La diosa arrodillada

Maria Felix, the archetypical Mexican movie star, plays one of her bad/good girl roles, with elements of the characters played by Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck and even Marlene Dietrich. (she sings a song by her then husband, the famous composer,Augustine Lara). Arturo de Cordova's tortured lover is reminiscent of his role in Buñuel's Exterminating Angel. There's some extraordinary photography , stylized sets (the furniture designer gets a credit) and outrageous dresses for La Doña, as Maria Felix is still known in Mexico. It's definitely one of the styles that Buñuel expanded in his early Mexican films like the 1955 "Ensayo de un crimen."