Date of Award
Spring 5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Film Studies
First Advisor
Erica Aguero
Second Advisor
Nam Lee
Third Advisor
Rubén Espinoza
Abstract
Kalimán is a Mexican superhero whose adventures, along with his sidekick Solín, take them around the world and across various media platforms: radio, comics, and cinema. The cinematic tales of Kalimán reflect significant changes in Mexican cinema, society, and culture. The two Kalimán films, El Hombre Increíble and El Siniestro Mundo de Humanón, occupy a unique liminal position in Mexican National Cinema, capturing the transformations that took place during the early 1970s until 1976, a time now known as the Prodigious Decade.1 The Kalimán films also draw inspiration from “churro” films, particularly from the Luchadores genre, films often considered excessive lowbrow entertainment. However, a closer examination reveals how both Kalimán films showcase the advancements and growth experienced during this period, with many elements reflecting the political interests of the official party, Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). This thesis will explore how both films mirror their social and political contexts and bridge two distinct periods: the 1960s, characterized by camp and kitsch, and the 1970s, which emphasized innovation and experimentation, aspects often neglected by academia’s account of Mexico’s Film History.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Reyes Rocher, José Emilio. "He Who Rules 'Cinema' Rules Everything: Kalimán as Bridge Between 1960s and 1970s Mexican Cinema." Master's thesis, Chapman University, 2025. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000686