Río Escondido (Hidden River). 1948. Mexico. Directed by Emilio Fernández. Screenplay by Emilio Fernández, Mauricio Magdaleno. With María Félix, Fernando Fernández. In Spanish; English subtitles. DCP courtesy of Cineteca Nacional. 103 min.
In their second collaboration, Emilio Fernández and Félix present a sociopolitical allegory through the story of Rosaura Salazar, an idealistic schoolteacher sent to a remote village to fulfill the educational mission of Mexico’s post-revolutionary government. Gabriel Figueroa’s black-and-white cinematography renders the rural landscape as a contested space between progressive national ideals and local corruption. The film is explicitly political—even including a cameo by then-President Miguel Alemán that highlights the connection between Mexican cinema and state ideology during this period—and its examination of rural power structures, educational access, and national identity makes it an important work in Mexican cinema’s engagement with post-revolutionary nation-building. It also marks a departure from Félix’s femme fatale roles, and her portrayal of sacrificial idealism earned her a second Ariel Award for Best Actress.