Name: Machete
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Duration: 1 h 15 min
Rating: 5
Cast: Mari Blanchard, Albert Dekker, Juano Hernandez

Puerto Rico and some nice night fire shooting, but otherwise a middling affair

Machete (1958)

This is a run of the mill and rather dismissible movie with two or three odd qualities that might appeal to some. One is the inclusion of Lee Van Cleef (of Spaghetti Western fame). The other is photographer Karl Struss who three decades earlier did two terrific (and beyond terrific) movies, "Sunrise" (as co-cinematographer) and "Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde." 

The third aspect is simply the setting, Puerto Rico circa 1958. It would be more fun to see a movie set in Cuba in 1958 of course, right before the revolution, but here is a Caribbean counterpart, with certain parallels. Most of the action takes place at a sugar plantation that could have been either country, but it really was filmed in Aguirre, P.R. and acknowledges this at the start. The director, Kurt Neumann, is a famous B-movie hack director and the movie lets its low budget show throughout, but the setting is what it is and there is some small benefit there. An early scene shows locals in a celebratory dance which is fun if a bit touristic for the audience.

Struss doesn't exactly shine in this film but there are a lot of "good" shots and a number of night shots including most (but not all--bad editing there) of the fire scenes are night, and well done! It's the climax of the movie, and you knew it was coming since they mentioned it at the start and it's too cinematic to avoid. The three or four main characters all get intertwined in this final scene, and if the acting is pretty awful, the idea is pretty great.

See this? No, I wouldn't bother, unless one of the aspects above appeals very much. It won't bore you--it's actually pretty fast and has a bunch of shifts in plot to keep you watching. But it will constantly seem clunky.

Spanish-language cinema across Spain and Latin America is united by its engagement with history, cultural identity, and social transformation. In Spain, films often balance artistic experimentation with popular genres while reflecting on memory, politics, and family. In Latin America, cinema has been deeply tied to questions of colonial legacy, resistance, and community resilience, ranging from intimate dramas to bold political allegories.

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The adventure genre features exciting journeys, quests, or expeditions undertaken by characters who often face challenges, obstacles, and risks in pursuit of a goal. Adventures can take place in a wide range of settings, from exotic and fantastical locations to historical or even everyday environments.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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The fantasy genre features imaginative and often magical worlds, characters, and events. It explores realms beyond the boundaries of reality, featuring elements such as magic, mythical creatures, supernatural powers, and fantastical settings. These stories can take place in entirely fictional worlds or blend fantastical elements with real-world settings.

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The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

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The cousin of a wealthy plantation owner in Puerto Rico plants seeds of jealousy in the man's mind concerning his new wife and the handsome foreman.

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