Sólo de noche Vienes is a Mexican film produced by Panamerican Films and Guatemalan producer Manuel Zeceña Diéguez and directed by Sergio Véjar.[2] It starred Elsa Aguirre and Julio Alemán alongside Cosmo Alessio, Rodolfo Landa, Herbert Meneses and Regina Torné. The plot is about a forbidden romance that takes place during Holy Week in a city in Central America.[2] Sólo de noche vienes is also an important documentary of the Holy Week processions in Guatemala of the 1960s.[3]
| Sólo de noche vienes | |
|---|---|
| You only come at night | |
| Directed by | Sergio Véjar |
| Screenplay by | Elena Garro[a] |
| Based on | Original work by Elena Garro written specifically for the movie. |
| Produced by | Manuel Zeceña |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Charles Trenet, Los Hermanos Cárcamo |
Production company | Panamerican Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | México |
| Language | Spanish |
Plot
edit
Andrés Villalta is a Mexican tourist visiting a city in Central America to enjoy the Holy Week processions. He meets Remedios, a local socialite married to one of the most powerful men in the country, with whom he has an instant spark. Carmen, Remedios' sister-in-law appears and Remedios hides from her without giving an explanation to Andrés. When Andrés takes her home in his fancy sports car, Remedios lies to him, telling him that her name is Carmen and neglecting to mention she is married.[3] Confusion ensues, making Remedios seem even more mysterious to Andrés.[4]
During the film's climax, the whole family gathers to watch the Virgin Mary's silent procession. When Andrés sees Remedios and tries to reach for her, Remedios' husband's associates kill him on the spot. Andrés dies in Remedios' arms, still calling her Carmen.[4]
The movie was directed by Sergio Véjar, and is based on a screenplay written specifically for the movie by the Mexican writer Elena Garro. Garro, producer Manuel Zeceña, and Véjar all worked on the final version of the screenplay. The plot shows the impossible love between a Mexican tourist and a mysterious woman who appears and vanishes as if she were a spirit or from another dimension; Guatemala during Holy Week is the perfect setting for the mysterious romance. The elusive woman was actually married to a powerful character, who upon discovering her liaison orders the killing of her lover during a procession. The climactic scene shows the infinity of the horizon, the rigidity of the religious and the volatility of love. Since the plot was originally written for the movie it was not included among Garro's literary works.[5]
Filming
editThe film was filmed in Guatemala and El Salvador; intriguingly, producer Manuel Zeceña was able to get Alemán and Aguirre to work together despite their strained relationship.[6] Interiors were filmed mainly in San Salvador, in private homes in Santa Tecla and the exclusive neighborhoods of Escalón and San Benito.[3] The exteriors, on the other hand, were filmed at tourist attractions in Puerta del Diablo and Planes de Renderos, as well as in El Salvador; however, since the plot centers around a tourist who went to Central America to watch the Holy Week processions, several processions were filmed in Guatemala City. Therefore, the movie takes place in a fictitious city which is represented alternately by San Salvador and Guatemala City.[7]
Soundtrack
editThe soundtrack was composed by French composer Charles Trenet.[5] The Salvadorian singers Los Hermanos Cárcamo (The Cárcamo Brothers) sang the title song Te deseo, amor (I lust for you, love). In February 2002 Roberto Cárcamo, the lead singer, told an interviewer that they had the opportunity to perform for the movie after Julio Alemán heard them at Hotel El Salvador Intercontinental, where he was staying during filming.[7]
Reception
editIn Costa Rica, the movie opened in May 1967 and due to the plot's strong controversy for the times, it was shown in a censored version and only for mature audiences at least 21 years old.[6]
Top billed cast
edit- Elsa Aguirre: Remedios
- Julio Alemán: Andrés Villalta
- Regina Torné: Carmen
- Rodolfo Landa: Marcial (Remedios' husband)
- Cosmo Alessio
- Herbert Meneses
See also
edit
Notes and references
editNotes
edit- ^ Elena Garro was a well known Mexican writer who was married to Literature Nobel Prize winner Octavio Paz.[1]
References
edit- ^ CONACULTA 2013, p. 2.
- ^ a b Barillas 2013
- ^ a b c Santos 2015
- ^ a b Panamerican Films 1965
- ^ a b Letra Celuloide 2013
- ^ a b La Nación 1967, p. 36
- ^ a b Perdomo León 2014
Bibliography
edit- Barillas, Edgar (2013). "50 películas filmadas en Guatemala y una que no (1935-1996). Apuntes para una cartografía de los lugares filmados en Guatemala". Revista Historia de la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (in Spanish). Guatemala. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - CONACULTA (2013). "Elena Garro, una mujer de letras" (PDF). CONACULTA, Dirección general de comunicación social (in Spanish): 1. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- Letra Celuloide (31 March 2013). "Adaptaciones de obras de Elena Garro". LETRACELULOIDE - Revista virtual de cine y literatura (in Spanish). 7 (33). Buenos Aires, Argentina. ISSN 1851-4855. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- La Nación (24 May 1967). "Junto en "Sólo de noche vienes" -Elsa Aguirre y Julio Alemán". La Nación (in Spanish). Costa Rica. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- Panamerican Films (1965). "Sólo de noche vienes". YouTube (in Spanish). Guatemala y El Salvador. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- Perdomo León, Oscar (11 March 2014). "San Salvador en "Sólo de noche vienes"". La casa de Oscar Perdomo León (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- Santos, Israel (18 June 2015). "De cuando Cristo Rey, La Merced y El Calvario llegaron a la pantalla grande". Cucurhco en Guatemala (in Spanish). Guatemala. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.