Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- harrowing
- serious
- political film night
- historical cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics and audiences broadly regard the film as a compelling, historically grounded Colombian drama with a strong central performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story is rooted in Colombia's decade of partisan bloodshed known as La Violencia and follows Leon Maria Lozano's role within it.
Leon Maria Lozano operates as a hired killer, or Pájaro, serving conservative political interests.
The plot treats Colombia's civil conflict and assassination campaigns as prolonged social catastrophe rather than noble political struggle.
The conflict between liberals and conservatives structures the community's loyalties and fuels recurring violence.
Films like A Man of Principle, and why
The Official Story
political violence, historical trauma, and morally compromised protagonists in a grounded Latin American drama
The Battle of Chile
state-linked violence, ideological conflict, and bleak historical realism centered on a violent political order
Missing
historical political repression, factional conflict, and an intense central performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Francisco Norden
- Release Date
- 1984-09-14
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (23)
Cast
- Frank Ramírez
- Isabela Corona
- Victor Hugo Morant
- Santiago García
- Luis Chiape
- Juan Gentile
- Vicky Hernández
- Antonio Aparicio
- José Carlos Parada
- Rafael Bohórquez
Common questions
- What is A Man of Principle about?
- A Colombian historical drama follows a notorious hired killer whose partisan allegiance turns the violence of La Violencia into a personal instrument of power.
- What is A Man of Principle like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Man of Principle as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Man of Principle violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in A Man of Principle as graphic.
- What did critics think of A Man of Principle?
- Critics and audiences broadly regard the film as a compelling, historically grounded Colombian drama with a strong central performance.
- Which films are like A Man of Principle?
- Films with a similar feel include The Official Story, The Battle of Chile, and Missing.
- How long is A Man of Principle?
- A Man of Principle runs 90 minutes.
