Overview: Possibly Luis Bunuel’s most underrated film, The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz is executed in traditional Bunuel fashion, where macabre meets comedy. 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, fantasizing, 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.

Blu-ray Verdict: Handsome and well-heeled Archibaldo has been convinced from boyhood that he possesses a music box that has the power to kill. He embarks upon a career as a serial murderer in which his intended victims are ravishing looking females but Fate continually thwarts his lethal intentions and his murders never get past the fantasy stage.

The most notorious scene in the film and one of which only this director is capable, is where Archibaldo consigns to the flames of a kiln a wax model of one of his potential victims who has slipped through his grasp.

This macabre episode has acquired a tragically ironic overtone as the woman who has modeled for the dummy is played by Miroslava Stern who was cremated shortly after filming was completed, having taken her own life.

Working within the budgetary limitations of Mexican cinema, director Luis Bunuel has fashioned a stylish, sophisticated and technically polished piece that contains some delicious performances and bizarre Bunuelian moments that linger long in the memory.

Although condemned by circumstances to being innocent of murder Archibaldo still feels the need to confess to the police. He is politely dismissed by a detective with the words: Thinking about murdering someone does not constitute a crime. This will strike a chord with most of us I am sure!

As an interesting footnote, the movie was shot in the middle of a big economic crisis for the Mexican cinema. Production was about to be shot down a few times and the famous scene with the mannequin being cremated was filmed only once because they couldn’t afford another mannequin! This is a Full Screen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the special features of:

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz
A Video Essay by Dr. Witt, Film Historian
Restored and Remastered in 4K by the Mexican Cinematheque from the original 35mm negatives