Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

christopher-underwood This is not what we would call 'vintage' Bunuel although it is one of his earlier films and made only a couple of years before Nazarin (1959) which would prove to be the start of the most amazing run of cinema classics, certainly half a dozen of the finest films ever made and quite possibly a dozen. This is more mundane, although always of interest and those little Bunuel trademark signs do creep in. Indeed without wishing to spoil anyone's viewing it does turn out that salvation at the end is at the cost of some 50 lives. It is also interesting to see how the priest is ridiculed throughout and that the seeming good and kind turn out to have interests much closer to their own hearts. It surprises me that after the wondrous El (1953) and hilarious Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955) Bunuel should decide to make this more straightforward literary adaptation but there were undoubtedly financial restraints and it is well documented that he would rather make a lesser film for someone than make nothing at all. And it is surely this perseverance that would lead to that aforementioned fantastic run of films that would establish him as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

PimpinAinttEasy Dear Luis Bunuel, I am surprised you made a seemingly commercial adventure film like McKenna's Gold. A badass wanderer has to stave off the police (who are in bed with the capitalist mafia), Mexican revolutionaries and a catholic priest. And there are not one but two femme fatales. The wanderer, femme fatales, priest and a cook are all cooped up on a boat as they escape the small town ravaged by fighting between the revolutionaries and the police. Then the action moves to a jungle. Jealousy and suspicion sets in between the members of the group. It is a really nice plot, Luis. One that is worthy of a Western.And it was reasonably entertaining. There are some pretty grotesque scenes in the jungle. Ruggero Deodato must have been watching your movie. I read some of the other reviews and I thought some of the reviewers saw too much into your film and your intentions.Best Regards, Pimpin.(7/10)

MartinHafer This film is a surprise for those expecting one of the strange and surreal sort of movies that the director (Luis Buñuel) was known for making during the 1960s. Instead, it's a very direct sort of thing. And, while one of the main characters is a priest, no sort of anticlerical sort of subtext is apparently intended (again, unusual for one of Buñuel's films).The film is set in some sort of repressive South American country. The local miners are all resentful of the local military that pushes them around and there is talk of a revolution. The priest urges them not to fight, as he thinks they'll be crushed--which is exactly what happens. Then he and a group of motley folks set off into the jungle to escape the carnage. Unfortunately, things aren't much better in the jungle, as hunger, torrential rain and madness are their constant companions.Seeing how wet and dirty the actors are during the jungle scenes makes you feel a bit sorry for them. You also might feel sorry for the folks wanting a surreal film or who expect brilliance because of the film's director. Now I am NOT saying the film wasn't well made, but it could have been made by just about any director. And, while the jungle scenes were good, the beginning is pretty dull and the ending a bit anticlimactic. Not a bad film but certainly not a film for the novice to Buñuel's films--more for the seasoned fans who want to see all of his work.

yamaelle I haven't seen all Bunuel's filmography yet, but I can say this one is pretty different from others I saw as "Un Chien Andalou", "L'Age d'Or",... They were completely surrealistic, whereas this one is a much more traditional movie - at least in the coherence of time/space/story.The story : It starts somewhere in South America, during the '50s, in a village near mines of diamonds. An insurrection begins as the military governement set there decide to close the mines. After a few fights and chasings, an old minor ( Charles Vanel ), his deaf daughter, the prostitute he loves, a monk ( Michel Piccoli ) and a bad boy called 'Shark' manage to escape together with a stolen boat. Hunted by soldiers, they decide to cross the jungle in order to reach Brazil, which will reserve them some more surprises. The ending is a bit sad, but on the whole we end up with a good movie of adventures.At first, I haven't recognized Bunuel's style here but truth is his personal visions of Religion, Society, (...) are also within.A good movie to watch 'with all the family' filled with action, love, adventures,... but merely different from the early Bunuels ( no Salvador Dali here ).8/10