The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz (Ensayo De Un Crimen) - VCI Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 1955
Director: Luis Buñuel
Writers: Luis Buñuel, Eduardo Ugarte, Rodolfo Usigli
Cast: Miroslava, Ernesto Alonso, Rita Macedo, Ariadne Welter, Andrea Palma, Rodolfo Landa, José María Linares-Rivas, Leonor Llausás, Eva Calvo, Enrique Díaz Indiano, Carlos Riquelme, Chabela Durán, Carlos Martínez Baena, Manuel Dondé, Armando Velasco

Release Date: September 13th, 2022
Approximate running time: 90 Minutes 42 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"The story begins when an overindulged young boy of 'privilege' is shown a music box, which is a family air loom, alleged to cause the death of an enemy when played. The boy decides to test it out, setting his sights on his nanny, who'd recently offended him, wishing for her death. When moments later, a stray bullet from a revolutionary's gun sails though the window killing her, the twisted boy is convinced this was no accident and finds that he likes his newfound 'power'. Taking on the mind of a serial killer, he carries this mindset into adulthood, plotting, planning, fanaticizing, and 'wishing', with women as his victims. The irony of it all is, his efforts to carry out these crimes are always thwarted by outside forces, be it 'twist of fate' or 'providence', making him a serial killer in 'mind' only.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, “Essay of a Crime is part of the project for the preservationof Mexican Cinema implemented by the National Cinematheque. The film is owned by the Film Production Workers Union (STPC) and has been restored by the institution's Digital Restoration Laboratory.

Image digitization was performed from the original 35 mm negative acetate. 129,589 frames were restored. The sound was worked from a composite positive copy, using the optical sound negative to fill in the missing audio."

The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz (Ensayo De Un Crimen) comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.5 GB

Feature: 17.5 GB

The restoration, which serves as the foundation for these transfers, looks solid. Print debris and other imperfections have been cleaned up. Image clarity is consistently strong, and contrast and black levels look very good, outside of a few moments where black levels look grayish. And when it comes to digital tinkering like noise reduction, this transfer fares much better than most of VCI’s transfers.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in Spanish, and included with this release are removable English subtitles and removable Spanish subtitles. The audio is in great shape; there are no issues with background hiss or distortion, dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well-represented. Though the lack of a lossless audio track is disappointing, the track included as part of this release sounds very good for a lossy audio track.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to a video essay by film historian Dr. David Witt (26 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English and Spanish subtitles).

Also, the front and back covers and menu are bilingual, English and Spanish.

Summary:

The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz (Ensayo De Un Crimen) was directed by Luis Buuel, a Spanish filmmaker who made most of his films in France and Mexico. Notable films he directed include L'Âge d'Or, The Exterminating Angel, Belle de jour, and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo De La Cruz (Ensayo De Un Crimen) fits firmly within the crime film genre. And yet, the result is not always a straightforward crime film because of the surreal elements that are a hallmark of the cinema of Luis Buuel.

The narrative revolves around an affluent protagonist who, as a boy, was given a music box that he believes has magical powers that kill people whom he wishes death upon. After an opening sequence when he was a boy, which lays the groundwork for what follows, fast forward to a mental institution where the protagonist now lives. From there, the bulk of the narrative is told via flashbacks that detail the protagonist's alleged crimes.

The cast is excellent, particularly Ernesto Alonso (The Forgotten Ones), who plays Archibaldo de la Cruz, a wealthy man whose obsession with a childhood trauma has impaired his ability to distinguish reality from fantasy. He delivers a solid performance that perfectly captures his character's state of mind.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where The Criminal Life of Archibaldo De La Cruz (Ensayo De Un Crimen) does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, and a well-executed narrative that does a great job of employing flashbacks builds momentum that culminates in a sensational finale. Another strength are the visuals, which have a few stylish moments that are connected to the music box deaths. Ultimately, The Criminal Life of Archibaldo De La Cruz (Ensayo De Un Crimen) is a well-made psychological thriller that does a fantastic job of blurring reality with dark humor.

The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz (Ensayo De Un Crimen) gets a good release from VCI Entertainment that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an excellent video essay, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer