Herod's Law (1999) La ley de Herodes (original title)

Director:

Luis Estrada

Writers:

Luis Estrada (screenplay)
Luis Estrada (story)
(more)

Release Date:

18 February 2000 (Mexico)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

Plot:

Mexico, 1949. The fable of a janitor turned Mayor on a little town lost in the Mexican desert, who gradually realizes how far his new acquainted power and corruption can get him.

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Corruption | Strong Sexual Content | Strong Language | Female Nudity

Awards:

20 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Damián Alcázar	...	Juan Vargas
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	López (as Pedro Armendáriz)
Delia Casanova	...	Rosa
Juan Carlos Colombo	...	Ramírez
Alex Cox	...	Gringo
Miguel Ángel Fuentes	...	Pancho
Noemí García	...	Secretaria
Guillermo Gil	...	Cura
Ernesto Gómez Cruz	...	Gobernador
Leticia Huijara	...	Gloria
Luis de Icaza	...	Alcalde Alfredo García
Eugenia Leñero	...	Esposa del nuevo alcalde
Eduardo López Rojas	...	Doctor
Yari Lorenzo	...	Esmeralda
Pedro Lorza	...	Cadáver
Lucía Muñoz	...	Rocío
Jesús Ochoa	...	Nuevo alcalde
Manuel Ojeda	...	Cantinero
Gabriel Pascual	...	Gordo
José Manuel Poncelis	...	Filemón (as Manuel Poncelis)
Salvador 'Negro' Ojeda	...	El Negro
Salvador Sánchez	...	Pek
Felipe Solís	...	Cliente
Evangelina Sosa	...	Perla
Yomo Tlazotlalli	...	Indigena del guajolote
Isela Vega	...	Doña Lupe
Maya Zapata	...	Chencha
Jorge Zárate	...	Tiburón
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Juan Carranco	...	Matón

Directed by
Luis Estrada

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Luis Estrada		screenplay
Luis Estrada		story
Vicente Leñero		screenplay
Fernando Javier León Rodríguez		screenplay (as Fernando León)
Jaime Sampietro		screenplay
Jaime Sampietro		story

Produced by
Luis Estrada	....	producer
Sandra Solares	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Santiago Ojeda

Cinematography by
Norman Christianson

Film Editing by
Luis Estrada

Casting by
Claudia Becker
Sandra León Becker		(as Sandra León)

Production Design by
Polo Escoboso		(as Polo Escobosa)

Art Direction by
Salvador Parra
Ana Solares

Costume Design by
María Estela Fernández		(as Mariestela Fernández)

Makeup Department
Isabel Amezcua	....	hair stylist
Alfredo Mora	....	makeup designer
Felipe Salazar	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Marc Bedia	....	production manager (as Marc Bédia)
Carlos Estrada	....	production manager
Jonas Hendrix	....	unit manager (as Jonás Hendrix)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Álvaro Curiel	....	second assistant director
Andrés León Becker	....	second unit director
Martín Torres	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Pedro Alanis Alanis	....	constructor (as Pedro Alanis)
Fernando Alvarado	....	constructor
Gogo Amara	....	assistant production designer
Raúl Arias	....	constructor
Marco Arredondo	....	art department assistant
Armando Bautista	....	constructor
Enrique Correa	....	constructor
Eduardo De La Rosa	....	head painter
Luis Escobar	....	constructor
Pablo Escobedo	....	constructor
Trinidad Espinoza Huerta	....	art department assistant (as Trinidad Espinoza)
Adán García	....	constructor
Enedino García	....	constructor
Juanjo Goldaracena	....	art department assistant
David Gomez Frias	....	chief of construction (as David Gómez)
Eleuterio Gómez	....	constructor
Gerardo Gómez	....	constructor
Inocencio Hilario	....	constructor
Ernesto Lobera	....	constructor
Luis Luna	....	art department assistant
Israel López	....	constructor
Joel López	....	chief of construction
Agustín Martínez	....	constructor
José A. Medina	....	constructor
Facundo Meneses	....	constructor
Zaida Monteforte	....	art department coordinator
Benito Moya	....	constructor
Federico Nava	....	construction contact
Guillermo Nájera	....	constructor
Federico Ramos	....	constructor
Vicente Ramos	....	constructor
José G. Reséndiz	....	constructor
Hugo A. Reyes	....	property master (as Hugo Reyes)
Alfredo Rivera	....	constructor
Eugenio Romero	....	constructor
Jon Solaun	....	constructor
Lourdes Solís	....	constructor
Eleazar Sánchez	....	construction coordinator
Jaime Sánchez	....	deputy chief of construction
Alfredo Torres	....	assistant props
Pablo Trejo	....	constructor
Alejandro Varela	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
Jaime Baksht	....	sound mixer
Eric Dounce	....	sound effects editor
Andrés Franco	....	sound engineer
Enrique Greiner	....	dialogue editor
Pedro Mejía	....	boom operator
Felipe Meléndez	....	assistant sound mixer
Santiago Núñez	....	sound mixer
Luis Schoeder	....	dubbing recordist
Luis Schoeder	....	foley artist
Rosario Tapia	....	sound effects coordinator

Special Effects by
José Luis Capilla	....	special effects assistant
Lazaro Cervantes	....	special effects assistant (as Lázaro Cervantes)
Javier Martínez	....	special effects assistant
Víctor Morán	....	special effects assistant
Salvador Servin	....	special effects assistant (as Salvador Servín)
Alejandro Vázquez	....	special effects

Stunts
Efrén Cortés	....	stunt driver
Francisco Lechuga	....	stunt driver
Gerardo Lechuga	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Benito Aguilar	....	electrician
Salvador Anacleto	....	generator operator
Ruben Aranda	....	camera loader (as Rubén Aranda)
Alejandro Casas	....	dolly grip
Francisco Castellanos	....	electrician
Marco de Aguilar	....	still photographer (as Marco Aguilar)
Raúl Escobedo Espinoza	....	generator operator (as Raúl Escobedo)
Gregorio Flores	....	crane operator
Martín Gaytán	....	first assistant camera
Jesús González	....	chief electrician
Luis Lara	....	electrician
Rodrigo Marina	....	assistant camera: second unit (as Rodrigo Mariña)
Alejandra Mejia	....	chief lighting technician (as Alejandra Mejía)
Noe Muñoz	....	second assistant camera (as Noé Muñoz)
Arturo Márquez	....	generator operator
Salvador Orendain	....	grip
Miguel Ángel Pacheco	....	grip
Armando Paez	....	generator operator (as Armando Paéz)
Ignacio Prieto	....	Steadicam operator
Israel Páez	....	camera loader
Joaquín Solano	....	grip
Juan Uruchurtu	....	video assist operator
Antonio Vargas	....	key grip
Armando Vargas	....	gaffer
Camilo Vázquez	....	generator operator

Casting Department
Miguel Iglesias	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Federico Castillo	....	costumer
Adela Cortázar	....	costume assistant
Carlos 'Pollo' Munguia	....	wardrobe master (as Carlos Munguía)
Lupita Peckinpah	....	costumer (as Lupita Pekinpah)
Adolfo Ramírez	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Sebastián Garza	....	assistant editor
Guillermo S. Maldonado	....	editorial consultant
Guadalupe Ramírez	....	negative cutter

Music Department
César	....	musician: percussion
Carlos García	....	musician: trumpet
Leonardo Heiblum	....	music mixer
Diego Maroto	....	musician: saxophone
Luis Ernesto Martínez	....	music recordist
Santiago Ojeda	....	conductor
Santiago Ojeda	....	music mixer
Remi	....	musician: saxophone
Montserrat Revah	....	musician: percussion
Enrique Sida Jr.	....	musician: trombone
Enrique Sida	....	musician: trombone
Israel Tiaxcaltécatl	....	musician: trumpet

Transportation Department
Efraín Alfaro	....	driver
Arnulfo Arroyo	....	driver
Antelmo Barragán	....	driver
Calixto	....	driver
José Luis Conde	....	driver
Roberto Flores Jr.	....	driver
Roberto Flores Sr.	....	driver
Antonio Flores	....	driver
Roberto González	....	driver
Pedro Jiménez	....	driver
Hilario López	....	driver
Ignacio López	....	driver
Francisco Moreno	....	driver
Eduardo Paez	....	driver (as Eduardo Páez)
Carlos Pérez	....	driver
Federico Pérez	....	driver
Filogonio Pérez	....	driver
Ángel Ruiz	....	driver
Tomás Tapia	....	driver
Julián Álvarez	....	driver
Manuel Ávila	....	driver

Other crew
Beatriz Anda	....	script supervisor (as Beatriz de Anda)
Juana Bocanegra	....	delegate: A.N.D.A.
Luis B. Carranco	....	set production assistant
Maury Carvajal	....	script supervisor
Javier Clave	....	making-of
Blanca Escobosa	....	office production assistant
Sebastián Garza	....	avid operator
Rodolfo Gutiérrez	....	production assistant
Alejandro Jara	....	armorer
Rafael Leal	....	laboratory technical manager
Mauricio Lule	....	office production assistant
Joaquín Medina	....	computer consultant
Eamon O'Farrill	....	set production assistant
Elvira Ochoa	....	laboratory coordinator
Mariana Paredes	....	extras coordinator
Sandra Paredes	....	production assistant: Mexico City contact
Juan Carlos Pérez	....	location assistant
Norma Ramos	....	production accountant
Isthar Rosales	....	location assistant
Arturo Rosas	....	animal wrangler
Luis Ruiz Tena	....	location manager
Jaime Sampietro	....	consultant to director
Gabriel Tapia	....	assistant accountant

Production Companies

• Alta Vista Films
• Bandidos Films
• Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)
• Nu Vision

Distributors

• Artecinema
• Venevision International (2003) (USA) (subtitled)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  titles and opticals
• Efeccine Mobile  special effects
• Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A.  sound recording studios
• Lado A Postproducción  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"La ley de Herodes" - Mexico (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexuality and language

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Mexico:C

Filming Locations:

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company:

Alta Vista Films

Trivia:

The names of the other candidates to been municipal governors with Juan Vargas are "Contador Carlos Portillo" and "Pedro Marco A. Hurtado".

Quotes:

Juan Vargas:No me hables en inglés hijo de la chingada; ahora si, pinche gringo, se acabó la deuda externa!

Movie Connections:

References The Young and the Damned (1950)

Soundtrack:

La barca de oro

Historically relevant

To understand "La Ley de Herodes" and its historical significance, it is necessary to consider a study of the backdrop behind its production and release. LDH is a product of the decadence of the crumbling, rotting 70-year old regime of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The 90s were frantic years in Mexico. The Zapatista uprising, the murder of the PRI's presidential candidate/next president (apparently by his own party), the "Tequila Effect" recession, several political murders and former president Salinas' exile (as well as his brother's arrest for money laundering)... all these events created a dissatisfaction so huge that forced the government to loosen its freedom of expression. It would have been impossible to release this movie, or to listen to Molotov's angry music without the bitter complacency of the government. And in a way, LDH signals the end of the PRI regime and its ousting from the executive in the year 2000. Mexico is undergoing change. It's slow, and it's painful, but it's happening. The PRI has not fully disappear, though. You can now see the Juan Vargas figure clinging in congress,trying to obstruct change, holding to its last source of power. A wonderful mambo score, by the way.