Una mujer sin amor
Encyclopedia
Una mujer sin amor is a 1952
Mexican film directed by Spanish
-born filmmaker Luis Buñuel
. It is based on Guy de Maupassant
's story "Pierre et Jean
."
The film, like much of Buñuel's work, criticizes bourgeois values, especially those of the highly superficial Don Carlos Montero.
, in the home of an upper-class antiques salesman named Don Carlos Montero and his wife Rosario, whose son, Carlos or Carlitos, is accused of stealing by the principal of his school. Carlitos is scolded harshly by his father when he comes home, and is locked in his room. Carlitos runs away, but is found by an engineer named Julio Mistral who works in the forest. Julio returns the boy to his parents, and Don Carlos is very grateful. Julio becomes great friends with the Montero family, but in private asks Rosario why she really married such a harsh mannered and older man.
One day, Rosario and Carlitos pay a visit to Julio in the forest, while Don Carlos spends the day in town on business. Carlitos enjoys himself immensely, fishing for trout. Rosario and Julio converse privately, and Julio notes how unhappy she is. Rosario reveals that she is unhappy because she married Don Carlos for his money when she was very young. Julio sympathizes her plight as a woman who has never truly loved, and they fall in love with each other.
Rosario and Julio begin an affair
, and Julio tries to convince her to run away with him to Brazil
. She eventually agrees, but decides to wait, after Don Carlos suffers a severe heart attack. Don Carlos ultimately lives, and Rosario refuses to go with Julio, unable to separate Carlitos from his father, who had grown close since his illness.
The film skips about 20 years into the future, where Carlos, and his younger brother, Miguel (not introduced in the first part of the film), have graduated from medical school. One day, news arrives that Julio Mistral has died and decided to will
all of his money to Miguel. Initially, everybody is perplexed at this action, as Julio had never met Miguel.
Though it is not explicitly stated in the film, Carlos soon pieces together that Miguel was willed this money because he is the illegitimate child of Julio and his mother, Rosario. Carlos refuses Miguel's offer to share his inheritance, which he uses to build a new clinic, and begins acting bitter towards his mother and brother. Miguel becomes engaged to be married to a woman who Carlos is convinced wants to marry him for his money. At his wedding, Don Carlos collapses and dies from a heart attack.
The film comes to a conclusion as Carlos finally discloses the truth about the inheritance to Miguel, who becomes very angry and fights Carlos. Rosario breaks up the fight, and confirms what Carlos has said. Miguel is distraught, and Rosario unapologetically tells them that Julio was the only man she ever loved. The brothers reconcile their differences at the sight of their emotional mother, wrought with sadness. Carlos leaves for the tropics to do research, and the film ends with Rosario placing a picture of Julio on her mantelpiece.
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
Mexican film directed by Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
-born filmmaker Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
. It is based on Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
's story "Pierre et Jean
Pierre et Jean
Pierre et Jean is a naturalist or psycho-realist work written by Guy de Maupassant in Étretat in his native Normandy between June and September 1887 . This was Maupassant’s shortest novel. It appeared in three instalments in the Nouvelle Revue and then in volume form in 1888, together with the...
."
The film, like much of Buñuel's work, criticizes bourgeois values, especially those of the highly superficial Don Carlos Montero.
Plot
The film opens in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, in the home of an upper-class antiques salesman named Don Carlos Montero and his wife Rosario, whose son, Carlos or Carlitos, is accused of stealing by the principal of his school. Carlitos is scolded harshly by his father when he comes home, and is locked in his room. Carlitos runs away, but is found by an engineer named Julio Mistral who works in the forest. Julio returns the boy to his parents, and Don Carlos is very grateful. Julio becomes great friends with the Montero family, but in private asks Rosario why she really married such a harsh mannered and older man.
One day, Rosario and Carlitos pay a visit to Julio in the forest, while Don Carlos spends the day in town on business. Carlitos enjoys himself immensely, fishing for trout. Rosario and Julio converse privately, and Julio notes how unhappy she is. Rosario reveals that she is unhappy because she married Don Carlos for his money when she was very young. Julio sympathizes her plight as a woman who has never truly loved, and they fall in love with each other.
Rosario and Julio begin an affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
, and Julio tries to convince her to run away with him to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. She eventually agrees, but decides to wait, after Don Carlos suffers a severe heart attack. Don Carlos ultimately lives, and Rosario refuses to go with Julio, unable to separate Carlitos from his father, who had grown close since his illness.
The film skips about 20 years into the future, where Carlos, and his younger brother, Miguel (not introduced in the first part of the film), have graduated from medical school. One day, news arrives that Julio Mistral has died and decided to will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
all of his money to Miguel. Initially, everybody is perplexed at this action, as Julio had never met Miguel.
Though it is not explicitly stated in the film, Carlos soon pieces together that Miguel was willed this money because he is the illegitimate child of Julio and his mother, Rosario. Carlos refuses Miguel's offer to share his inheritance, which he uses to build a new clinic, and begins acting bitter towards his mother and brother. Miguel becomes engaged to be married to a woman who Carlos is convinced wants to marry him for his money. At his wedding, Don Carlos collapses and dies from a heart attack.
The film comes to a conclusion as Carlos finally discloses the truth about the inheritance to Miguel, who becomes very angry and fights Carlos. Rosario breaks up the fight, and confirms what Carlos has said. Miguel is distraught, and Rosario unapologetically tells them that Julio was the only man she ever loved. The brothers reconcile their differences at the sight of their emotional mother, wrought with sadness. Carlos leaves for the tropics to do research, and the film ends with Rosario placing a picture of Julio on her mantelpiece.