| Valente Quintero | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Mario Hernández |
| Produced by | Antonio Aguilar |
| Starring | Antonio Aguilar Saby Kamalich Narciso Busquets |
| Music by | Sergio Guerrero |
| Cinematography | Fernando Álvarez Colín |
| Editing by | Sergio Soto |
| Distributed by | Producciones Águila |
| Release date(s) | April 12, 1973 |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | México |
| Language | Spanish |
Valente Quintero is a 1973 Mexican historical-drama film directed by Mario Hernández and written and produced by Antonio Aguilar who stars in the title role along with Saby Kamalich as his love-interest, and Narciso Busquets as the antagonist.
Made by the same production company that produced the award-winning epic Emiliano Zapata, the film is loosely based on the corrido Valente Quintero, written by Rosendo Monzón. The corrido originally narrates the conflict of two revolutionary officials. The film was dramatized and written to have a woman as the subject of conlict in the story.
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In the contemporary era (circa 1973), two Cuban tourists make a stop at the provincial town of Perales (which was filmed on-location in Tayahua, Zacatecas). They are curious when they see two small memorials surrounded by rocks on the corner of a street. Meanwhile, two elderly veterans of the Mexican Revolution, Chelelo (Eleazar García) and Cornelio (Cornelio Reyna), come out 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 Quitnero (Antonio Aguilar) and Major Atanacio Pizarro (Narciso Busquets), who are fighting a battle in one of Perales' residential streets. Valente is shot in front of the late General Gumercindo Carillo's home where his widow doña Elvira Peña, daughter Leonor, and housemaid Carmen currently reside. Leonor witnesses Valente's casualty and is decided to go out and help him, against doña Elvira's will. Leonor then explains to her mother that she is returning a favor that could have been done to her father who died while bleeding helplessly in a forest. After, Leonor runs across the street to get the never-sober Doctor Plácido. Then Elvira, Carmen, and Leonor take a hand to bring Valente into the house. Valente stays ill in bed for several days, when his friend Atanacio later receives word about his survival. Atanacio is captivated by the elegant, sophisticated Leonor and admires the conservative sharp-tongued matron Elvira. Antonio and Leonor also start a romantic relationship, which leads them to marriage. Atanacio, who is now a rich, alcoholic landowner duels Antonio for the love of Leonor on the night of his honeymoon. The conflict ends in both Valente and Atanacio being killed by one another.
The film premiered in Mexico City, on April 12, 1973, exclusively in the theaters Mariscala, Carrusel, De la Villa, and Marina for six weeks.[1] Along with La yegua colorada, another film he also directed, Mario Hernández tried to revive the Mexican Revolution subject in Mexican cinema.
In the corrido, Quintero dies not because of a woman, like the film, but because of a duel over the petition of another corrido, El toro.