Macario (1960): A Gem of Mexican Cinema
Few Mexican films capture the spirit of the Day of the Dead as powerfully as Macario, directed by Roberto Gavaldón and based on the short story of the same name by B. Traven.
10/14/20251 min read
Set in colonial Mexico, the story follows Macario, a humble lumberjack whose greatest dream is something as simple as eating an entire turkey by himself. One day, his wife makes that wish come true, setting a destiny nobody expected.
A film that captures the poetic and philosophical vision of the inevitability of death and the fragility of human existence.
Movie facts:
Macario was the first Mexican film ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
It also competed at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.
Its star, Ignacio López Tarso, regarded this as the most important role of his career.
In 2023, DC Comics’ superhero movie Blue Beetle paid homage to Macario: in one of the opening scenes, the iconic moment where Macario enters Death’s cave can be seen on a television screen.
If you haven’t seen Macario, this Day of the Dead season is the perfect time to discover it. Let yourself be carried away by its mystical atmosphere, its powerful metaphors, and a story that—more than six decades later—continues to remind us of the value of life in the face of the inevitable.