''Tizoc'' is a 1957 Mexican drama film directed by Ismael Rodríguez. It was entered into the 7th Berlin International Film Festival, where Pedro Infante won the Silver Bear for Best Actor. The film also won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Golden Globe Award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film coul ...

at the

15th Golden Globe Awards The 15th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film for 1957 films, were held on February 22, 1958. Film Best Film - Drama ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'' *''Wild is the Wind'' *''Sayonara'' *''12 Angry Men'' *''Witness for the Prosecut ...

. It was to be Infante's last film before his death in a plane crash in 1957.

Plot

In a small village near the

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

n sierra in the 19th century, a humble and brave

Native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

trapper named Tizoc prepares himself for his wedding to a fellow Native girl named Machinza. He has an unresolved quarrel with her family (which dates before their births and is due to the enmity of their respective tribes), and also because he is better skilled and can hunt more animals without the need for firearms which ruins their hide. Meanwhile, a Criollo woman named Maria arrives in town with her father, a wealthy cattle driver who wants to check on his businesses. After Tizoc notices it, the town's priest is highly amazed at Maria's striking resemblance to the virgin idol from the church. When a hunting expedition goes wrong and Tizoc rescues her father, Maria begins to become interested by his demeanor and approach. At first appalled by his apparent lack of civility, she seeks Tizoc in his home near the mountains and eventually falls in love with him, despite the fact that she is already engaged. When Maria gives Tizoc her handkerchief, he begins to feel a greater love that has grown since he first saw her. As Tizoc begins to realize he no longer loves Machinza, she complains about this to her brother Nicuil. He kills her as he believes her to be a traitor to her family, who is obstinate in ruining Tizoc's reputation. He then decides to go after Tizoc, who kills Nicuil due to his evil action. As Maria sees that her lifestyle doesn't reflect her own goals and as she realizes that she loves Tizoc she decides to go with him to his abode. Nevertheless, just as they near the cave's entrance that can be their temporary hideout, Cosijope, Machinza's father shoots an arrow aimed at Tizoc, but instead strikes Maria, killing her. Heartbroken, Tizoc grabs the arrow and kills himself by piercing his heart with it. The film ends with Tizoc's voice repeating an earlier belief that the souls of lovers become nightingales after death.

Cast

* Pedro Infante as

Tizoc Tizocic or Tizocicatzin usually known in English as Tizoc, was the seventh ''tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan. His name means, "He who makes sacrifices" or "He who does penance." Either Tizoc or his successor Ahuitzotl was the first ''tlatoani'' of ...

* María Félix as María *

Andrés Soler Andrés Soler (born Andrés Díaz Pavia; 18 November 1898 – 26 July 1969) was a Mexican actor. He was considered one of the greatest figures of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Soler appeared in about two hundred films and received four Ariel ...

as Fray Bernardo * Carlos Orellana as Don Pancho García * Alicia del Lago as Machinza * Eduardo Fajardo as Arturo * Julio Aldama as Nicuil *

Miguel Arenas Miguel Arenas (1902–1965) was a Spanish film actor.Kohner p.355 He emigrated to Mexico where he appeared in more than a hundred films. Selected filmography * ''While Mexico Sleeps'' (1938) * '' A Macabre Legacy'' (1940) * ''The Count of Monte Cr ...

as Don Enrique del Olmo * Manuel Arvide as Cosijope * Guillermo Bravo Sosa as Sorcerer * Polo Ramos * Paco Crow as Dancer

References

External links

* * {{Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1957 films 1957 drama films Mexican drama films 1950s Spanish-language films Films directed by Ismael Rodríguez Indigenous cinema in Latin America