As a renowned cinematographer, Rodrigo Prieto has lent his keen visual eye to countless acclaimed films. Now, with his directorial debut “Pedro Páramo,” Prieto tackles the challenge of adapting one of Mexico’s most influential novels for the screen.
Based on Juan Rulfo’s 1955 masterpiece, “Pedro Páramo” is a tale of ghosts and memories that slips through time. Tenoch Huerta stars as Juan Preciado, a man who travels to his late mother’s hometown of Comala in search of the father he never met—the enigmatic and powerful Pedro Páramo, played by Manuel García Rulfo.
Upon arriving in the eerie, deserted Comala, Juan begins to piece together stories about his father from the town’s mysterious residents. As each new anecdote emerges, the film seamlessly transitions between the present day and the late 19th/early 20th century, when Pedro’s violent rise to power and doomed love life played out.
Prieto’s background as a filmmaker shines through the film’s striking visuals. The camera pans effortlessly between rooms and decades as Comala’s drab walls give way to vibrant hues and lush greenery. The surreal storytelling constantly blurs the line between the living and the dead, mirroring this dreamlike quality.
While the film is riveting, its nonlinear structure can be disorienting at times. Prieto’s adaptation hops back and forth with such fluidity that it occasionally loses its footing, becoming temporarily mired in Pedro’s Shakespearean downfall at the expense of the supernatural elements that make the source material so captivating.
Nevertheless, the performances are uniformly excellent, with each actor bringing a powerful, operatic quality to their roles. Ilse Salas is particularly compelling as Susana, the wonderful love of Pedro’s life, whose yearning presence haunts the film.
Ultimately, “Pedro Páramo” is a visually stunning and thematically rich adaptation that captures the essence of Rulfo’s influential novel. While it may not fully replicate the disorienting magic of the book, Prieto’s film stands as a respectable interpretation of a modern classic.