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If you’re looking for a masterclass in acting with your face, watch Gael García Bernal in Cassandro. This new biopic, which began streaming on Amazon Prime today, features a career-best performance from Bernal as Saúl Armendáriz, a gay, American-born Mexican wrestler who rose to fame in the ’90s. And no where are Bernal’s talents better on display than in a scene where a young boy comes out to him.
Armendáriz wrestled under the ring name Cassandro, a shamelessly flamboyant exoticó. In the world of luchadores, up until that point, exoticós—drag queens of wrestlilng—were meant to be mocked, and they were meant to lose. The men who embodied these characters insisted it was all an act; they were straight. But Armendáriz, an openly gay man, turned the stereotype on its head. He owned his sexuality, and won matches in his sparkly make-up and feminine jumpsuits. Cassandro became a gay hero.
It was not an easy journey for Armendáriz, to say the least. Growing up gay in the ’70s and ’80s in El Paso, Texas, he faced assault and harassment. He was rejected by his father, a machismo tough guy, played in the film by Joaquín Cosío. That’s why, at the end of the film, it hits Cassandro particularly hard to hear from a young boy that he helped him come out to his father. It’s easily the film’s most powerful scene, and it captures in less than five minutes the importance of queer representation in media.
In the scene, Cassandro, now a nationally famous luchador, is a guest on a ’90s Mexican wrestling talk show hosted by El Hijo del Santo (who plays himself in the film). El Hijo del Santo informs Cassandro there is a young man in the audience who has a message for him. The boy, no older than 16, stands up and informs Cassandro he’s a huge fan. He’s seen him live five times, and even has the Cassandro action figure. Then he drops the bomb:
“A few months ago, I came out to my father. I told him, and he gave me his support,” the boys says. His father stands, smiling, with his arm proudly around his son’s shoulders. “He’s here with me tonight. I couldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for you. Thank you, Cassandro.”
Bernal has no dialogue as he listens to the boy’s tale, and he doesn’t need any: Every emotion Cassandro feels in this moment is plainly displayed on his face. There’s pride at the impact he has had on this young life, but it conflicts with sorrow and a hint of anger. Armendáriz didn’t have a role model like Cassandro. He didn’t have a father who supported him. Bernal’s eyes shine with unshed tears. He smiles, closed-lipped, but you can see his heart breaking in real time. He’s mourning everything he missed; everything he should have had. Though he’s glad this boy doesn’t have to suffer like he did—and glad he’s a big reason for that—there’s a small part of him that’s screaming that it isn’t fair.
Phew. Now that’s what I call acting. It’s a little early for Oscar predictions, but personally, I think this scene should earn Bernal at least a nomination, if not a win. And not only does this scene showcase Bernal’s considerable talent, but it also emphasizes why the representation of out-and-proud queer people in popular culture means so much to the LGBTQ youth, both then and now. Less than 30 years ago, there was next to no mainstream acceptance of queer folks. That trauma is still healing. Those repercussions are still unfolding. But movies like Cassandro, which capture an important chapter in LGBTQ history, are a way forward.
