Lights, Camera... Mask vs. Hair!
The legendary Mexican Lucha Libre and its influence on popular culture through cinema
El Santo contra El Estrangulador (1963) by Cineteca NacionalCineteca Nacional of Mexico
Popular superheroes
While Hollywood has its old-time heroes, Mexican cinema can boast its legendary wrestlers. El Santo, Blue Demon, and many more were the stars of movies and comics, and symbols of Mexico's cultural values.
Legends of the masked
The heroes and villains of wrestling became part of Mexican mythology. But, unlike superheroes, they were real men. You could read their comics or watch their movies during the week and see them fight and write their history in the ring on the weekend.
El mundo de los muertos (1969) by Cineteca NacionalCineteca Nacional of Mexico
Monsters vs. masks
Rodolfo Guzmán 'El Santo' and Alejandro Muñoz Moreno 'Blue Demon' starred in extraordinary stories full of creatures like vampires, werewolves, or the fearsome mummies of Guanajuato, always displaying a wrestler's courage and their skill in the ring.
El mundo de los muertos (1969) by Cineteca NacionalCineteca Nacional of Mexico
Masked rivalries
Their movies explored the struggle between good and evil, with El Santo and Blue Demon appearing on opposite sides on the big screen and bringing their rivalry to life away from it. This rivalry was born when El Santo unmasked Black Shadow, Blue Demon's partner.
El Huracán Ramírez y la monjita negra (1973) by Cineteca NacionalCineteca Nacional of Mexico
Decades-long impact
El Santo starred in more than 50 movies, although he isn't the only one who reached the big screen. Even decades later, other wrestlers like Huracán Ramírez, Octagón, Atlantis, or Vampiro Canadiense sought stardom, fighting in fantastic cinematic adventures.
El Huracán Ramírez y la monjita negra (1973) by Cineteca NacionalCineteca Nacional of Mexico
From ring to movie theater and from movie theater to ring
Unlike Blue Demon, Huracán Ramírez's story began on the big screen, where he was played by the heartthrob David Silva to give life to a new wrestling hero. His success was such that the character soon found himself in the ring, thanks to Eduardo Bonada.
Blue Demon, destructor de espías (1968) by Cineteca NacionalCineteca Nacional of Mexico
Heroes, villains, and culture.
In the end, the 24 frames per second of cinema manage to perfectly capture a spectacle that is not only part of Mexico's social fabric but also combines fiction with the everyday. It is the stage of heroes, villains, and the mythical Mexican culture.
Octagón y Atlantis, la revancha (1992) by Cineteca NacionalCineteca Nacional of Mexico
Cinema and Mexican lucha libre
A spectacle of passion, culture, and Mexican ingenuity on the big screen.
This story was created with information and support from Cineteca Nacional de México.
