The Brave One

The Brave One

Year: 1956

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: English

Director: Irving Rapper

FamilyDrama

The Touch of Greatness A young Mexican boy tirelessly tries to save his pet bull from death at the hands of a celebrated matador.

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Timeline & Setting – The Brave One (1956)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Brave One (1956). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s

The film unfolds in 1950s Mexico, a period of traditional rural life intersecting with urban spectacle. Debt, land ownership, and social status shape the world Leonardo inhabits. Bullfighting remains a major public entertainment, providing a stage for personal drama and community rituals.

Location

Mexico City, Mexico

The story moves from rural ranch life to the capital's bullring. Key events unfold in Mexico City, where Gitano fights in the arena. The setting contrasts humble origins with the spectacle and authority of power and entertainment.

🏟️ Bullring 🇲🇽 Mexican setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:12

Main Characters – The Brave One (1956)

Meet the key characters of The Brave One (1956), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Leonardo (Michel Ray)

A devoted son of a cattle herder who raises Gitano after the animal is calved. He seeks formal proof of Gitano’s ownership and shows remarkable determination and compassion, driving the plot’s conflict with social and legal obstacles.

👦 Young boy 🤝 Loyal

Gitano

A bull who forms a deep bond with Leonardo. Branded with Don Alejandro’s mark and sold into the bullring, Gitano exhibits intelligence and resilience, becoming the emotional center of the story.

🐂 Brave 🧭 Loyal

Don Alejandro (Carlos Navarro)

A landowning patron and car-race aficionado who initially gifts Gitano. His mounting debts and absence abroad set the stage for Gitano’s sale and the resulting conflict with Leonardo.

👑 Landowner 🏁 Racing 💼 Wealth

Rafael Rosillo (Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.)

Leonardo’s father, a cattle herder who represents the family’s traditional stake in Gitano. He sponsors the initial gift and later confronts the complications of ownership and inheritance.

👨 Father 🐄 Rancher

Fermin Rivera (Fermín Rivera)

The matador who faces Gitano in the arena. He embodies the tension between artistry, danger, and mercy, culminating in the crowd’s Indulto.

🎭 Matador 🐂 Bullfighter

Ticket seller (uncredited)

One of the unnamed figures who witnesses the events in the capital and the bullring, contributing to the atmosphere of the arena and the social stakes surrounding Gitano.

🎟️ Spectator 🗺️ Arena observer

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:12

Major Themes – The Brave One (1956)

Explore the central themes of The Brave One (1956), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🤝 Loyalty

A core thread is the unwavering bond between Leonardo and Gitano. Leonardo’s determination to prove Gitano’s ownership shows loyalty beyond property, revealing a protective commitment. The film treats loyalty as a force capable of challenging social norms and economic power.

🕊️ Freedom

Gitano’s life is framed as a struggle for freedom within human constraints, contrasting ownership with the bull’s instinct to live with dignity. The story pits personal survival against debt and spectacle. The Indulto moment embodies mercy that allows freedom to momentarily triumph.

👏 Crowd Power

The stadium audience drives the narrative toward a dramatic turn as the crowd calls for Indulto. Public sentiment wields moral influence, tempering fate and offering mercy where money and law falter. The film shows how collective emotion can bend destiny in an arena of spectacle.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:12

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The Brave One Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Brave One, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Brave One Summary

The Brave One Timeline

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The Brave One Timeline

More About The Brave One

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The Brave One (1956) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

The Brave One (1956) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

The Brave One (1956) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow