Meksikanets

Its title notwithstanding, The Mexican was filmed and released in Russia. The screenplay is based on a story by Jack London, an American author much admired in the Soviet Union. The title character, played by Oleg Strizhenov, is the spokesman for a group of Mexican revolutionaries. Hiding out in Los Angeles, Strizhenov and his followers intend to overthrow their home government, but that takes money. To raise the necessary funds, The Mexican enters into a 17-round prizefight. This portion of the film is exciting enough to compensate for the earlier propagandistic dull stretches.