Reviews

**The Neurosis of Devotion** A taxidermist, fed up with his wife's jealousy, physical insecurities, and suffocating religious fanaticism, needs to break free from his tormenting marriage and decides to murder her. He then preserves her skeleton in his studio, hidden in plain sight, in what becomes a brilliant black comedy that deftly mocks the morality of its time. This masterpiece stands as one of the finest black comedies in Mexican cinema, radiating the free spirit of Luis Buñuel at every turn. Arturo de Córdova shines in a role riddled with psychological trauma that heavily recalls his famous performance in Él (1953), while director Rogelio A. González masterfully blends corrosive humor and psychological horror to satirize puritanism and religious zealotry. The most fascinating aspect of the film is how it managed to bypass the strict civil and Catholic censorship of the late 1950s, which strictly prohibited any direct attack on the Church. To achieve this, screenwriter Luis Alcoriza and the director employed a genius trick: they disguised their social critique as a simple marital drama about spousal incompatibility. Consequently, Gloria’s suffocating fanaticism was framed as a personal neurosis triggered by her own insecurities and frustrations, rather than a flaw in religious doctrine. The clergy was shrewdly portrayed through Father Artemio, depicted not as a villain, but as a well-intentioned yet intellectually limited man whom the protagonist manipulates with sheer logic. This effectively ridicules the hypocrisy of devoutly pious women (beatas) without ever confronting the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Ultimately, the story's final twist crowns this brilliant maneuver, as the protagonist manages to outsmart the law and shield himself behind the seal of confession, only to fall victim to a twist of fate that serves as a true stroke of divine irony.