Fresno's Paper for Arts, Entertainment, News, and Political Analysis
La Otra Conquista (The Other Conquest)
Directed by Salvador Carrasco
Spanish w/ English subtitles
Rated R, 105 minutes (1999)
by Matt Espinoza Watson
You turned my people into ashes. Our truth went up in flames.
The Other Conquest is a historical fiction that combines real and fictitious characters and events to explore the period after the Fall of the Aztec/Mexica capital of Tenochtitlan in 1521. The film centers on the struggle of Topilitzin, the only surviving son of the Emperor Moctezuma, to preserve his people’s religious and cultural identity in the midst of the invasion of Mexico by Spanish conquerors and clergymen.
Much of the film focuses on Friar Diego de la Coruña & Topilitzin, and the process of transformation each of them undergoes as they struggle to understand one another. Damián Delgado, who also co-starred in John Sayles’ film Men With Guns, is great as Topilitzin. The character of Friar Diego (played by José Carlos Rodriguez) is partly based on Bishop Juan de Zumárraga, who personally oversaw the destruction of much of the Aztec/Mexica culture, including thousands of books and sculptures.
From the faithful integration of the Aztec language and codices to the usage of actual archaeological and colonial sites in Mexico, the filmmakers bring 16th century Mexico to life in a skillful, beautiful, relevant-to-the-21st-century sort of way. The writing and directing are excellent, and the cinematography, despite the limitations of a relatively small budget, is impressive. An original aria was created for the film and (quite powerfully) performed by Placido Domingo, whose son Alvaro produced the film.
The film contemplates the complex origins of a new, hybrid culture, and the religious, sexual and political conflicts that arise out of the clash of two very different civilizations. The other conquest is a reference to the fact that colonization entails not just a physical, but also a spiritual conquest, as the native population is forced to accept Christianity and turn their backs on their religion. Oftentimes this results in the ‘incomplete’ conversion of natives to Christianity, paying lip service to the Christian God and learning Spanish, but speaking their native Nahuatl and worshipping their own gods in private.
The Other Conquest premiered in Mexico in 1999 and became the highest grossing Mexican dramatic film ever released, but was only released on a limited basis outside the country, and is just now being released in the United States. Salvador Carrasco, the film’s writer and director, states, “The Other Conquest is a story of the aftermath of the Spanish Conquest of my native Mexico, but it is also a universal drama about any other culture that has been colonized.”
User login
Navigation
Syndicate
Comments
"Not another spoof movie"
Film is considered as a form of art. It is an industry has been in existence for centuries. It serves the purpose of entertaining, educating and inspiring people through dedicated servers. It is an attraction that can cover a wide range of audiences. They change as societal norms changes and thus adapt to the evolution of the community. It is believed that they are patronized because of their appeal to human emotions.
Likewise, it is a presentation of artifacts that reflects the cultures of various societies. Films are categorized based on a specific genre. A genre generally refers to films that share similarities in the narrative elements from which they are constructed (Wikipedia, 2007).
To further categorize a film, its mood, setting and format should be identifiable. The films location is the setting, the mood is the emotional charge and the manner by which it was shot refers to the format.
Producing a film entails great endeavor. The concept and the theme are carefully studied and laid out in order to come up with a film that is interesting and that would sell to the viewers. The different genres of film provide a wider variety of concepts to filmmakers. Indeed film making requires undergoing several stages. First is the establishment of the idea or concept that constitute a specific genre. A story is produced which adheres to the concept. Once the concept is identified a story or script to be followed is written.
Like in the case of this film, the group focused on three specific genres. Guided by these concepts, the story representing each genre was written. These are just part of the pre production process of the film. The production itself is a more tedious task. This stage is the actual implementation of all the concepts made. The actors are bound to portray the characters that are assigned to them. Internalization and understanding of the role is crucial to convince the viewers of their portrayals. The actual shoot is followed by the postproduction. In this phase, the film is edited, organized and given the appropriate effects and soundtrack.
This film entitled, Not another spoof movie is an incorporation of different genres; science fiction, action and film noir. The concept of this film was to portray the conventional ways by which film genres are employed. However, the group included a different approach to illustrate these. The different genres in this film constitute a comedic approach. The onset of this movie evinces a ghastly aura. With the choice of soundtrack and cinematography, one could readily categorize it as a horror movie. The fa ade of the house reinforces the mood that was created. A different twist was included to make the film more interesting. In this light, the viewers are offered a variety of genres that brings pleasure while it reaches its conclusion.