Rancho Gtande

Allá en el Rancho Grande Over in the Big Ranch The Mexican Revolution And Singing Cowboys

Time setting of the film It starts in 1922, after the official battles of the Mexican Revolution had subsided, but during which there was tremendous reorganization of the political, social and economic systems.

Álvaro Obregón Was president from 1920-24.

During this time there were advances in education, the arts, labor and land reform.

Workers were encouraged to organize and seek higher wages.

3 million acres of land were distributed amongst 624 villages.

Plutarco Elías Calles Elected in 1924.

Created numerous highways, the Bank of Mexico, cancelled debts, improved public education and workers’ rights.

He stepped aside to let Obregón run for re-election, but when Obregón was assassinated, he reentered politics. In 1928 he founded PNR—Partido Nacional Revolucionario, which became the PRI—Partido Revolucionario Institucionalizado—which won all of the presidential elections in the 20th century.

The film then jumps to 1935

Lázaro Cárdenas 1934-40

Cárdenas was the Elliott Ness of Mexican politics ---untouchable and incorruptable. Where other politicians scandalously enriched themselves, Cárdenas was so honest that after serving as a general, governor and cabinet minister he still had to borrow money to move his household goods when he was posted to a new command.

Cárdenas was the most radical president in Mexican history as well as the most honest. His vision for Mexico was based on three principles: the ejidos (common lands) restored through a strong agrarian program to combat the domination of the large haciendas; a socialist education system to oppose the "fanaticism" of the Church; workers, cooperatives to check the excesses of industrial capitalism. To achieve this goal, he pleaded with workers, peasants and students to form a united front.

Cárdenas will chiefly be remembered for his expropriation of the foreign oil companies. The action was brought on by their refusal to abide by a Mexican supreme court ruling that would have granted workers a modest pay increase. Though Cárdenas pledged to compensate the oil companies for their losses, expropriation resulted in damaging repercussions. The United States cut off silver purchases from Mexico, Great Britain broke off diplomatic relations and the oil companies mounted a vast propaganda campaign to discredit the expropriation. But the debt was paid --thanks largely to a massive national effort which saw workers contributing their meager savings, peasant farmers bringing chickens to market, fashionable ladies selling jewelry and industrialists writing fat checks. All sectors of society joined in and the Church, long hostile to the government, blessed the fund raising effort.

US-Mexican relations There is one minor character in this film from the US, who speaks an “interesting” version of Spanish, and elicits a number of different reactions from the other characters, from friendly to hostile.

The US had a number of different attitudes and policies towards Mexico in the years 1922-35. The worst is represented by Ambassador James Rockwll Sheffield, who declared that Mexicans were “Latin-Indians who in the final analysis recognize no argument but force.” President Roosevelt’s “Good Neighbor Policy” was an improvement on his earlier declaration that “Sooner or later...the United States must go down there and clean up the Mexican political mess. The “Good Neighbor Policy” promised to respect the rights and differences of other nations.

Socialism and Workers’ movements The Mexican Communist party was formed in 1919, and was reorganized in 1924-25 by a member of the US Communist party.

It was a legal political party until 1929, was outlawed and then reinstated in 1935.

They did a great deal of work attempting to organize the peasant workers in the early years.

A number of famous Mexicans were at one point members of the Communist party:

David Alfaro Siquieros

Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo

Leon Trotsky The Bolshevik revolutionary, leader of the Russian October Revolution, and second in command to Lenin, went into exile in Mexico in 1935 to oppose the policies of Joseph Stalin.

While there he was befriended by a members of the Mexican intelligentsia, which may partially explain the rise of the Mexican communist party in those years. He lived for awhile with Diego Rivera. And had an affair with Frida Kahlo.

He was killed by a Stalininst supporter in 1940.

Charros A traditional cowboy of central-western Mexico.

Typical clothes sombrero

Mustache/bigote

Tie/corbata

Jacket/chaqueta

Also typical:

Decorations on jacket

L;arge belt buckle

Pistol hanging from belt

boots

spurs serape

The women La china poblana—Spanish style skirt, beads and decorations from China, indigenous colors and patterns

rebozo

Golden Age of Mexican Cinema Occurred between 1935-1959, when the quality and economic success of Mexican film reached its peak. While the rest of the film-making world concentrated on WWII and warrelated films, Mexico experienced a boom in creation and innovation.

Tonight’s film, from 1936, was the first smash hit.

Only Argentina and Cuba have had similar success within Latin America.

Tito Guízar Trained as an opera singer, he had a career that lasted for around 70 years [his first film was in 1935, his last tv appearance in 1999.]

René Cardona Wrote, directed and acted in literally 100s of films, including charro films, wrestling films [Santo] and horror films.

We may see him next week if we watch my all-time favorite Mexican horror film.

Esther Fernández Also had a long carreer, starting in 1933 until 1992.

Lorenzo Barcelata Wrote and performed many of the songs heard in the film.

Music Lyrics:

http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?letra= 916617

“Allá en el Rancho Grande”—a classic Mexican song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoK_xTlw6DU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVjcKN1YRM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= 4i4fFrHLh0

Huapango Kind of like a musical duel—two singers alternate and try to outdo each other.

There are other styles, but that’s the one we’ll see tonight.

Quote @ truth and drunks In vino veritas.

gallego The shopkeeper is from Spain, specifically Galicia, which is the area north of Portugal. Every country has its ethnic “humor” which may be about different parts of the same country [NJ, the South,] or other countries [Polish jokes, Italian jokes, etc.] In Mexico they tell “dumb gallego” jokes. Ha ha [or ja ja en español]

cockfight These roosters are specially bred for fighting; their disposition is naturally aggressive towards other males. They are conditioned like athletes or other competitive animals. The fights aren’t necessarily to the death, but the injuries sustained may be life-threatening. Cockfights are illegal in the US now, but at one time it was a legitimate sporting event, complete with wagering. The “sport” itself can be traced back to 2000 BCE.

“Palenques” are concert halls / cockfighting rinks, found in cities all over the country. Traditional singers may alternate performances with the roosters.

serenade / serenata A medieval tradition that carried over into the 20th century. A serenata is usually performed to honor someone, or declare one’s love, and usually takes place in the evening, beneath a window.

What to watch for/think about The presentation of the social classes The presentation of the sexes The roles of women, their actions and their consequences The use of humor—does it translate through time, national boundaries and languages? The presence of stereotypes: effect?

which ones did you observe and what is their