de Fuentes, Fernando (1894–1958)

The Mexican director Fernando de Fuentes is one of the most famous figures of Mexican cinema. Born in Veracruz on December 13, 1894, he studied engineering for a time but then transferred to the humanities department at Tulane University, New Orleans. Once back in Mexico, de Fuentes worked for the government in different capacities; eventually he took charge of a chain of theaters and became an ardent supporter of sound cinema.

Some critics have claimed that de Fuentes abandoned his artistic intentions by becoming a highly efficient commercial producer. However, he truly was a gifted director who not only understood the nature of sound cinema but also took advantage of its potential. De Fuentes's Revolution Trilogy—El prisionero trece (Prisoner Number Thirteen, 1933), El compadre Mendoza (Godfather Mendoza, 1933), and Vámonos con Pancho Villa (Let's Go with Pancho Villa, 1935)—is a remarkable analysis of the then recent civil war that had changed Mexican society. De Fuentes's portrayal of the Mexican Revolution is both pessimistic and honest, in a manner reminiscent of Mariano Azuela's novel Los de abajo.

But the film for which de Fuentes is best known—which broke all box-office records and established Mexican cinema in the Latin American market—is Allá en el rancho grande (Out on the Big Ranch, 1936). Beyond being a mere imitation of Hollywood's singing cowboy movies, this film featured the canción ranchera and helped to incorporate this song style into the broader popular culture. The achievements of early Mexican cinema with directors such as de Fuentes, Emilio "El Indio" Fernández, and the Brazilian Humberto Mauro helped establish the structural basis of the Latin American film industry.

See alsoAzuela, Mariano; Cinema: From the Silent Film to 1990; Fernández, Emilio "El Indio"; Mauro, Humberto.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ciuk, Perla. Diccionario de directores del cine mexicano. Mexico: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA) and Cineteca Nacional, 2000.

King, John. Magical Reels: A History of Cinema in Latin America. London and New York: Verso, 2000.

                                  Juan Carlos Grijalva