I'm a fan of Raul de Anda so I was excited to get a copy of one of his "Spaghetti Westerns". It was in Spanish, but the Spanish is so clear and perfect that voice to text recognition software did a fair job, that got ran through translation software, then I manually filled in the gaps listening to the Spanish. That actually doesn't require more than an intermediate level of Spanish- no where near fluency required.

That done, I sat down to watch it and had no problem following the plot. Superficially it's a revenge flick, as is common in the genre, with a well known pistolero mentoring a kid. In terms of the screenplay, though, it felt more like an Elmer Kelton novel, which is to say that it was much more mature and realistic than the screenplays you get in many euro-westerns. That and good cinematography and settings put it over the top for me, into the "better than your average Spaghetti Western". Some might not like it's relative lack of gore, but, like I said, the screenplay was much more mature and realistic. It has a lot to say socially, but is nowhere near being the morality plays that many Zapatista Spaghetti Westerns are. The ending is great, I thought, though some might disagree. That's where I really saw the similarity to Kelton. I certainly like those other ways of doing it, but I found this one to be a refreshingly different take on something where the formula really wasn't altered that much. Great directing and writing! Historically accurate. The conflict described went on a lot.

Oh, and Senor Anda appears in it as well. I thought Amadee Chabot was somewhat mis-cast, but that's a minor point of contention. When Miss California settles locally and says she wants to be in your picture, you say, "I think I can find a way to make that work", I guess.

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 action genre features fast-paced, thrilling, and intense sequences of physical feats, combat, and excitement. The characters of these stories are involved in daring and often dangerous situations, requiring them to rely on their physical prowess, skills, and quick thinking to overcome challenges and adversaries.

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 Western genre features stories set primarily in the 19th-century American Old West and often depict the rugged frontier life, exploring themes of individualism, justice, morality, and the clash between civilization and the untamed wilderness. The genre has its roots in the historical context of westward expansion and the challenges faced by pioneers, settlers, outlaws, and lawmen.

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Amadee Chabot and Rodolfo de Anda in El hombre de negro (1969)

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