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The Other Conquest
(2 1/2 stars)
Damian Delgado, Jose Carlos Rodriguez, Elpidia Carillo
Directed by Salvador Carrasco
Rated R
Opens Friday
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The Other Conquest endeavors to tell the story of the Aztecs' forced conversion to Catholicism from the perspective of the conquered. But like the Good Book that inspired the massive genocide and assimilation of the Aztecs, the film leaves a little too much open for blind interpretation.
We're introduced to a young Aztec named Topiltzin (Delgado), who, in the wake of the Spanish invasion, is struggling to preserve his people's history and religious beliefs. His efforts come to an abrupt end when he is captured during a ceremony involving human sacrifice. The conquistadors declare that they will not tolerate such savagery, right before whipping Topiltzin with chains and burning the soles of his feet while a statue of the Virgin Mary looks on.
As it turns out, Topiltzin is the bastard child of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma, which spares him a summary execution but gets him handed over to a friar named Diego (Rodriguez) for swift conversion. Diego gives Topiltzin a matching friar's haircut, complete with bald spot, and quickly makes it his life's work to show the young man the way to Christianity. Topiltzin resists, of course—initially in quiet, subtle ways, but eventually in desperate, feverish ways.
It all leads to an ending sequence that has the feel of a bizarre vision quest. And without giving too much away, that quest culminates in a literal embrace between Topiltzin and the oft-seen Virgin Mary statue. Is this embrace supposed to be metaphorical as well? If so, what brought this transition about? And are we supposed to see this as tragic because it signals the death of the Aztec culture? Or is this supposed to symbolize something positive because it led to the heavily Catholicized Mexican culture of today—a culture that has clearly embraced the film (as Mexican films go, this is already a box office sensation)? Or is it supposed to suggest a fusion between Aztec and Catholic dogma, as suggested by Topiltzin's comment to Diego that their beliefs really aren't so different?
But is that even true? Despite Topiltzin's assertion, the film doesn't point out any similarities between the two religions, aside from a tendency toward horrific violence. In fact, all we really see of the Aztec religion is the human sacrifice at the beginning. You'd think we'd have learned more in a film that purports to give us the Aztec perspective.
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