The Wage poster

The Wage

9.0(1)19621h 2m1

In the Colombian-Venezuelan Andes, a peasant works the land under exploitative conditions to ensure the survival of his family. His son is ill, his wife is pregnant, and he himself reproduces the violence that surrounds him. With no money for medical treatment, one night he gets drunk and is arrested. In jail, in a burst of fury, he rebels against the town's political boss in the only way he can. La Paga was a pioneering work of social and political cinema in Latin America, released the same year as Barravento, Glauber Rocha’s debut feature, and anticipating movements such as Third Cinema. Influenced by Italian Neorealism and Soviet cinema in its aesthetics, forms, and ideological approach, the film uses the archetypal representation of characters and the social and economic forces they embody. Based on the director’s childhood observations in his hometown, La Paga denounces the exploitation of the rural peasantry.

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Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
Spanish

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Director

Ciro Durán

Produced in

Venezuela, Colombia

Videos

Release dates

  • FranceFR

    • PremiereCannes Classics - 4K Restoration17 May 2025
  • VenezuelaVE

    • Theatrical22 Jul 1962

Frequently asked questions

The Wage was released on 22 July 1962.

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