Silvia Pinal: The Diva Who Captivated Buñuel and Defied Franco

With the passing of actress Silvia Pinal just hours ago, we can say that the last great figure of Mexico's golden age of cinema has left this world. This era, with which many of us grew up, watching films by Pedro Infante, the Soler brothers, Tin Tan, Arturo de Córdova, or Cantinflas. An extraordinary and unrepeatable cinema that new generations, inclined towards streaming and digital cinema, probably ignore more and more. I remember those afternoons after coming home from school and doing homework. A "black and white" movie was almost mandatory. The memory of that golden age will inevitably die with my generation.

Silvia Pinal will always have a privileged place in national cinema. But her artistic legacy goes far beyond her work in Mexico. Pinal was the muse of the greatest film director in history: Luis Buñuel. Silvia starred in three films directed by Buñuel, an unprecedented achievement for other actresses. If Hitchcock was obsessed with blondes, Buñuel was platonically in love with Silvia Pinal. The artistic relationship between Silvia Pinal and Luis Buñuel began with the high-caliber transgression of "Viridiana." A film that would mark the explosive and anarchic return of Luis Buñuel to Francoist Spain after years of exile in Mexico.

Buñuel began his career in cinema alongside Salvador Dalí, filming the surrealist classic "Un Chien Andalou" in 1929. The surrealists, mostly left-wing politically, had to leave Spain after the fascist leader Francisco Franco, a close collaborator of Hitler, came to power. Buñuel tried to establish himself without success in the United States. He then found space in Mexican cinema, where great works of world cinematography such as "Los Olvidados," "El Ángel Exterminador," and "Simón del Desierto" (the latter two starring Silvia Pinal) were created. During this period, Buñuel leaned towards avid social criticism, hidden behind intelligent black humor and the wildest surrealism.

It was then that Buñuel decided to attack Francoism in his own way, with an explosive film. He returned to Spain, bringing Silvia Pinal, and there he filmed "Viridiana," a powerful film that is a harsh critique of the values and morals of religion and the Franco regime, treated so astutely that they initially went unnoticed by Franco's regime. It wasn't until the film's triumph at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France (where Buñuel was admired) that Franco's regime realized the heavy joke Buñuel had played on them right in their faces. Franco immediately ordered all copies of the film to be burned, with one being saved by Silvia Pinal herself, who hid it among her belongings upon returning to Mexico.

Buñuel returned to Mexico to film a couple more legendary movies, and then settled in France, where he filmed more classics like the disruptive "Belle de Jour" and "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie." Buñuel would go down in history as the greatest film director ever, perhaps only equaled by the great Alfred Hitchcock. Buñuel's artistic legacy would extend to other filmmakers such as David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Arturo Ripstein, and Pedro Almodóvar. Silvia Pinal would become one of the greatest stars in Mexico, both in film and television.

The relationship between Silvia Pinal and Buñuel stood out not only for their artistic collaboration but also for their deep admiration and mutual respect. Pinal, with her talent and magnetic presence, became the perfect protagonist for Buñuel's surrealist visions, leaving an indelible mark on world cinema.

In "The Exterminating Angel," Pinal shone with a performance that encapsulated social criticism and absurdity, two constant elements in Buñuel's work. In "Simón del Desierto," she showed her versatility by bringing complex characters to life in equally challenging settings. Each film was proof of her ability to transcend the limits of conventional cinema and explore new narrative and stylistic frontiers.

Pinal was not only an exceptional actress but also a pioneer who challenged norms and paved the way for future generations of artists. Her courage in participating in controversial projects and her ability to interpret multidimensional characters made her an iconic figure, not only in Mexico but around the world.