Alfonso (Enrique del Campo), his friend Eduardo (Carlos Villatoro), and Eduardo’s wife, Cristina (Marta Roel) get lost in the woods. Alfonso says there is supposed to be an abandoned monastery somewhere nearby that they can take refuge for the night. Eduardo is opposed to sleeping in a spooky monastery. He has heard weird stories about the place. Suddenly a mysterious stranger and his dog appear. The stranger tells them that he is going to the monastery, and he will show them the way. He calls it the Monastery of Silence. He says the monks that live at the monastery are cloistered and have taken a vow of silence.
At the monastery they are met by one of the monks (Victorio Blanco). They are let in and shown to separate rooms. Eduardo is creeped out, but Alfonso goes wandering around the monastery. He finds a room that looks as though the door hasn’t been open in years. A wooden cross is nailed across the doorway. He hears strange noises coming from the locked room. He is shooed away by a monk.
The atmosphere of the monastery has an effect on Cristina. She tries to seduce Alfonso. Alfonso begins to desire Cristina. Later they are taken to the dining room to meet the Prior (Paco Martinez). During dinner the prior tells them a story about a monk who killed his friend and seduced his wife. He had given himself to Satan. He tried to make penance for his crimes but when he died the monk could find no peace in the afterlife. He returned to his cell, a cursed man and now resides in the locked room bearing the giant cross.
After the meal the visitors are again taken to their rooms. Cristina once again tries to seduce Alfonso. Alfonso is about to submit to temptation when he finds the cursed monk’s cell door ajar. Alfonso enters the room.
“El fantasma del convento” AKA “The Ghost of the Convent” AKA “The Phantom of the Convent” was released in 1934 and was directed by Fernando de Fuentes. It is a Mexican horror movie and is one of the first horror films produced by Mexico along with “Two Monks” or “Dos Monjes” 1934 and La Llorona” AKA “The Crying Woman” 1933. The move got an excellent restoration done by the UCLA Film and Television Archive with funding provided by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project and The George Lucas Family Foundation.
This is not your normal campy Mexican horror film with luchadores, songs or aliens. This is a serious horror film, much like the original Universal horror films of the thirties. Not only does it have zombies, but they are being haunted by a ghost. It is a gothic tale of the living dead, pre-Romero. Around traditional folklore is a Christian story of morality combined with great cinematography and a lot of atmosphere. It’s really good and well worth seeking out.
Some of the movie was filmed at the Convent of Tepotzotlán. The convent is now a museum, hotel and restaurant. The convent was built around 1585.