I have no idea where the legend of the werewolf comes from, but for sure it is not of Latin American origins, although it is possible that there are similar creatures in folklore and traditions. Adapted to the Argentinean countryside, from a radio serial to a cinematic work, the legend does not acquire any distinctive sign as a film, to elevate it from being just an adequate genre appropriation by one of the strongest film industries of South America. Unfortunately this fantasy is so rooted in the popular aesthetics of the 1970s, that it has aged very badly, to the point of becoming an ugly mixture of images from a pearly shampoo TV spot, Fellini's "Satyricon" and "Pink Narcissus", with a score quite similar to the Italian pastiches of that decade. The silly, slimy laughter of Nazareno Cruz (played by Juan José Camero, a bland actor that seems more adequate to play the pied piper of Hamelin than a wolf man) and his beloved Griselda (a cute blonde, but we are insistently told that she is a gem, to convince us of the mirage) is crossed with pedestrian resources in the absence of convincing special effects to illustrate the tragedy of the full Moon. On the other hand, the homosexual tone of the story is never openly assumed, but rings in framings, compositions and disposition of the players (especially Nazareno Cruz and a Devil out of a gay pride parade). If you want to know the films of Leonardo Favio, a much admired director in Argentina, please do not start with this one.
Review of Nazareno Cruz and the Wolf
