The Torch (film)

The Torch (Del odio nace el amor, meaning "love is born from hate") is a 1950 Mexican/American film directed by Emilio Fernández. The film is a remake of Enamorada (1946) and is also known as Bandit General in the United Kingdom.

The original script is based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

Plot
In the Mexican city of Cholula, the wedding of María Dolores Peñafiel, daughter of the successful glass manufacturer Don Carlos Peñafiel, to the American doctor Dr. Robert Stanley is prepared. When the rebel leader José Juan Reyes and his troops take Cholula, the wedding seems to be in danger. The area's wealthy families visit the Peñafiel estate. The priest Father Sierra is also there and reassures María Dolores that Reyes is an old school friend of his.

Reyes imprisons many residents and even executes some. Don Carlos, Father Sierra and a few others go to Reyes, who warmly greets the father. He demands money and supplies from the wealthy residents. In Reyes' eyes, the merchant Fidel Bernal is particularly responsible because Bernal made a fortune from the revolution. After a while, Bernal agrees. He even offers Reyes his wife, which angers Reyes so much that he has Bernal shot. Dr. Stanley asks to travel to Mexico City to buy medicine and bring back María Dolores' wedding dress. Reyes agrees and lets the doctor ride off.

Father Sierra assures Reyes that he has not taken into custody any money from the rich. He learns that Reyes takes special care of the girl Adelita, whose parents died fighting on the rebel side. When Reyes harasses María Dolores on the street, she knocks him out. Reyes, impressed, becomes smitten with María Dolores and asks Father Sierra for advice. Meanwhile, Don Carlos is to be executed on the orders of Reyes' deputy, Capitán Bocanegra. Reyes arranges for Don Carlos to be released in time. Afterwards, María Dolores is dismissive, but that doesn't stop Reyes from continuing to court her.

When Reyes reproaches her one day that only her being born into a rich family is keeping her from following him and the revolution, she slaps him in the face. This time, however, he strikes back. Father Sierra intervenes and is also beaten. Still, he agrees with Reyes' views. A wave of flu hits the city and many of the residents, including little Adelita, fall ill. The rebel troops want to escape the flu, but Reyes forbids everyone from leaving the city. Don Carlos and his daughter also want to leave. Reyes leaves the decision up to them, and when they see the suffering of the sick, the Peñafiels decide to stay and help.

Dr. Stanley comes back. Although he couldn't bring any medicine with him, he advises treating the sick with quinine and compresses to reduce fever. Reyes asks María Dolores for forgiveness for his behavior, and she, having become attracted to him, forgives him. To everyone's shock, little Adelita dies of the flu. Reyes and Father Sierra learn that government troops are approaching the city and are supposed to destroy the rebels. Reyes wants to leave Cholula with his people to protect the residents. During the wedding ceremony at the Peñafiels' house, the rebels ride by. María Dolores runs out to join Reyes.

Production
The film was shot from early September to mid-October 1949 in Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City.

Director Emilio Fernández previously made the 1946 film Enamorada with Pedro Armendáriz. The female lead was played by María Félix. Paulette Goddard saw the film and decided that the film was right for her. In addition to starring in, Goddard also co-produced the film. Fernández, Armendáriz and cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa traveled to Cholula in southern Mexico in mid-1949 and filmed the scenes with Goddard, who assumed Félix's role. Scenes featuring Armendáriz and his troops were reused from the original film.

Reception
The German Lexikon des internationalen Films wrote: "Solid craftsmanship remake."

The critic of The New York Times unfavorably compared Paulette Goddard's performance with María Félix's in the original Enamorada, saying that in contrast to the "fiery" and "expressive" Félix, "Unfortunately the same enthusiasm cannot be applied to Miss Goddard's acting. Her tantrums lack spontaneity and lively animal vigor. Her whole manner is cheap and coarse and throws the character of a lady of breeding completely off-key." Gabriel Figueroa's cinematography is also criticized, writing that while Figueroa photographed "some expertly composed outdoor scenic effects, [his] camera is not always kind to Miss Goddard's features and the result is that she seldom looks like the fresh beauty that she is supposed to be." As of Fernández's direction, the review reads that he "has not been able to quicken the pace of his drama" in comparison to the original, and that "the accent is on romance in "The Torch" and on that level it is quite boring. More action would have helped because the film does pick up when the horses are galloping and the sound of cannon shakes the screen."

The critic of TV Guide saw "an average romance which has a touch of comedy" and that "Sharp photography helps the weak script."

Comic-book adaption

 * Eastern Color Movie Love #4 (August 1950)