A troubled woman commits a series of murders that exposes some dark family secrets.

1949 film by Matilde Landeta

1948 film by Miguel M. Delgado

1950 film by Miguel M. Delgado

Maria Felix, the archetypical Mexican movie star, plays one of her bad/good girl roles, with elements of the characters played by Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck and even Marlene Dietrich. (she sings a song by her then husband, the famous composer,Augustine Lara). Arturo de Cordova's tortured lover is reminiscent of his role in Buñuel's Exterminating Angel. There's some extraordinary photography , stylized sets (the furniture designer gets a credit) and outrageous dresses for La Doña, as Maria Felix is still known in Mexico. It's definitely one of the styles that Buñuel expanded in his early Mexican films like the 1955 "Ensayo de un crimen."

A useless and bloody vendetta has been going on for ages between two families in this Mexican village. Men, sons, have killed each other for generations, for a so-called conception of honor in a revenge that never ends since it is also triggered by people of the village. Now, today, there are only two sons left, one in each family. One has become a doctor in the big city and his culture is modern. The other last one - of the other family - hasn't left the village and is waiting for the doctor to come "home" as he plans to kill him, to settle this war on this matter of honor once and for all. And the people of the village want blood.