''Mexican Bus Ride'' (original title in , "Ascent to Heaven") is a
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, ...
Mexican comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...
and starring
Lilia Prado. It was entered into the
1952 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot
Much like the film ''
Illusion Travels by Streetcar'', directed by Buñuel two years later, focuses on a tram ride, this film is essentially about a bus ride.
When Oliverio's mother is dying, she wants to quickly write a will so that the youngest son gets his share and the two older brothers don't collect everything. Because his mother is too weak to travel, Oliverio is supposed to bring a notary from the city to her. So he takes the bus, but unforeseen events constantly interrupt the journey. These interruptions affect all aspects of life; a birth as well as a funeral and a breakdown when the bus hits a river and breaks down. The most pleasant companion for Oliverio on this journey is the seductive Raquel. In the end, Oliverio returns to his mother, who has died in the meantime, without the notary, but can still secure his share of the inheritance by means of a fingerprint under the will she wants.
Cast
*
Lilia Prado as Raquel
*
Esteban Márquez as Oliverio Grajales
*
Luis Aceves Castañeda as Silvestre
*
Manuel Dondé
Manuel Dondé (1906 – 27 May 1976) was a Mexican film actor.Kohner p.355 He frequently played villains during his long film career.
Selected filmography
* ''La Llorona (1933 film), La llorona'' (1933)
* ''Soulless Women'' (1934) - Policía
* ...
as Eladio Gonzales
*
Roberto Cobo as Juan
*Beatriz Ramos as Elisa
*
Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno ( , ; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator and military officer who was the ''de facto'' List of heads of state of Panama, ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. He never officially serv ...
*Roberto Meyer as Don Nemesio Álvarez y Villalbazo
*
Pedro Elviro
*Leonor Gómez as Doña Linda
Reception
Ed Gonzalez of ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' called ''Mexican Bus Ride'' "a beautiful, spiritual film, albeit a messy one."
Accolades
''Mexican Bus Ride'' was nominated for two
Ariel Award
The Ariel Award () is an award that recognizes the best of Mexican cinema. Given annually, since 1946, by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas, Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), the award reco ...
s in Best Direction and Best Original Story, respectively. The film was also nominated for the
Golden Ariel.
References
External links
*
{{Luis Buñuel
1950s Spanish-language films
Mexican black-and-white films
1952 comedy films
Films directed by Luis Buñuel
Mexican comedy films
1950s Mexican films