La fievre monte a El Pao (Fever Mounts at El Pao, aka Republic of Sin). 1960. Mexico/France . Directed by Luis Buñuel. Written by Luis Bunuel, Luis Alcoriza, Charles Dorat and Loyuis Sapin, from a novel by Henri Castillou. With Gerard Philipe, María Félix, Jean Servais. In French; English subtitles. DCP. 97 min.
Bunuel’s growing international reputation was reflected in the cast of this French-Mexican co-production: Mexico’s most prominent diva, the mesmerizing María Félix, opposite the soft-spoken Gerard Philipe, France’s answer to James Dean (sadly, this was Philipe’s last completed film: he died of liver failure a few months after its release). When the dictatorial governor of a Caribbean island is assassinated, a power struggle follows between his former secretary, a smooth bureaucrat played by Philipe, and a rival strongman from the mainland, played with sadistic flair by Jean Servais. But the real object of their contention is Felix, a womanof spectacular sexual appetites whom the naive Philipe hopes to conquer with kindness while the worldly Servais knows he’ll get better results by brutalizing her.