Él

The film opens on Good Friday during a traditional foot-washing ceremony. Francisco, an affluent and seemingly upstanding conservative, is instantly captivated by a beautiful young woman named Gloria. Consumed by a sudden obsession, he spends subsequent mornings searching for her in the same church. When he finally corners her, Gloria insists they cannot speak, but Francisco undeterred, tracks her to a restaurant. There, he discovers she is meeting Raúl—a close friend of his. When Raúl casually reveals that he and Gloria are engaged, Francisco secretly plots to steal her away. He orchestrates an elegant party to flaunt his high social standing and charm. Though Gloria is initially wary of his sudden intrusion into her life, she ultimately succumbs to his sophisticated veneer and accepts his courtship. The narrative then shifts to the future. Raúl, driving through the city, accidentally crosses paths with a visibly distressed Gloria. As she opens up to him, the film transitions into an extended flashback detailing the horrific reality of her marriage. Behind closed doors, Francisco is a man consumed by intense paranoia and pathological jealousy. Gloria is entirely isolated, her mother refusing to believe such a respected community figure could be abusive. Father Velasco, admonishes Gloria for her "untoward" behavior, vouching for Francisco’s purity. When Francisco discovers Gloria confided in the priest, he subjects her to a terrifying mock execution, shooting her with a revolver loaded with blanks to "teach her a lesson." This burst of violence is then followed by a temporary period of warmth and remorse. The peace is short-lived. During a trip to a church bell tower, Francisco’s facade slips entirely. Looking down at the street, he launches into a misanthropic tirade and turns his rage abruptly on Gloria. He apparently attempts to strangle her, threatening to hurl her over the railing. Gloria narrowly escapes—bringing the flashback full circle to her chance encounter with Raúl. Raúl urges her to leave him, but when Gloria returns home to pack, Francisco discovers Raúl dropped her off. The cycle of jealousy reignites. Though he briefly seeks reconciliation after realizing she never had a physical affair, his fury returns when Gloria admits she confided their marital problems to Raúl. Francisco's psychosis reaches a breaking point as he attempts to bind and mutilate Gloria in her sleep. Her screams startle him, causing him to retreat to his room in a broken, weeping heap as he realizes he is losing control of his actions. By morning, Gloria has fled for good. Armed with his revolver, Francisco frantically hunts for her. Spotting what he believes to be Gloria and Raúl in a car, he pursues them back to the very church where he first saw her. Inside, he realizes the couple is actually a pair of strangers. Plunging into total madness, Francisco hallucinates that the entire congregation—including the priest—is mocking him. He charges the altar in a manic frenzy and attacks the priest. Even as the congregation subdues him, the priest pities him, shouting, "Don't hurt him, he's my friend; he's gone mad!" Years later, Gloria and Raúl visit a peaceful monastery with their young son. It is revealed that the monks have taken Francisco in. Gloria and Raúl choose to avoid him, but it is revealed that they have named their son Francisco. After they leave, the head monk informs Francisco of their visit. Francisco calmly notes that the boy is clearly Raúl and Gloria's, quietly murmuring, "Time has proven my point." "But to what avail?" The film closes on Francisco wandering down a monastery path and disappearing into a dark doorway.