Director: Salvador Carrasco
Studio: Union Station Media/Starz DV72168
Video: 1.78:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9 color
Audio: Spanish & Nahuatl DD 5.1, DD 2.0
Subtitles: English
Extras: Commentary track by director, Deleted scenes, Featurette with cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scene footage
Length: 105 minutes
Rating: *****
This is a stunning dramatic film on the important subject of the Spanish conquest of Mexico – an event that hasn’t received much attention from the movies except for Mel Gibson’s bloody Apocalypto – to which in a way this Mexican film serves as something of an antidote. Some of its scenes are just as much of a spectacle as Gibson’s film, but The Other Conquest brings up the struggle of the Spanish conquistadors and priests in invading the Aztec lands, killing many, destroying their religion and then imposing their Catholicism. The film’s subtitle is “The spirit of a people can never be conquered.”
The film’s primary focus is on the relationship of the Aztec scribe Topiltzin and Friar Diego – who hopes to turn him into a model Catholic Indian. Good luck. The interactions of these two intense characters are very well written and points up the tremendous struggle of the new religion attempting to wipe out the old one. There is the Aztec’s human sacrifice on one hand, but then there is the awful killing and punishments of the Aztecs in getting them to convert. The whole story of the Spanish Conquest is brought down to a very human level in these two. Topiltzin tries to secretly continue the old religion, but is sold out to the Spaniards by his own brother who has been converted. Topiltzin is the half-brother of the daughter of the slain Aztec Emperor Moctezuma, and Cortes has made the beautiful daughter his mistress, after killing her husband.
The cinematography and costumes are spectacular and the acting is first rate. The transfer is excellent, almost of Blu-ray quality. The commentary track with director Carrasco (in English) is highly recommended; he explains many points and details which had escaped me in the first viewing. I think many viewers would be confused by the philosphy inherent in the story without his commentary – especially on the last part of the film. There are two elements to the soundtrack music – the Spanish liturgical/choral music (including some selections sung by Placido Domingo) and the indigenous music of the Aztecs. Toward the end the two are melded as the Topiltzin tells Friar Diego that at base their two religions are not that different – both focus on a Mother Goddess. (The Aztec monk-in-training connects extremely strongly with a statue of Mother Mary which has been part of his brutal past history.) The strong message of this film concerns one culture thinking it can impose its values on another; how depressing that we haven’t learned a thing since the 16th century, and are still attempting to do that today!
– John Sunier
