El Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

El Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 20, 2026

Luis Bunuel's "El" a.k.a. "This Strange Passion" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Luis Bunuel and screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere; new program with Guillermo Del Toro; new visual essay by critic Jordi Xifra; and more.In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Apparently, in America, Luis Bunuel’s film was once promoted with the alternative title The Strange Passion, which, whether intentionally or not, is brilliantly ironic. This alternative title subtly prepares the mind for a romantic film, or possibly a noirish thriller disguised as one. But Bunuel’s film, whose original title is El, is something entirely different. In fact, it is so different that it is quite easy to speculate that virtually everyone who saw it theatrically in the early 1950s must have been genuinely perplexed by it.

Its narrative is broken into three uneven parts, each also divided into multiple uneven episodes. Numerous episodes chronicle past events and are usually presented as flashbacks. However, there is some intriguing overlapping, where past and present events begin merging for specific reasons.

For approximately twenty minutes, it seems like the romantic material promised by the alternative title will dominate the narrative and give the film its identity. In a popular church, the aging, wealthy bachelor Don Francisco (Arturo de Cordova) notices the beautiful Gloria (Delia Garces) and instantly becomes obsessed with her. Even though the object of his desire is already engaged to a younger man, Don Francisco begins pursuing her, and, eventually, convinces her to change her mind and become his wife. This is where the second part begins, which resets the entire film. After the initial euphoria that their marriage brings to his life, Don Francisco evolves into an unbearably jealous, perpetually miserable oaf, who constantly demands that Gloria prove he is the only recipient of her love. Her initial, inevitable failures give Don Francisco the strength he needs to physically begin abusing her, while her consequent, again inevitable failures push him into the abyss of madness, and he repeatedly attempts to kill her. The final part begins here. Don Francisco’s reality permanently crumbles, his mind constantly disconnects him from it, and some of his most loyal friends attempt to help him by isolating him in a priory. Gloria, who has been reconstructing her disastrous marriage with Don Francisco for the audience, marries a different man.

Apparently, Bunuel was quite displeased with the final version of his film, which is not a surprising reaction given the presence of several unmissable developments in it. The most consequential of these developments is Cordova’s inability to convincingly sell the dramatic mood swings of his character in the second part, where the gradually intensifying paranoia begins to alter his identity. Before Garces, the mood swings look oddly forced and enormously melodramatic, repeatedly leaving the impression that Cordova is performing in a scripted act. Additionally, two of the three parts produce various extreme contrasts that frequently push the film into a foreign territory. The most damaging effect of these contrasts is the emergence of overtones that would be ideal in a dark comedy, which is not the type of film Bunuel set out to direct.

Everything that works well has something to do with Garces’ performance. After choosing to walk away from her fiancé and marry Cordova, Garces is repeatedly embarrassed in public, shamed in private, and physically abused, and her reactions and emotions are the only credible material that prevents the film from evolving into an instantly forgettable soapy melodrama. For this reason, Bunuel should have done a lot more to help Garces dominate, which would have been a most intriguing curveball given the unmissable macho element in the narrative.

El Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, El arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release introduces a recent 4K restoration of El, completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata. The 4K restoration is also available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release.

I viewed equal portions of the film in native 4K and 1080p on the Blu-ray. As I expected, the 4K restoration retains various obvious source limitations, like basic stability issues, fading, softness, etc. These are limitations that have always plagued Luis Bunuel's Mexican films, which unfortunately were not preserved well. Close-ups tend to produce the best detail and clarity, while wider indoor shots are the most problematic. The grayscale is adequate. However, it reveals many inconsistencies, usually in darker areas, which are digitally exacerbated. Indeed, these inconsistencies can easily be traced back to the grading process that all black-and-white films undergo at L'Immagine Ritrovata. In darker areas, blacks usually appear slightly elevated, destabilizing the native dynamic range of the visuals and creating the impression that filtering adjustments have been applied. I would still describe the overall quality of the presentation as good, especially when previous presentations of the film are referenced. I tend to prefer how most of the film looks in 1080p on this Blu-ray release because the native 4K presentation exacerbates various limitations. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

El Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: Spanish LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed equal portions of the film in native 4K and 1080p on the Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the 4K Blu-ray release.

All exchanges are clear and easy to follow. However, you should be prepared to notice plenty of unevenness, thinning in the upper register, and inconsistent dynamics. This is a very common weakness in all of Luis Bunuel's Mexican films that I have seen over the years. Also, I do not think that aging and improper care of the surviving element are to be exclusively blamed for all limitations that are retained on the lossless track. It is rather easy to tell that the original soundtracks of Bunuel's films had a fair amount of native limitations as well. The English translation is excellent.

El Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Guillermo Del Toro - in this new program, Guillermo Del Toro recalls his first encounter with El and explains why he thinks the film is special, and discusses Luis Bunuel's Mexican period and some of the key themes that defined the films that emerged from it. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Bunuel, From "E" to "L" - this new visual essay was created by critic Jordi Xifra. It focuses on the evolution of the main character in Luis Bunuel's work. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• Film in Black and White - presented here is a filmed panel discussion of El, featuring Spanish critics Jose Luis Garci. Rodriguez Marchante, Fernando Rodriguez Lafuente, and Antonio Martinez Sarrion. The content was filmed in 2009. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (61 min).

• A Small Filmed Confession by Luis Bunuel - in this archival program, Luis Bunuel reflects on his career while in the company of screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere (Belle de jour). The program was produced for French television and first aired on May 24, 1981. In French, with English subtitles. (31 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a recent trailer for the 4K restoration of El. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (2 min).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Fernanda Solórzano and an interview with Luis Buñuel by critics José de la Colina and Tomás Pérez Turrent, as well as technical credits.

El Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is not long before it becomes clear that Don Francisco's mind is rapidly deteriorating, forcing him into a dark place where virtually all people self-destruct. However, the authenticity of this transformation is frequently eroded by questionable melodrama, redirecting the film into an undesirable territory, where Don Francisco's misery begins to look like a scripted act. Gloria is far more convincing, before and after Don Francisco's transformation is initiated, and for this reason, she probably should have been the dominant character in Luis Bunuel's film. Criterion's Blu-ray release introduces a new 4K restoration of the film, which is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release RECOMMENDED.