Sometimes, you need an obscure, cornball Mexican wrestling western from 1970 to remind you to actually care — especially when it unexpectedly tackles the rarely seen topic of leprosy in film.
Safe to presume you have never heard of Santo vs The Riders of Terror (1970) a wild entry in the tiny canon of leprosy in film. Unless you happen to be a fan of Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta who, from the 1960s to the 1980s, starred in a bazillion low-budgeters as crimefighting wrestler Santo.
For some reason, this Mexican man in the (silver) mask was a screen star taking on everyone from zombies to vampire women, evil brains, Frankenstein’s daughter and Dr Death. Santo singlehandedly fought these good fights, empowered by his lycra tights, choreographed haymakers, and cleverly convenient methods of outsmarting any adversary.
Nestled around the midpoint of the sprawling Santo cinematic universe, Santo Vs The Riders of Terror doesn’t feature our hero for the first half hour. In his absence, “The Riders of Terror”! are introduced as a bunch of cartoonish blokes escaping from a small town’s leprosarium. Pause. Leprosy? When has that ancient ailment featured in a film? How unexpected. And notable.
Complete with committed if garish make-up, the posse of leprosy patients on the loose instantly stirs fear of plague proportions. Or does it? Beyond the cheesy dubbing and funky dissolves, this schlock Santo adventure swiftly shifts leprosy from the role of villain.
SPOILER ALERT: the escapees are not really the bad guys. Sure, they walk a lot like zombies and break into houses, but doctors and lawmen plead for compassion, mercy and understanding toward them.
These men have a disease, people. They’re not malicious mutants. Even the local sheriff lovingly chides his fiancée for her gut-reaction of repulsion and nail biting.
The title itself is almost sardonic. The leprosy gang emerge as misunderstood. That’s a better look than many of the angry, wide-eyed and pitchforked townsfolk. “This man is a fearmonger!” is thrown at the yokel stoking hate against the outcast escapees.
Wait, what? Prejudice is being confronted on-screen… in a Santo western. Wait, what? Is my own prejudice being confronted? How is it possible my emotional capacity is stirred amid the shameless regularity of Santo getting into rumbles, for no apparent reason except contractual obligation?
A heart of concern and public education beats from Santo Vs The Riders of Terror. Yes, you definitely need to double-check the information about leprosy transmission. But there’s no mistaking the clarion call to treat those living with leprosy with respect, compassion, and dignity. Viewers might have turned up for Santo’s sleeperholds. What we also get is a gentle shove toward empathy for a condition that has been excessively reviled since Jesus was a boy.
Incidentally, those many New Testament accounts of Jesus extending care to shunned leprosy patients might have left you apathetic. Heard it all before. Got the gist. Way back when, Jesus was kindly to people affected by leprosy and even healed some. Cool. Good ol’ Jesus doing his thing and that leaves me with nice vibes that have no connection with our real world. No-one even gets that ye olde disease anymore? Right?
As Santo Vs The Riders of Terror reminds us, leprosy is still a thing. Even more amazing than a Santo sequel bringing this to our attention is how it grabs attention. Leprosy stars in so few films that our unchecked prejudice and avoidance of leprosy cannot avoid being searched for a generosity of spirit. Will Santo wrestle it from within you?
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