La otra conquista

La Otra Conquista will always live with me. I was in awe with the wonderful combination of acting and music. The scenes were breathtaking and the plot got its much overdue attention. I've watched it two times, picking up something new every time. I wish there were more movies like it.

This movie has the tone of an epic story and a universal message of tolerance. The beautiful shots and the storytelling grab you from the first image and bring the audience in a journey through history following the uneasy path of the main character. But the story is never easy to guess and the feeling to witness something real is what keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters never feel one-dimensional or convenient, they are part of the story and their historical role is portrayed in details. But there is something more: the story behind the movie. The making of it is, per se, an amazing adventure that every aspiring filmmaker must see.

This is a superb film which conveys a powerful and profound message of tolerance, respect and peace. This film has been truly made by the artist who has taken the canvas of his soul to the silver screen and has truly added to the cause of peace for this nation---brilliant!!! And due to this, it is an important vehicle which offers the solutions to conquering youth violence so prevalent in our society today. The Other Conquest will undoubtedly become a classic. This film is a must for children and families---there is a hunger within our Brown children (and believe me, there are many) to know their heritage and where they fit in.

La Otra Conquista has touched me in a way that no other movie has. I saw it two weeks ago and I am still under its spell, I think, in a way, I always will. Let me get to the point. There are several dimensions to this flawless piece of art, this priceless gem, this eminent, yet unassuming masterpiece of a timeless, universal message, this miraculous documentary of what happened 500 years ago and until now had only lived in the intangible inner world of those who, for ancestry or spiritual communion, have dared to reach back and touch the still pulsating heart of the Native Americans, the Spirit of the Land. All would deserve to be talked about at great length (historical, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional, religious, musical, linguistic, semiotic and so on) but I'd rather strike (and I can only try) at what I perceive its heart to be as it has done to me. Topiltzin (whose name I have called with tears in my eyes again and again for days and days), from the bottom of his pure, untainted spirit, undergoes a spiritual travail like no others, comparable in force and intensity to that of Christ, and comes out transfigured at the other end, having literally saved humanity by embracing the spirit of his oppressor, who in turn is also transcendentally transformed. This movie's message is not about revenge toward the inhumanity of man toward man, but rather about the all-conquering power of the human spirit, above and beyond the cultural trappings of one's religious beliefs, something that the Catholic Church, unfortunately, unbelievably, has yet to realize. The spiritual lessons to be learned and re-learned from experiencing this film are priceless, heart-wrenching, ultimately enlightening. If you go to church, or the sports arena, this is like a thousand high masses, a thousand super bowls. IT WILL TRANSFORM YOU. Go see it already, stop wasting your precious time.

This is the most powerful, unforgettable and life-altering film I've seen in ages. It's amazing that I'm Irish and I felt it was about the story of my people, even though it's about the Aztecs and Spanish. What's wrong with you distributors out there? Why isn't this film playing nationwide?!?!?