This linocut belongs to a suite of ten prints that Leopoldo Méndez created for the film Río Escondido (Hidden River), directed by Emilio Fernández (1904–1986) and shot by Gabriel Figueroa (1907–1997)—two greats of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. The prints, which appear during the film’s opening credits, are graphic interpretations of scenes viewers see as the narrative unfolds. Film collaborations offered a new creative avenue to Méndez, who had long aspired to make graphic murals and to create prints on a monumental scale.

In this image, Méndez takes the movie’s plot as inspiration while creating a wholly new visual scene. He represents the moment that the protagonist, a schoolteacher played by Mexican movie star María Félix (1914–2002), kills the tyrannical leader of the remote town of Río Escondido and inspires the townspeople to rise up and end their oppression.