The Adventuress

The Adventuress is the most famous example of the specific Mexican genre 'cabaretera'. The term signifies films which at least partly take place in cabarets, night clubs or brothels, and they tell stories about fallen women which had become, either voluntarily or under pressure, prostitutes, dancers or bar singers. The authors of these popular productions combine elements of melodrama with a criminal plotline and an expressive stylization with dancing and songs on top of that. The protagonist of The Adventureress is, consistently with genre conventions, a young girl Elena (Ninón Sevilla), who after a series of family tragedies leaves her hometown to a big city, where she becomes an exploited employee of a night club. Typically for the mainstream Mexican cinema, there are plenty of surprising plot twists, exaggerated acting and spectacular decorations or costumes. (Noir Film Festival)