Let's start by clarifying that Argentinian movies made before the 1970s can only be endured by Argentinians...for the sake of nostalgia and nothing else; movies like this one, from 1955, are too dated, too subjected to moral codes imposed by the church of the time (one of the three dominant powers in Argentina --then and now-- next to the military and the politicians) while the acting and directing was stilted, almost theatrical. The photography was quite acceptable.

And that influence was, of course, deadly for the narrative and the reality of all characters. The other factor, nowadays incredible as it seems, was the overwhelming amount of MACHISMO that permeated this society at the time. Women could only be "decent married types", always exemplary mothers and total ladies with their skirts six inches below the knee and professional hairdresser's perfect chignons.

Not a single hair out of place in a perfect hairdo (Just a single strand out of place indicated something disturbing happened, like a burned turkey because the oven was to hot or the intrusion in her house of a rapist that attempted to rape her but she defended her honor with a butcher's knife, ergo, her hair came undo during the rough-house (well, only a little-little strand of hair, OK?). 

Enough of that.

Zully Moreno, the protagonist, was, during that decade --1950s-- the Queen of Argentinian cinema, married to Luis César Amadori, the director of this film. She wasn't exactly Julienne Moore as interpreters go, she was just adequate and resorted to the same expression for Anguish, Fear, Joy and any other show of emotions a human being could experience.

But she was SPLENDID looking, the camera fell in love with her face and with the help of others (make-up man, hair dresser, costume designer, master gaffer, etc.) she photographed as a true beauty.

Carlos López Moctezuma, a Mexican actor (219 movies!!!) was the leading man, quite correct also, but always withing that school of acting. And the same for the rest of the cast.

The third character worth mentioning was the one played by Nelly Panizza (she was always the Bad Woman...) that in her couple of scenes was directed (and dressed!!) to be SO OBVIOUS that even the five year old in the audience would immediately understand her profession. Pity, because she was a good actress. 

The script is quite sketchy and one never finds out what really happened a few years before in her life, (now she's the very image of the proper housewife) and "the thing" is mentioned in very delicate terms.

The worse scenes --as always in those days with Argentinian films-- were the ones with child actors...(I tremble remembering that I watched the whole film), for some reason the poor things could never deliver naturally the most simple sentence. Even "Mommy" and "Daddy" as the only dialog for them came out FALSE.

And the final scene is something to remember... (I almost ruined my PC after throwing a shoe at the screen).

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Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Carlos López Moctezuma, Juan José Miguez, and Zully Moreno in The Human Clay (1955)

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Juan José Miguez and Zully Moreno in The Human Clay (1955)

Carlos López Moctezuma and Zully Moreno in The Human Clay (1955)

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