September 18, 2025
Movie

Pedro Páramo Explained

Carolina Rojasby Carolina Rojas

Spoiler Alert! This article contains spoilers of Pedro Páramo

Rodrigo Prieto has an extended career as a director of photography having worked with directors like Alejandro González Iñárritu, Ang Lee, Spike Lee, and Martin Scorsese. He has also been a four-time nominee for the Academy Awards and Bafta Awards. In 2024 his debut film, Pedro Páramo, was released on Netflix and it’s based in the symbolic Juan Rulfo’s novel, published in 1955. 

The novel blends magic realism and profound meditations on love, solitude, death, and the oppressive control of Hacendados (large estate owners) over rural Mexico from the 1800s to the mid-1900s. Prieto’s adaptation stays faithful to the original, narrating the journey of Juan Preciado, a young man who promises his dying mother to search for his father, Pedro Páramo—a feared and powerful man in the ghostly town of Comala.

Upon arrival at Comala, Juan finds himself in a ghostly town inhabited by the echoes of the past and the souls trapped in an eternal limbo. Through fragmented stories, Pedro’s absolute control over Comala and its people is revealed, as well as his obsession for Susana San Juan -the one that got away- a love that marked his life and drove him to emotional and moral ruin.

 

The narrative combines memories of dead villagers and Juan’s experiences. This builds a somber and poetic ambiance in which the fine line between the living and the dead blurs. The movie explores universal themes like abuse of power, failed redemption, and the weight of unfulfilled promises, capturing the bittersweet and desolate scenery from the book.

Redrum. Woo Films. Netflix. 2024.

What does this journey between the living, the dead, and the memories mean?

 

The historical context is Pre-revolutionary and Revolutionary (1870-1930). It depicts how in several regions spread through Mexico, Hacendados were in full control of towns and their people. The Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) was driven by widespread social, economic, and political inequality under the long dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. His regime favored the wealthy elite, particularly Hacendados, allowing them to control vast amounts of land.

 

The abuse of Hacendados played a key role because they exploited “peones” (landless rural workers) through unfair labor practices, such as debt peonage, and dispossessed small farmers and Indigenous communities of their ancestral lands. This created extreme disparities in wealth and land ownership, leaving the majority of Mexicans impoverished and disenfranchised. The revolution began as a call for democratic reforms, land redistribution, and social justice.

 

This systemic abuse from the elite extended through their land, establishments, and family members. For example, Miguel Páramo sexually assaulted young women and everyone in the town still respected him. Priest Rendería first took baby Miguel Páramo to Pedro as he was the father and his mother had died alone during childbirth. Years later, Priest Rendería had to bless Miguel Páramo at his funeral even though he didn’t want to because he abused Rendería’s niece and killed her father. This corruption is revealed when Priest Rentería, despite his grievances, accepts bribes from Pedro to perform sacred rites for Miguel.

 

The Priest appears in scenes of confessions, supporting his niece, helping the women Pedro used and later abandoned, and helping Susana San Juan recover in hopes of her appearance at his church. In other words, Priest Rentería represents death, guilt, and forgiveness. Death is another prevalent theme in the story and Mexican literature due to pre-Hispanic traditions, an existential inquiry by multiple authors, and because of Mexico’s violent history (Indigenous invasions, Spanish conquest, Mexican Independence and Revolution, and current social struggles). 

 

Death in Pedro Páramo revolves around religion and sin. The name Pedro comes from the Latin word – Petrus (stone)- and Páramo comes from the Latin word – Paramus (rocky and desert terrain)-. They have all sinned, “¿No me ve el pecado?” (Don’t you see sin in me?): incest, suicide, rape, murder, deceit, greed, and adultery have cursed Comala leaving the dead walking around a dry and lonely town. The priest also represents a “spiritual tyrant” hence being told he can’t continue consecrating others if he’s a sinner himself. Pedro Páramo portrays the demonic figure through his tyranny, which extends to his son Miguel. Still, sin is inside every soul of Comala, which has taken away the possibility of purification.  Their inability to move on reflects a spiritual stagnation tied to Pedro’s corrupt and oppressive rule.

 

 

Susana San Juan had always been Pedro’s ideal partner. They grew up together and cherished one another until she had to leave to bury her mother and never go back to Comala. 30 years later she returned to marry Pedro, but she went mad. She was tormented by her father appearing in her dreams and her character represents craziness and magic realism. She ended up locked inside her room stuck in her dreams until she passed away. When she died, Pedro ordered bells to be tolled trying to announce and honor her death. Accidentally, the people of Comala thought the bells announced a party, so they joined it. This angered and humiliated Pedro so he swore to retaliate. He abandoned his land, houses, and businesses, leading the town to ruin and extinction. 

 

 

Pedro is like a stone, rigid and stubborn. Simultaneous to the narration of his death, Juan Preciado -his son who was looking for him and ran into the spirits- died in Comala tormented by his father’s sins. Both of their deaths represent the inevitable cycle of life, the consequences of immorality, loneliness, and the hardship and pain faced by the oppressed. Their memories and deaths reveal the unaddressed history of trauma and the differences between colonial Hispanic descendants and the Indigenous. Pedro’s lonely death reminds us of the pointless nature of greed, power, and vengeance. Everyone in Comala was separated in life by uneven distributions of resources, but united by the “after-life”. In other words, the story explores human nature and the human condition in the context of oppression in rural Mexico.

 

In the end, Prieto’s adaptation delivers a poignant message: despite life’s disparities, all are united in death. Pedro Páramo is more than a cinematic masterpiece—it’s a deep exploration of Mexico’s social and historical wounds and a testament to the timelessness of Juan Rulfo’s storytelling.

Carolina Rojas

View all posts by Carolina Rojas →

You might also like

The Transphobia Everyone Missed in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Recklessness and Self-Sabotage in “La Cocina”

Cinematic Parallels: “How to Train Your Dragon” and “House of the Dragon”

103 thoughts on “Pedro Páramo Explained”

  3. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I am hoping the same high-grade site post from you in the upcoming also. Actually your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own website now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a good example of it.

  7. You could certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart.

  20. Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.Anyways, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back frequently!

  23. Greate article. Keep posting such kind of info on your site. Im really impressed by your site. Hi there, You have done an excellent job. I’ll definitely digg it and individually suggest to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this web site.

  29. Wonderful goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too excellent.I really like what you have acquired here, certainly likewhat you are stating and the way in which you say it.You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise.I cant wait to read much more from you. http://www.kayswell.com This is actually a wonderful site.

  40. Heya this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated! http://www.kayswell.com

  43. What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It absolutely useful and it has aided me out loads. I am hoping to give a contribution & assist other users like its helped me. Great job.

  44. Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

  45. Heya this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated! http://www.kayswell.com

  46. It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d definitely donate to this fantastic blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will share this blog with my Facebook group. Talk soon! http://www.kayswell.com

  49. Wonderful goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too excellent.I really like what you have acquired here, certainly likewhat you are stating and the way in which you say it.You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise.I cant wait to read much more from you. http://www.kayswell.com This is actually a wonderful site.

  60. Heya this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated! http://www.kayswell.com

  61. You’re so interesting! I don’t suppose I have read something like this before. So nice to discover another person with a few genuine thoughts on this subject. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This web site is something that’s needed on the web, someone with a little originality! http://www.kayswell.com

  65. This is the right webpage for anybody who wishes to understand this topic. You realize so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic which has been discussed for ages. Excellent stuff, just wonderful! http://www.kayswell.com

  83. This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger. I have joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your fantastic post. Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks!

  86. I have noticed that over the course of building a relationship with real estate homeowners, you’ll be able to get them to understand that, in every real estate transaction, a payment is paid. In the end, FSBO sellers never “save” the commission payment. Rather, they struggle to earn the commission by simply doing a good agent’s task. In accomplishing this, they commit their money plus time to accomplish, as best they’re able to, the jobs of an realtor. Those assignments include exposing the home by way of marketing, showing the home to willing buyers, creating a sense of buyer emergency in order to induce an offer, scheduling home inspections, dealing with qualification investigations with the mortgage lender, supervising maintenance, and assisting the closing.

  87. Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is fundamental and all. However imagine if you added some great images or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with images and clips, http://www.hairstylesvip.com this website could undeniably be one of the best in its field.

  92. I just like the valuable information you provide on your articles.I’ll bookmark your blog and test again here frequently.I’m quite certain I’ll be informed plenty of new stuff proper right here! Good luck for the next!

  93. I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. kudos

  94. An added important aspect is that if you are a senior citizen, travel insurance pertaining to pensioners is something you should really think about. The more aged you are, a lot more at risk you might be for getting something terrible happen to you while in most foreign countries. If you are never covered by quite a few comprehensive insurance, you could have a few serious complications. Thanks for giving your hints on this website.

  97. naturally like your website but you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I will certainly come back again.

  98. Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always exciting to read through content from other authors and practice a little something from other web sites.

  99. great points altogether, you simply received a logo new reader. What might you suggest in regards to your publish that you just made a few days in the past? Any positive?

  100. There’s a quality in your writing that transcends the typical bounds of literature. It doesn’t simply convey ideas — it invites the reader to explore them from within, to sit with them in silence and feel their deeper meanings settle. This is the sort of writing that not only informs, but transforms. You’ve managed to make something as ordinary as words into a space where one can feel truly alive.

  102. I just like the valuable information you provide on your articles.I’ll bookmark your blog and test again here frequently.I’m quite certain I’ll be informed plenty of new stuff proper right here! Good luck for the next!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *