 Principal photography began on August 8, 1983 in the village of Yautepec de Zaragoza, a short car ride from Cuernavaca.Huston filmed most of the scenes in sequence, due to the destructive descent of the lead character, Geoffrey.Huston chose Yautepec to double for Cuernavaca because its 18th-century architecture had the right feel and could be filmed without additional construction.