 1992 releases of Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos and Alfonso Arau’s Como agua para chocolate, to Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también (2001), this work provides a close look at Mexican films that received international commercial success and critical acclaim and put Mexico on the cinematic world map.
Arranged chronologically, this edition (originally published in 2005) covers the entire scope of Mexican cinema. The main films and their directors are discussed, together with the political, social and economic contexts of the times.

Carl J. Mora is a professor emeritus at the University of New Mexico. The author of numerous articles on varied aspects of Mexican, Spanish, American and British movies, he lives in Albuquerque.

Carl J. Mora
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 335
Bibliographic Info: 158 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [2005]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6925-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9187-2
Imprint: McFarland

Preface to the Third Edition      1

1. The Silent Film Era: 1896–1929      3
2. The Coming of Sound: 1930–1939      27
3. War and Growth of a Major Industry: 1940–1946      52
4. “Golden Age,” Crisis, and Retrenchment: 1947–1959      75
5. Decline, Renovation, and the Return of Commercialism: 1960–1980      105
6. “To Rebuild a Ruined Cinema in a Ruined Country”: 1981–1989      150
7. Globalization and New Paths: 1990–2004      187

Epilogue      251
Appendix 1. Selected Filmographies      259
Appendix 2. Useful Addresses      264
Notes      267
Bibliography      293
Index      315

“recommended”—Choice; “a wonderful book…quite interesting…excellent photos”—The Mexican Film Bulletin.