Description
In an attempt to create a cohesive concept of national identity, the Mexican hegemony has used the dissemination and manipulation of certain attitudes and traits in cinema. Resignation, stoicism, an inferiority complex, and the confrontation between the Spanish and Amerindian heritages are among the traits used by the intellectual canon and government institutions to portray an ideal rendition of the "Mexican" citizen. Despite the agenda of national unification, in which the main purpose was to legitimize Mexican identity, there is a continuous struggle that reflects an asymmetrical relationship at a political, economic, and social level. The objective of this thesis is to highlight the lack of social inclusion of marginalized communities in the task of modernization of the State during the developmental stage deemed the "Mexican Miracle". This thesis also explores the association of this failure of inclusion with the complexity and contrast of the traits that distinguish Mexican identity. In order to highlight the visualization of these issues, the contextualization of the cultural hybridity theory from Nestor García Canclini is used in three films from the "golden era" of Mexican cinema. First, the tension between the Spanish and Amerindian heritage is shown in the film Raíces. Second, the identity conflict of the farm worker that moves to the city and the strained relationship between modernity and tradition is explored in Los Olvidados. An example of this is the crude violence depicted in the film, caused by the economic limitations of the characters and their struggle between rural and modern Mexico. Third, in La Sombra del Caudillo, the irregularities and abuses that emerged from the merging of democracy and caudillismo are examined. These three films challenged the political ordinances that dictated the content of every film. Even more importantly, they portrayed the disservice of excluding marginalized communities while modernizing the country.
