Yambaó

Yambaó (also known as Cry of the Bewitched[1]) is a 1957 Mexican-Cuban drama film directed by Alfredo B. Crevenna and starring Ninón Sevilla.[2]

Yambaó
Directed byAlfredo B. Crevenna
Written byJulio Albo
Julio Alejandro
Produced byRubén A. Calderòn
Alberto López
StarringNinón Sevilla
Ramón Gay
Olga Guillot
CinematographyRaúl Martínez Solares
Edited byGloria Schoemann
Music byLan Adomian
Obdulio Morales
Distributed byCinematográfica Calderón SA
Release date
December 25, 1957
Running time
85 minutes
CountriesMéxico
Cuba
LanguageSpanish

In other media

On June 27, 2014, Yambaó was released as a VOD title by RiffTrax.[3]

Plot

The story takes place in Cuba in 1850, in the era of the Atlantic slave trade. In a sugar cane plantation, Captain Jorge (Ramón Gay) and his wife, Beatriz (Rosa Elena Durgel) live happily and are expecting a child. Their slaves live at quiet peace with them but are not above being punished for their disobedience. One night, as the full moon appears, the sound of drums rises in the air. Yambao (Ninón Sevilla), the granddaughter of a witch supposedly murdered 15 years ago named Caridad (Fedora Capdevila), has reappeared. The plantation slaves are superstitious and fear her, believing she will place curses on them as her grandmother supposedly did. Yambao's arrival coincides with a new outbreak of black vomit that had not occurred on the plantation for decades, and is now attributed to her using black magic. Though Yambao isn't really evil, Caridad constantly pressures her to take revenge on the plantation.

Jorge, who normally stays out of the traditions and customs of his slaves, discovers that they want to sacrifice Yambao and intervenes. Yambao swears eternal gratitude for the gesture but also starts to fall for him. Caridad sees this as an opportunity and weaves it into her plan for revenge. Yambao decides to perform a magic ritual of Santeria over Jorge to make him love her. Her magic spell coincides with Jorge contracting the disease and falling ill. The only medical doctors in the area are themselves ill and cannot come to treat Jorge's critical condition. Yambao offers to cure him in gratitude for saving her life and is permitted to try despite some initial protest from his slaves. The prolonged contact with Jorge cements Yambao's feelings for him and is reciprocated when he recovers, which leads her to believe her love spell worked.

For several weeks Jorge is infatuated with Yambao, forgetting his wife, his plantation and shirking all his duties. However, when Jorge is informed that his wife is about to give birth, he rushes to her side and clears all thoughts of lust and infidelity from his mind. Yambao, heartbroken and jealous, is advised by Caridad to kill Beatriz and her child to get back at Jorge. Yambao takes a dagger and rushes towards the plantation, eventually cornering Beatriz and her child. But before she can complete her crime, Caridad is discovered by the foreman of the plantation and swiftly killed with a machete. Yambao shudders momentarily as Caridad's evil influence fades away and then comes to her senses. Realizing what she was about to do, she flees in horror and promises not to cause any more harm. Caridad's body is then subject to a funeral ceremony with exotic rituals which Jorge attends. As the ceremony nears its climax, Yambao is possessed by Caridad's spirit and rushes over to Jorge in an attempt to stab him. Yambao, however, cannot bring herself to do it and instead runs to the edge of a nearby stone gorge and hurls herself into it. The film ends with Jorge cradling her corpse as a handful of his slaves quietly look on.

Production

Yambao was a co-production between Mexico and Cuba and was shot entirely in Cuba. Yambao is played by the Cuban dancer Ninon Sevilla, who had a long career in the Cinema of Mexico of the 1940s and 50s, particularly in the subgenre known as the Rumberas film. The Mexican actors Ramon Gay and Rosa Elena Durgel interpreted the characters of Jorge and his wife Beatriz. Yambaó was released in black and white for the Latin American market, and in color with a dubbed English track in the American market under the title Cry of the Bewitched.[4]

Reception and legacy

It was nominated for three Ariel Awards winning two for Best Cinematography and Sound Recording.[5]

It was the first Mexican film that openly referenced the Afro-Cuban culture, particularly magical and religious rituals, such as Santeria.[6]

Cast

References
  1. Young and Evil (1962) - Turner Classic Movies
  2. The Grindhouse Cinema Database
  3. RiffTrax
  4. Covert, Nadine (April 30, 2013). "Cinema Before the Revolution". Cuban Art News. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  5. Cry of the Bewitched (1957)|MUBI
  6. Olga Guillot canta a los Santos
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