To conclude the September film series, the “Marco Lugo” Cinematógrafo at the Municipal Center for the Arts presents *The Fugitive* this Saturday, September 26, at 6:00 PM. It is one of John Ford’s lesser-known yet most unique works—a feature film that propelled legends of Mexico’s Golden Age of cinema into the Hollywood spotlight.
A departure from the Westerns that made the director famous, this film is a religious and political drama based on the novel *The Power and the Glory* by Graham Greene.
Henry Fonda plays a Catholic priest pursued by authorities during a period of religious repression in Mexico; forced into hiding, he embarks on a perilous journey while attempting to flee the country.
Along the way, he forms a complex relationship with María Dolores—played by Dolores del Río—and is hunted by a police lieutenant portrayed by Pedro Armendáriz.
A US-Mexican co-production, the film was shot on location across Mexico, including Taxco, Cholula, Cuernavaca, Veracruz, Puebla, and Churubusco Studios in Mexico City.
Cinematography was handled by the extraordinary Gabriel Figueroa; his collaboration with Ford resulted in some of the film’s most powerful imagery.
This is precisely what makes *The Fugitive* so compelling: Ford uses the Mexican landscape not merely as a backdrop, but as an essential part of the narrative. Figueroa’s visual composition transforms mountains, villages, churches, roads, and skies into expressive elements. The MoMA has specifically highlighted the importance of the Mexican landscape in the film’s visual conception.
*The Fugitive* reveals a lesser-known side of John Ford—a filmmaker deeply interested in faith, guilt, sacrifice, and moral dilemmas. It also offers a chance to discover an extraordinary meeting of US and Mexican cinema, featuring the collaboration of Ford, Figueroa, Dolores del Río, and Pedro Armendáriz. Admission is free but limited; the Cinematógrafo doors open 20 minutes before the screening. Entry is via the CMA main entrance, located on Carnaval Street (no number) facing Plazuela Machado. The film is screened in its original language with Spanish subtitles.
