Cantinflas and the Chaos of Mexican Modernity is a revealing probe into
the life and times of Mario Moreno, Latin America's most famous film
star from the 1940s to the 1970s. This book helps to illuminate the
social and cultural history of twentieth-century Mexico. Cantinflas
(Moreno's film persona) was the most popular movie star in Mexican
history. A fast-talking, nonsensical character, he helped Mexicans
embrace their rich mestizo identity and cope with the difficulties of
modernization. For thirty years he served as a 'weapon of the weak, '
satirizing corrupt officials and pompous elites who victimized Mexico's
urban poor.
This is a valuable text for courses on Mexican history and Latin
American film.