La otra conquista (1998)

It is May 1520 in the vast Aztec Empire one year after the Spanish Conqueror Hernán Cortés' arrival in Mexico. "The Other Conquest" opens with the infamous massacre of the Aztecs at the ... See full summary »

Director:

Salvador Carrasco

Writer:

Salvador Carrasco

Stars:

Damián Delgado, José Carlos Rodríguez, Elpidia Carrillo

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Damián Delgado	...	Topiltzin / Tomás
José Carlos Rodríguez	...	Fray Diego de La Coruña
Elpidia Carrillo	...	Tecuichpo / Doña Isabel
Iñaki Aierra	...	Hernando Cortés
Honorato Magaloni	...	Capitán Cristóbal Quijano
Guillermo Ríos	...	Alanpoyatzin - hermano
Josefina Echánove	...	Nanahuatzin - abuela
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez	...	Beata Conversa
Álvaro Guerrero	...	Rolando
Rufino Echegoyen	...	Fray Sebastián
Lourdes Villareal	...	Cihuacóatl - sumo sacerdote
Luisa Ávila	...	Xilonen - Princesa
Ramón Barragán	...	Ramón Quevedo - notario (as Ramon Barragan)
Diana Bracho	...	Doña Juana
José Luis Carol	...	Padre Santa María

Storyline

It is May 1520 in the vast Aztec Empire one year after the Spanish Conqueror Hernán Cortés' arrival in Mexico. "The Other Conquest" opens with the infamous massacre of the Aztecs at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan [what is now called Mexico City]. The sacred grounds are covered with the countless bodies of priests and nobility slaughtered by the Spanish Armies under Cortés' command. The lone Aztec survivor of the massacre is a young Indian scribe named Topiltzin [Damián Delgado]. Topiltzin, who is the illegitimate son of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma, survives the onslaught by burying himself under a stack of bodies. As if awakening from a dream, the young man rises from among the dead to find his mother murdered, the Spanish in power and the dawn of a new era in his native land. A New World with new leaders, language, customs... and God. Representing the New Order is the Spanish Friar Diego [José Carlos Rodríguez]. His mission is to convert the "savage" natives into civilised ...

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | aztec | 1520s | indian | spanish colonization | 

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Taglines:

The spirit of a people transcends any conquest.

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for scenes of violence and some strong sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Arenas Entertainment [United States] Carrasco & Domingo Films USA, Inc.

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish Nahuatl

Release Date:

21 April 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Other Conquest

Filming Locations:

Convento de Acolman, Estado de México, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$305,308, 23 April 2000

Gross USA:

$894,410

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$894,410

Company Credits

Production Co:

ADO Entertainment, Carrasco & Domingo Films S.A. de C.V., Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Topiltzin: [in Nahuatl] Mother!

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Crazy Credits

"The Other Conquest" is a historical fiction that, by combining real and fictitious characters and events, explores the period between the fall of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in 1521 and the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531.

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Soundtracks

Aria 'Mater Aeterna'
Performed by Plácido Domingo
Music by Samuel Zyman
Lyrics by Salvador Carrasco

User Reviews

The battle of the religious fanatics is on.

La Otra Conquista is a contrast of two religions, one believes in sacrificing its own people to its Goddess and the other wants to seemingly sacrifice other peoples to the Mother of God. This makes for interesting contrast. It would have been far more interesting, had it delved further into how the Aztecs hid their religion inside the Catholic faith (Substituting their Goddess with the Virgin Mary, etc.), but this area was not fully explored. Damián Delgado shows, once again what an under appreciated actor he is and the beautiful Elpidia Carrillo gives another one of her performances that makes you wonder why the hell she isn't a household name. In fact, the whole cast does an exceptional job. In brief, it may not be as profound as it set out to be, but it's more than worth taking a look at.