La llorona: Limited edition - Indicator Series (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 1933
Director: Ramón Peón
Writers: A. Guzman Aguilera, Carlos Noriega Hope, Fernando de Fuentes
Cast: Ramón Pereda, Virginia Zurí, Carlos Orellana, Adriana Lamar, Alberto Martí, Esperanza del Real, Paco Martínez, María Luisa Zea, Alfredo del Diestro, Conchita Gentil Arcos, Antonio R. Frausto, Victoria Blanco, Manuel Dondé

Release Date: March 21st, 2022
Approximate running time: 70 Minutes 18 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"An early horror classic drawn from Mexico's rich tradition of folklore, La llorona recounts the chilling tale of the 'wailing woman' who kills herself and her child before returning to haunt the living.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "New 2K restoration from the only surviving film element by the Cinema Preservation Alliance."

Here's additional information about the transfer, "This restoration of La llorona (1933), the first Mexican horror film production made in sound, is based on the sole surviving 16mm projection print and soundtrack of the film known to exist, as all original 35mm materials are thought to be lost or destroyed. The project was completed in 2021 by Permanencia Voluntaria as a collaboration with Filmoteca UNAM, Academy Film Archive and Cinema Preservation Alliance."

La llorona comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.3 GB

Feature: 18.6 GB

The above information about the transfer should give a clear idea of what to expect from this transfer. Though there has been some cleanup, there are noticeable source imperfections that vary in degree throughout. The image generally looks crisp, the contrast and black levels are strong, the comparison is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 3/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish. Though there has been some cleanup of the source, it still has some noticeable imperfections, like background hiss. That said, the dialog comes through clearly, and range-wise, this track is adequate. Included are removable English subtitles and removable English SDH subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a short compilation of the source print’s distinctive cue marks, which were removed during the restoration titled Lunas y estrellas (1 minute 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in English about the footage), an interview with Abraham Castillo Flores, head programmer of Mexico’s Mórbido Film Fest titled Transcending Time (17 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary by Viviana García Besné, the producer’s great granddaughter titled La Llorona: Ghosts of the Past (17 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English and Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with genre-film experts, film critics and authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman, reversible cover art, and a forty page booklet with cast & crew credits, an essay titled La llorona and The First Cries of Mexican Horror written by Emily Masincup, an archival article titled The Legend of La llorona written by Luis González Obregón, an essay titled ‘My Grief Will Not Be Silenced’: La llorona’s Cry Across the Decades written by Valeria Villegas Lindvall, an archival newspaper report on the film’s premiere titled La llorona a Film of Merit, an overview of contemporary critical responses, a text piece titled Preserving the Anomalies of La llorona written by Peter Conheim, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

La llorona is a character that can be found throughout Mexican horror cinema’s history. Two of the most famous adaptations are René Cardona's La llorona (1960) and Rafael Baledón's The Curse of the Crying Woman. The first adaptation of La llorona was Ramón Peón’s La llorona (1933). This adaptation is notable for also being Mexican cinema’s first horror film.

The narrative, which takes place in three time periods, begins in the present. The other time periods are the Elizabethan era and the Age of Discovery. All three of these stories are linked by their connection to La llorona. With the bulk of the narrative taking place in the present.

Based in Mexican folklore, a character like La llorona is perfect for horror cinema. At its core, La llorona is a supernatural tale that is rooted in curses. The ghost of a woman who died tragically, usually by her own hands, haunts those who did her wrong.

Though billed as a horror film, Ramón Peón’s La llorona (1933) leans more towards melodrama. Also, some viewers may find the narrative slow-moving since there are long stretches where not much happens. Fortunately, these moments are few, and the moments leading up to the finale make the shortcomings that came before easier to overlook. And on screen carnage is minimal, which is not a surprise considering the era in which La llorona (1933) was made. Ultimately, La llorona (1933) is a good film that lays the foundation for all Mexican horror films that followed.

La llorona gets a solid release from Powerhouse Films as part of their Indicator Series, highly recommended.

Note: Powerhouse Films has released La llorona in a standard edition that drops the booklet.

Written by Michael Den Boer