The Brute

After watching four Bunuel films from his Mexican period, I conclude that by working in Mexico he was forced into making movies with sober stories and sober, even though corrupt, characters. El bruto could have been made by any American B movie director; Sam Peckinpah might have made a tight little classic out of it. There's no surrealism at all in this one.

Pedro Armendariz uses his enormous star power to give an unforgettable performance as the brute, a 'slow thinker' as he calls himself--he's a Victor McLaglen type only a lot sexier. Katy Jurado, the female equivalent of Armendariz in popularity, is wonderfully mendacious here. And Andres Soler as the grasping landlord reminds me so much of Walter Huston; they could have been brothers. Enjoyable to watch, because of the performances, just don't expect the usual Bunuel touches.