| Ánimas Trujano | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ismael Rodriguez |
| Written by | Rogelio Barriga Rivas (book) Vincent Orona, Jr. |
| Music by | Raul Lavista |
| Cinematography | Gabriel Figueroa |
| Editing by | Jorge Bustos Pedro del Rey |
| Distributed by | Azteca Films Inc. (Mexico) United Artists (USA) |
| Release date(s) | 10 January 1961 |
| Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
Ánimas Trujano (Alternative English title: The Important Man) is a 1962 Mexican film directed by Ismael Rodríguez, based on a novel by Rogelio Barriga Rivas. It stars Toshirō Mifune as Ánimas Trujano, a boisterous, irresponsible Amerindian who aspires to become mayordomo of his village. Co-starring Columba Domínguez as his wife, Flor Silvestre as his mistress, and Antonio Aguilar as his rival.
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The film revolves around a festival of mayordomía in the provinces, or something on the idea of "king for a day." When the town celebrates the feast day of its patron saint, the church appoints a layman as "mayordomo" or steward, an honor that in effect is gained by being able to organize and cover the high costs of most of the saint's local festivities. The post is however very coveted by the locals as it is socially prestigious.
Ánimas Trujano (Mifune, dubbed by Narciso Busquets) is a drunken, irresponsible peasant who abuses his children and does nothing while his long-suffering wife supports the family. Obsessed with earning the respect which is denied to him by his peers as a result of his behavior, Trujano aims to be mayordomo in the annual festival and begins to do everything he can to get the needed money. After his eldest daughter is impregnated out of wedlock by the son of the local land baron (played by Eduardo Fajardo), Trujano sells the baby to the land baron in exchange for a small fortune that makes him eligible to be appointed mayordomo.
Meanwhile, Trujano's wife (Columba Domínguez) encounters trouble when it is revealed that her husband has been seeing a local woman of dubious morals (Flor Silvestre).
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film[1] and a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1962.