DESEADA

In the lush sub-tropical setting of the ancient Mayan ceremonial center Chichén Itzá, Deseada is preparing her younger sister Nicté for betrothal to Manuel, nephew of the wealthy Don Lorenzo. The young man was raised in Spain but looks forward to returning to the Yucatan peninsula to settle down with a wife on his uncle’s hacienda. However, when he alights from the train, he falls hopelessly in love with the older Deseada. Complications arise when it is revealed that Don Lorenzo intends to marry Deseada once the younger couple is safely wedded. In this high-melodrama, the Spanish/Mexican/Mayan ethno-cultural divide is quietly in the background with no reference to the ongoing “Caste Wars” between the indigenous and occupying communities. Nearing the age of 50, Dolores del Rio (Deseada) is amazing to watch for her performance and ethereal beauty, while Jorge Mistral (Manuel) certainly has his own charms, too. -- Chale Nafus