Noirvember: Another Dawn (1943)

AKA Distinto Amanecer

Based on a play by Max Aub, although it doesn't feel too stagey throughout, Another Dawn is a noir-tinged melodrama that feels, coincidentally or not, like a gender-flipped riff on the classic Casablanca. An estranged man and woman end up reunited during a time that has one of them trying to deal with a rather sensitive political situation that could land them in major trouble. There's a bit more to it, of course, but that is the one-line summary.

Andrea Palma plays Julieta, a woman who is delighted to meet Octavio (Pedro Armendáriz) while he is hiding away from people who want him dead. Octavio has some important documents on him, documents that others want to recover, and he ends up being assisted by Julieta and her husband, Ignacio (Alberto Galán). Things are helped by the fact that Julieta, Ignacio, and Octavio are old friends, but complicated by the closer relationship that Julieta and Octavio once had. As the net closes in around Octavio, it also becomes clear that Julieta and Ignacio don't exactly have a happy and idyllic marriage.

Co-written and directed by Julio Bracho (who also wrote and directed the wonderful Twilight), with input from Xavier Villaurrutia, this is a brisk and engrossing melodrama that is paced perfectly to help the 108-minute runtime absolutely fly by. While the plot is based around political intrigue and a dangerous "mission", it dedicates even more time to the turbulent emotional journeys of the three lead characters, raising the stakes for all involved as they all realise just how feelings are changing between one another.

Palma is the heart of the whole thing, and she plays her part with grace, strength, and thoughtfulness. Both Armendáriz and Galán try to essentially have their cake and eat it, but the former gets to act suave and more caring than the latter, who is portraying a man who doesn't realise how good he has things until there's a threat to the status quo. Narciso Busquets also does well, playing Juanito, the son of Julieta and Ignacio, and there are a number of wonderful performances from the supporting cast members.

There may not be anything here that stands out as spectacular, but it's all put together in a way that works in service to the characters and the material. The melodrama is interspersed with moments of real menace, and everything leads to a finale that perfectly blends the physical danger with the emotional noose bringing everyone together. It becomes more than the sum of its parts, and I definitely recommend it to all, but particularly anyone who has already dipped their toes into the rich and rewarding history of Mexican cinema.

7/10

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