If you’re new to Mexico’s rumbera musical genre, imagine classic Hollywood musical tropes filtered through a crime-ridden back alley, removing the gloss for a gritty dose of realism. At its core, this film follows the Hollywood playbook, with a talented showgirl shining on stage even as her personal life is in transition off stage, but here her stage is in a steamy bar and the men in her life are crooks.
Buy Victims of Sin (Criterion Collection) Blu-rayWe first meet Rodolfo (Rodolfo Acosta), a self-absorbed small-time pimp wearing the most flamboyant zoot suit in town as he checks up on his girls at the bar. One of those girls tearfully presents him with his newborn bastard son, who he immediately rejects and commands the girl to throw out in the trash, easily the most harrowing scene in the film. Enter Violeta (Ninón Sevilla), star dancer at the bar and unaffiliated with Rodolfo’s red light business. She rescues the baby and decides to keep him as her own, setting in play a series of events that change the course of all principal characters. That includes a kindly rival bar owner and pimp named Santiago (Tito Junco) who takes Violeta under his wing when she’s cast out of her job due to her new baby. As the baby grows up and Santiago and Violeta find happiness as a family unit, they face potential ruin when Rodolfo gets out of jail and comes looking for revenge.
Yes, the story is sensational, but under writer/director Emilio Fernández’s firm hand, it’s also presented in a wholly logical and measured progression filled with inspired choices. In fact, there’s so much twisty plot covered that it seems impossible that it all happens in a brisk 84 minutes, especially considering the multiple musical performances interspersed throughout the film. It’s also photographed very well, as envisioned by ace cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, equally adept at framing the nuances of the blistering dance numbers and the emotions of the characters’ quiet moments.
The phenomenal Sevilla leads the cast as the star showgirl with a heart of gold and amazing dance moves, immediately putting the crowd under her spell with an opening performance that showcases her earthy, sensual choreography. She performs markedly differently even compared to Latina actresses who worked in Hollywood musicals, bringing an unfettered, tribal fever to her dance numbers that show her so entranced by the percussion-heavy Afro-Caribbean accompaniment she literally gets down all the way to the ground at one point. While her line reading is a bit lacking at times, her large, expressive eyes do the heavy lifting to generate plenty of sympathy for her fascinating character.
I never knew what I was missing, but this film made me want to explore more rumberas. Thankfully, the generous bonus features provide a primer on potential next candidates. A full archival episode of a TV show features interviews with many leading figures of the genre, including Sevilla, giving an overview on their work and their perspectives. There’s also a lengthy new interview with an especially engaging archivist who communicated with Sevilla before her death, gleaning fascinating personal details about some shocking behind-the-scenes trauma Sevilla experienced during the film’s production. Finally, a current cinematographer discusses the work of Figueroa, providing insight into his career highlights.
The new Criterion Blu-ray is presented in 1.37:1 aspect ratio. It comes from a new 4K restoration created from the 35mm nitrate original camera negative, while the original mono soundtrack has been remastered from the 35mm optical track negative. The results are exceptional, instantly noticeable in the rock-steady opening credits and opening scenes of pristine, high-contrast black and white photography. I noticed one tiny speck in the early minutes, other than that the picture and sound seem flawless. It’s a brilliant presentation of this standout film, hopefully one that will lead to further Criterion musical excursions south of the border.
