Overview
A scandalous night in early 20th-century Mexico City reveals the hidden lives of the elite.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- sensual
- oppressive
- historical cinema night
- lgbtq film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually sumptuous and historically significant, though its melodramatic treatment and uneven characterization limited its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The raid and its aftermath are shaped by the participants' upper-class status and political connections.
Ignacio de la Torre navigates a public marriage and elite political life while participating in clandestine same-sex gatherings.
The 1901 police raid becomes a press sensation and a landmark moment in the public discussion of homosexuality in Mexico.
The film's elite Mexico City settings and formal costumes frame private queer freedom against oppressive public decorum.
Films like Dance of the Forty One, and why
The Imitation Game
historical lgbtq drama centered on repression, social status, and forbidden male intimacy
Maurice
period lgbtq drama portraying concealed identity against rigid social institutions
A Single Man
stylized historical drama about queer desire, secrecy, and persecution within elite society
Movie Details
- Director
- David Pablos
- Release Date
- 2020-11-19
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (226)
Cast
- Alfonso Herrera
- Emiliano Zurita
- Fernando Becerril
- Mabel Cadena
- Paulina Álvarez Muñoz
- Rodrigo Virago
- Fernanda Echevarría del Rivero
- Sergio Solís
- Álvaro Guerrero
- Romanni Villicaña
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dance of the Forty One about?
- A lavish, melancholic reconstruction of Mexico's 1901 Ball of the Forty-One, where elite queer desire collides with political power and public persecution.
- What is Dance of the Forty One like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dance of the Forty One as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dance of the Forty One violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Dance of the Forty One as moderate.
- What did critics think of Dance of the Forty One?
- Critics broadly found the film visually sumptuous and historically significant, though its melodramatic treatment and uneven characterization limited its impact.
- Which films are like Dance of the Forty One?
- Films with a similar feel include The Imitation Game, Maurice, and A Single Man.
- How long is Dance of the Forty One?
- Dance of the Forty One runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dance of the Forty One?
- In United States, Dance of the Forty One streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
