Ahí está el detalle

    Movie Poster
    Release year
    1940
    Director
    Juan Bustillo Oro
    Biography of director(s)
    Juan Bustillo Oro was a Mexican film director, screenwriter, and producer. Oro was born on June 10, 1989 in Mexico City. Before his career in the film industry, he studied law and was passionate about literature and journalism. Oro began his directorial career in 1927 with the silent film "Yo soy tu Padre". This film, "Ahí está el detalle" is regarded as one of his most well known films due to the cinematic debut of the character "Cantinflas" portrayed by Mario Moreno. After 38 years in the industry, Oro died on June 10, 1989.
    Country
    Mexico
    Original synopsis of the film

    Ahí está el detalle follows the misadventures of Cantinflas, a bum who accidentally enters the messy lives of wealthy man Cayetano Lastre and his wife Dolores del Paso.  The film begins with Cantinflas visiting his girlfriend Paz who happens to be Cayetano and Dolores maid. He arrives expecting to eat dinner from the household's leftovers but Paz has a task for him before he can eat, he must kill the family dog, Bobby. After some persuasion, Cantinflas finally does it and is able to enjoy his dinner. Meanwhile, Dolores is being blackmailed by her ex boyfriend Bobby just as Cayetano is about to leave for a business trip. After his departure, Dolores invites Bobby in to discuss the situation, however Cayetano returns hoping to catch Dolores in an act of infidelity. In order to escape the situation, Paz and Dolores attempt to hide both Cantinflas and Bobby from Cayetano. While Bobby is able to escape, Cayetano discovers Cantinflas, who must now pose as Leanardo, the long lost brother of Dolores. What ensues is a sequence of absurd and hilarious encounters as Cayetano attempts to gain the favor of "Leonardo" while Cantinflas must assume all the problems left behind by the actual Leonardo. The final scene involves the arrest and trial of Cantinflas for the murder of Bobby the human while he believes he is being persecuted for the death of Bobby the dog. Ultimately, the actual Leonardo, and the true killer of Bobby, appears and allows Cantinflas to return to his life as a bum.

    Film still
    Cantinflas, posing as Leonardo, embraces Cayetano.

    Describes the setting of a scene in a play or a film. It refers to everything placed on the stage or in front of the camera—including people. In other words, mise en scène is a catch-all for everything that contributes to the visual presentation and overall “look” of a production. When translated from French, it means “placing on stage.”

    Setting
    Props
    Lighting
    Lighting
    Explanation
    The use of low key lighting in this scene is used to create distinct areas of light and shadow. While Cantinflas finds himself in the lighter side of the shot, Bobby is almost enveloped by the shadows. This helps establish the protagonist role of Cantinflas while also alluding to the shady nature of Bobby.
    Film Still
    Cantinflas meets Bobby outside the residence.
    Costume
    Costume
    Social status
    Explanation
    The costumes used throughout the film are used to emphasize the social status of the characters. While Cantinflas wears raggedy clothes to show that he is a bum, Dolores and Cayetano wear expensive looking clothing that is representative of their wealth and status. When Cantinflas is taken in by Cayetano, he also begins wearing expensive clothing, albeit in a non fashionable manner.
    Film Still
    Cantinflas, Paz, Dolores, and Cayetano converse in the living room.
    Hair and Makeup
    Figure Behavior
    Example
    Cayetano interrogates Dolores about her supposed infidelity.
    Explanation
    In this scene, although Dolores is truthful about remaining faithful to Cayetano, she diverts her eyes from Cayetano because she is not telling him the complete truth. Cayetano, on the other hand, believes he has enough evidence to accuse her of the supposed infidelity and does so in a standing position that is not only imposing but very powerful.
    Film Still
    Cayetano interrogates Dolores about her supposed infidelity.
    Representative Clip

    This is the art of photography and visual storytelling in a motion picture or television show. Cinematography comprises all on-screen visual elements, including lighting, framing, composition, camera motion, camera angles, film selection, lens choices, depth of field, zoom, focus, color, exposure, and filtration. Cinematography sets and supports the overall look and mood of a film’s visual narrative. Each visual element that appears on screen, a.k.a. the mise-en-scène of a film, can serve and enhance the story—so it is the cinematographer’s responsibility to ensure that every element is cohesive and support the story. Filmmakers often choose to spend the majority of their budget on high-quality cinematography to guarantee that the film will look incredible on the big screen.

    Point of View
    Quality
    Framing
    Framing
    Comments
    Throughout the film, low-angle shots are used to portray a certain sense of social status as well as power. Since the set includes a set of stairs, it is rather easy to achieve this effect, especially when characters stand at the top or come walking down.
    Film Still
    Dolores and Cayetano share an embrace before they meet "Leonardo"
    Cayetano is woken up by "Leonardo's" children.
    Scale
    Comments
    Since much of the movie is conversational, many of the shots used are medium long shots and mid shots to allow multiple characters to be in frame without making the scene too crowded. Since the characters in the frame are usually the ones talking, the shot places additional emphasis on the characters while still having the ability to show some of the surrounding environment.
    Film Still
    Dolores and Cayetano have a quick conversation.
    Cantinflas jokes around with the detectives regarding Cayetano.
    Movement
    Movement
    Comments
    In my opinion, one of the most symbolic scenes of the film is one in which Dolores and Cayetano walk down the stairs to meet Dolores's supposed brother Leonardo. It is rather representative of the fact that they must leave their lofty social status to talk to Cantinflas who is of much lower status to them. Yet by coming down, and subsequently letting Cantinflas stay in the household, they are placed in the same level of power, albeit for a short amount of time.
    Timecode
    00:45:04-00:45:15
    Film Still
    Cayetano and Dolores walk down the stairs to meet "Leonardo"

    Editing is the process of putting a film together–the selection and arrangement of shots and scenes. Editing can condense space and time, emphasize separate elements and bring them together, and organize material in such a way that patterns of meaning become apparent. In addition, editing can determine how a film is perceived: for instance, quick, rapid cuts can create a feeling of tension, while a long take can create a more dramatic effect. The first photoplays generally had no cutting, owing to the fact that they were single-reel films; once filming began, you could not stop until the film ran out. (https://filmglossary.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/term/editing/)

    Coherence, Continuity, and Rhythym
    Editing Style
    Editing Style
    Comments
    This film makes use of continuity editing multiple times to ground the viewer in the current scene. In this example, an establishing shot is used to introduce the characters taking part in the scene. As the scene progresses we get some some closeups that are meant to help convey the emotions felt by the characters. In this scene, a subtle zoom is used to focus on the embrace between Cantinflas and Dolores before using a eyeline match to switch over to Cayetano's closeup shot. The final shot replicates the initial establishing shot and reiterates the idea of a single continuous storyline.
    Film Still
    Dolores and Cayetano meet Cantinflas who is posing as Leonardo.
    Dolores and Cantinflas share an embrace to convince Cayetano of their supposed relationship.
    Cayetano weeps at the sight of the reunion.
    Cantinflas, Dolores, and Cayetano continue their conversation.
    Transitions
    Match
    Expansion and Compression of Time
    Editing General Comments
    Comments
    Many of the transitions in the film are expressed through fading/dissolving shots. The two scenes appear to be superimposed very briefly and this helps keep the film moving along at a rather quick pace. Since much of the film is conversational, there is very minimal movement throughout scenes since the characters will generally stay in the same frame for extended periods of time.

    Sound is an integral part in a film. It refers to everything that the audience hears including sound effects, words and music. Sound is used in films for various purposes, including: providing the information to the viewer about the location of the scene, heightening the mood, telling the audience about the characters and advancing the plot. Every person who watches a film realizes that the choice of voices, soundtrack and music present in a film affect the way that the viewer perceives a particular film. As a result, the sound is an important and integral element of the film, one that determines the way that the viewer experiences and understands a film as a visual experience.

    Sound Type

    Narrative analysis is an examination of the story elements, including narrative structure, character, and plot. A narrative can be considered to be the chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space. In order to analyze the narrative of a film, we need to first make the distinction between the plot of the film and the story of the film. This is sometimes referred to as the discourse and story of a film. Narrative may also be called the story thought story mainly refers to the events that describe the narrative.

    Plot Comments
    Story Comments
    Narrator Type
    Narrative Structure

    Film genres are various forms or identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films. (Genre comes from the French word meaning "kind," "category," or "type"). These provide a convenient way for scriptwriters and film-makers to produce, cast and structure their narratives within a manageable, well-defined framework. Genres also offer the studios an easily 'marketable' product, and give audiences satisfying, expected and predictable choices. Genres refers to recurring, repeating and similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns, styles, themes, syntax, templates, paradigms, motifs, rules or generic conventions.

    Category