SANTO IN THE VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY (1971)

 


 




PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*

Santo's encounter with an arrow-shooting mummy lacks the kinetic strength of the wrestler-hero's classic metaphenomenal adventures of the sixties. Yet it's at least a decent timekiller, thus putting it ahead of a number of dull seventies Santos.

Santo accompanies an archaeologist-friend, Professor Romero, as Romero and his expedition journey to what I assume is some Mexican jungle to look for an "Apache" mummy's tomb. Yes, the streaming translation I watched said at least three times that the people who built the tomb were "Apaches," and never used the word "Aztec," though I feel fairly sure the original Mexican script would have used the latter term. I wonder if giving the mummy a bow and arrow confused some translator? Maybe the translator was thrown by the very idea that an undead creature would use arrows even if he was "Apache."

Given that everyone in the expedition (except Santo) is a boring stereotype, it's surprising that there's a fair amount of tension as the explorers make their way to the tomb and discuss the legend of the mummy. The history of the mummy is known to the professor long before the expedition begins, though it is of course recapitulated once the tomb is discovered. The "Apache" warrior Nonoca-- whose name sounds quite a bit like that of Popoca, The Aztec Mummy-- has a love affair with Lua, a sacrificial victim who's supposed to remain pure before she's killed and sent to the gods. Nonoca and Lua, who are probably strongly influenced by the story of Universal's classic mummies, are captured and Nonoca is killed and mummified.

After the tomb is profaned in modern times, the arrow-wielding mummy shows up and starts killing the explorers. Santo never manages to prevent any of these killings, no doubt because if he tried, he would have won too easily. Given that I already categorized the film as uncanny, it should be a given that the evil mummy is really some crook in mummy-garb-- though he does give the luchador a pretty good fight at the climax. Just in case any viewers thought Santo didn't get enough action, the film's main story is bracketed by two lively Santo wrestling-bouts.

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