Valente Quintero (film)

Plot

In the contemporary era (circa 1973), two foreign tourists make a stop at the provincial town of Perales. Two small memorials surrounded by pebbles in a corner of a street attract their attention. On the meantime, two elderly veterans of the Mexican Revolution, Chelelo and Cornelio, come out from a nearby building to receive them. They explain to the tourists about the memorials and to whom are they in memory of. Chelelo then recounts the story of two revolutionary friends, Sub-lieutenant Valente Quintero and Major Atanasio Pizarro, who are fighting a battle in one of Perales' residential streets. Valente is severely injured when he is shot in front of the late General Gumersindo Carrillo's house where his widow, doña Elvira Peña, his daughter, Leonor Carrillo, and their housemaid, Carmen, reside. Leonor witnesses when Valente is shot and is decided to go out and help him, against her mother's wishes. Leonor then tells her mother that she is returning a favor that could have been made to her father, who helplessly died while bleeding in the midst of a forest. Leonor therefore runs across the street to get the town's drunkard physician, Doctor Plácido. Elvira, Carmen, and Leonor carry Valente into the house and lay him in a bed. Valente stays ill in bed for several days and his friend Atanasio later receives word about his survival. Atanasio falls in love with the elegant and sophisticated Leonor and admires the conservative and sharp-tongued matron Elvira. Valente and Leonor also start a romantic relationship, which leads them to marriage. Atanasio, who is now a rich and alcoholic landowner, duels Valente for the love of Leonor on the night of their honeymoon. The conflict ends with both Valente and Atanasio being killed by one another.

Cast

Production

Principal photography for Valente Quintero commenced in the village of Tayahua, Zacatecas, on February 23, 1972. Other few scenes were shot in sound stages at Estudios América in Mexico City. Filming ended on March 17 of the same year. La yegua colorada, the first film directed by Mario Hernández, had been shot in January 1972 but was released later than Valente Quintero.

Music

The film features an acoustic music score by Sergio Guerrero, and four of the ten songs featured in the film were written by Antonio Aguilar who was credited under his pseudonym "Pascual Barraza".

Songs

Reception

The film premiered in Mexico City, on April 12, 1973, exclusively in the theaters Mariscala, Carrusel, De la Villa, and Marina for six weeks. Along with La yegua colorada, another film he also directed, Mario Hernández tried to revive the Mexican Revolution subject in Mexican cinema.