The White Monk
| The White Monk | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Julio Bracho |
| Written by | Eduardo Marquina (play) Xavier Villaurrutia Jesús Cárdenas Julio Bracho |
| Starring | María Félix Tomás Perrín Julio Villarreal |
| Cinematography | Alex Phillips |
| Edited by | Jorge Bustos |
| Music by | Raúl Lavista |
Production company | Clasa Films Mundiales |
Release date |
|
Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
The White Monk (Spanish:El monje blanco) is a 1945 Mexican historical drama film directed and co-written by Julio Bracho and starring María Félix, Tomás Perrín and Julio Villarreal.[1] The film's sets were designed by the art director Jorge Fernandez.
It is set in Italy in the thirteenth century.
Plot
[edit]In 13th-century Italy, the arrival of a mysterious, cloistered monk causes great curiosity within a small village. At a local monastery, the humble Fray Paracleto (Tomás Perrín) mystically sculpts a pristine white image of the Virgin Mary while weaving religious vestments. The tranquility of the sanctuary is interrupted when a mysterious woman, Gálata Orsina (María Félix), appears at the monastery. She seeks out the Father Provincial (Julio Villarreal) to confess her tragic past, triggering a long flashback detailing her life.
Gálata explains that during her youth, her protective father attempted to shelter her from the corruption of the world by hiding her away in a secluded cabin deep within the woods. However, while hunting in the forest, the wealthy Count Hugo del Saso (also played by Tomás Perrín) accidentally discovered her. The two fell deeply in love, and Hugo brought her to live luxuriously inside his ancestral castle. Overwhelmed and morally compromised by the excessive wealth and materialism of the estate, Gálata ultimately fled the castle and returned to her cabin, where she secretly gave birth to Hugo's illegitimate son.
Discovering her departure, a furious Count Hugo tracked her down to the cabin, seizing the child and initially contemplating murdering the infant out of rage. A local monk intervened, imploring Hugo to spare the child's life. Overcome with sudden remorse, Hugo relented and subsequently abandoned his aristocratic titles to enter the monastery under the identity of Fray Paracleto. As her narration concludes in the present day, Gálata's confession successfully untangles a complicated romantic conflict involving herself, Count Hugo, and Mina Amanda (María Douglas). Reunited with her young son, Gálata leaves the monastery alongside the remorseful former count to live a simple life as the benevolent priests look on.
Cast
[edit]- María Félix as Gálata Orsina
- Tomás Perrín as Conde Hugo del Saso / Fray Paracleto
- Julio Villarreal as Sacerdote
- Paco Fuentes as Capolupo
- Consuelo Guerrero de Luna as Condesa Próspera Huberta
- María Douglas as Mina Amanda
- José Pidal as Fray Matías
- Manuel Noriega
- Fanny Schiller
- Felipe Montoya as Marco Leone
- Ángel T. Sala as Montero
- José Elías Moreno
- Ernesto Alonso as Fray Can
- Marta Elba as Anabella
- Alejandro Cobo as Bertone
- Manolo Fábregas as Piero
- María Gentil Arcos as Peregrina
- Paco Martinez as Peregrino
References
[edit]- ↑ Taibo p.138
Bibliography
[edit]- Paco Ignacio Taibo. María Félix: 47 pasos por el cine. Bruguera, 2008.
External links
[edit]
 | This article related to a Mexican film of the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1945 films
- 1945 historical drama films
- Mexican historical drama films
- 1945 Spanish-language films
- Films directed by Julio Bracho
- Films set in the 13th century
- Films set in Italy
- Mexican black-and-white films
- 1945 Mexican films
- Films scored by Raúl Lavista
- Spanish-language historical drama films
- 1940s Mexican film stubs