Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF

las imágenes de la batalla. Su imagen no
correspondía a la que la productora deseaba
difundir. Después de esta decepción, Villa y
la Mutual resolvieron hacer de la toma de
Torreón y Gómez Palacio un suceso mas
espectacular: se modernizaron y
profesionalizaron las tropas de Villa (quien
según el New York Times recibió de la
Mutual un uniforme de general). La
productora ordenó el empleo de cámaras
livianas para facilitar la movilidad de los
camarógrafos. El resultado fue The Life of
General Villa, dirigida por Karl von
Hoffman, película de siete bobinas (dos con
acciones de guerra de un realismo crudo,
cinco con la biografía novelesca de Francisco
Villa, quien en la película termina siendo
presidente de México). Con este filme, la
Mutual cumplía con su objetivo de
minimizar la desconfianza del público
americano hacia la figura de Villa,
representándolo como un personaje afable y
popular. Esta imagen no intentaba mostrar
a Villa y sus seguidores como resultado de
un movimiento social, ni a explicar sus
orígenes y objetivos (una explicación más
social del movimiento fue desarrollada por
John Reed en los artículos que publicó en el
Metropolitan Magazine y reunidos
ulteriormente bajo el título de Mexico
Insurgent). En todo caso, el interés
documental de la película sobrepasó de lejos
su componente novelesca y sirvió de caso de
estudio a la implementación de numerosas
acciones políticas emprendidas por los
Estados Unidos en momentos en que grupos
poderosos, como el de W.R. Hearst,
presionaban a su Gobierno en el sentido de
una ocupación total de México.
L’auteur analyse l’utilisation de l’image
cinématographique faite par Francisco
“Pancho” Villa, le célèbre guérillero, ainsi
que le regard que portait le public des Etats
Unis d’Amérique du Nord sur ses activités
durant la Révolution Mexicaine, de 1914 à
1920. Aux premiers jours de la Révolution,
en mai 1910, les Etats Unis d’Amérique du
Nord ont envisagé la possibilité d’installer
Pancho Villa à la présidence du Mexique.
De 1912 à 1920, plus de 80 cameramen
américains, indépendants ou employés par
des compagnies de production, ont couvert la
Révolution Mexicaine en prenant parti pour
les différents groupes en présence. C’est ainsi
que, dès mars 1912, les nouvelles de la
Révolution seront diffusées, entre autre, par
Pathe’s Weekly, Animated Weekly et
Mutual Weekly.
revealed, with none of accompanying pomp and circumstance (…)
Also (appear) stretchers loaded with the dead being taken away from
the battle scene, while other corpses are left to be burned. The
burning of the body of a woman who had followed her husband to
the war, was especially horrifying (…).” 4
Mutual Film achieved its aim of lessening the resistance of the public
towards the figure of Villa by projecting him as a pleasant, popular
character. According to film critics of the time, the production made
no attempt to portray Villa and his followers as a social movement or
to explain its origins, its goals etc. This was achieved resoundingly by
John Reed in his socialist slanted articles written for the Metropolitan
Magazine, later grouped together under the title Mexico Insurgent. Be
that as it may, the documentary quality of the film surpassed its
spectacularity. It was immediately classified as a document which
could further US internal and external policies, as its exhibition
coincided with a time when powerful groups, including William
Randolph Hearst, were pressuring the US government for the total
occupation of Mexico.5
This optimistic vision, very distant from the socialist vision of Reed,
reflected the position of an important sector of society, including the
government, which also sympathized with Villa and was even willing
to go as far as giving him formal recognition. This would imply
bestowing legitimacy to his quest for the Presidency, as portrayed in
the film dramatization of the General’s life. In opposition to this
viewpoint was the more pessimistic attitude of William Randolph
Hearst, as published in his newspapers. His vast interests in the State
of Chihuahua were endangered by Villa’s control over the region.
Dissatisfied with the results of his press campaign, Hearst launched a
newsreel called Hearst-Selig News Pictorial, making its first appearance
precisely in March, 1914 when Mutual was busy with its film on the
life of Villa and his capture of Torreon. He also started producing
movies with the same objective of reducing Villa’s prestige. The
orchestration was perfect. Hearst’s newspapers were read only by
those who bought them, but movies reached a much wider public.
Many did not read the political information in the daily press but via
the movies audiences were supplied with images designed to reach
out and touch them directly, without any background explanation
(whatever the political slant involved). Hearst used the screen to
manipulate the American public and reinforce his smear campaign
against Villa thereby bringing greater pressure to bear on the
American government to intervene more deeply in Mexican affairs.
His newsreels emphasized destruction and attacks on Americans
along the border with Mexico, the constant invasion of American
territory and the continuous murder of Americans by Mexicans
identified as followers of Villa who, lamentably, nearly always
escaped punishment.
But during the preparations for the capture of Torreon, Villa betrayed
his inefficiency at handling national politics, especially negotiations
38 Journal of Film Preservation / 63 / 2001