Arquivo

A version assembled by the Soviets with 2,437 meters of film taken from the 35 thousand that Eisenstein shot in Mexico, in 1931 and 1932. The original script comprised a prologue, an epilogue, and four episodes: "Fiesta", "Sandunga", "Maguey", and "La Soldadera". With this he wanted to show Mexican history from the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz, in 1900, until the Revolution of 1910/1916. Eisenstein went to the country in 1930, when he was tired of being paid by Paramount studios but not being cast to direct any film. At this time he signed an agreement with writer Upton Sinclair to make this film. In January 1932, however, the writer ordered everything stopped and gave up on the production. Eisenstein returns to Moscow, in the same year, with the promise that he would receive all his negatives. The promise was not kept: the Russian filmmaker did not have the chance to finish his work.