The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz

Region Free

In Luis Buñuel’s darkly comic psychodrama, a reawakened childhood memory convinces rich, cultured Archibaldo that he is able to cause the death of others. But his murderous impulses are frustrated at every turn, driving him to find ever more inventive ways to fulfil his desires.

A key work of his Mexican period, Buñuel’s gloriously twisted The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz anticipates his later works with an ambiguous tale of bourgeois hysteria, transgression and erotic obsession. Full of pitch-black humour and Surrealist flourishes, the film is an unjustly neglected gem from one of cinema’s greatest artists.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
• The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (Ensayo de un crimen, 1955) presented from the new 4K restoration by Cineteca Nacional México.
• Surreal Frames: A three-part video series by writer and filmmaker Cristina Álvarez López investigating the development and key phases of Buñuel’s filmography.
• Film historian David Wilt’s visual essay on The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz.
• Luis Buñuel’s annotated personal script of the film. (BD-Rom content)
• 24-page booklet featuring writing by film scholar and Buñuel expert Jordi Xifra and also Cristina Álvarez López.
• New and improved English subtitle translation.
• UK Premiere on Blu-ray.

Technical details:
• Language: Spanish
• Subtitles: English
• Running time: 91 minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Black and white
• Video: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps
• Audio: 2.0 Dual Mono LPCM (48khz/16-bit)
• Discs: 1
• Region A/B/C (Region Free)