This Was Pancho Villa: Third chapter
1958
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Diversity score: 4.5 out of 10
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El principio
1973
Director
Gonzalo Martínez Ortega
Runtime
135 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Mexico is in the midst of Revolution when the protagonist returns after studying in Paris to find his native town in Chihuahua occupied by Francisco Villa’s revolutionary forces. He visits his deserted home and remembers people and events from his adolescence that provide glimpses of pre-Revolutionary society under dictatorship: his uncle, the chief of police; his sister’s involvement with a liberal political association; bathing with the girls from a local brothel; a labor strike that ended in a massacre. Returning to the present he discovers that his father has been assassinated and, in the company of his father’s former servant, joins the revolutionary movement.
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Diversity & Representation
Overall Score
5.9/10
Fair
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film explores non-traditional social spaces, such as a local brothel. However, there is no explicit evidence of queer-coded characters or specific LGBTQ+ identities.
Gender Representation
Female agency is highlighted through a sister's involvement in political resistance. Conversely, the brothel setting suggests women may still be subject to traditional gender hierarchies and objectification.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The story centers on a mestizo and indigenous social fabric during the Mexican Revolution. It avoids a white-normative lens by focusing on local struggles against dictatorship.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The narrative critiques corrupt state institutions and colonial-style hierarchies. It frames the struggle against dictatorship and capitalist-adjacent structures as a central thematic pillar.
Disability Representation
There is no discernible evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.
Strengths
- Strong racial and ethnic centering through the lens of the Mexican Revolution.
- Effective critique of institutional corruption and dictatorial power structures.
- Meaningful depiction of female political agency through organized resistance.
Areas for Improvement
- Lack of explicit LGBTQ+ representation or queer-coded character arcs.
- Absence of discernible representation for physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
- Potential for female characters to be relegated to traditional objectified roles.
AI Analysis
Gonzalo Martínez Ortega’s film serves as a historical interrogation of power, grounding its protagonist's journey in the systemic failures of Mexico. The narrative effectively subverts the traditional hero's journey by focusing on institutional corruption and the violence of the state. The film excels in its cultural and racial centering, utilizing the Mexican Revolution to critique authoritarianism. It provides a necessary perspective on the internal struggles of a Mexican community fighting against local oppression. While the film offers strong political and ethnic agency, it lacks explicit representation regarding LGBTQ+ identities or disability. The depiction of women is a mix of political agency and traditional objectification.
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