The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema seems to be in resurgence. A Mexican Film maker Luis Estrada has produced a wicked satire on a political system (and political party as well). And he names the culprit. From 1927 up until the election of Vicente Fox in 2000, the PRI party reigned supreme on a throne of corruption over Mexico. The film is set in the 1930’s or early 40’s and has a delightful mambo score that uplifts this oftentimes grim comedy. La Ley de Herodes doesn’t dwell much on the big dogs at the top, but more the politics of the small village level. Damian Alzar in the lead role of the Janitor turned small town mayor, or “Presidente Municipal” is perfect as the likeable dolt that the party bosses select to head the town of San Juan de los Saguares, a mostly Indian village in the mountain deserts of Central Mexico. Where the only vegetation seems to be the tall Saguaro cactus. What the janitor turned mayor doesn’t know is that the inhabitants of the village have killed the last several mayors that the party had sent to the town, the last one by decapitation. The Indians are incredibly poor, everyone is dirty and dusty, the village school lies in ruins, and most of the inhabitants don’t even speak Spanish. There are just a few characters with any integrity what so ever. If an American director had made the film it would have been lambasted as racist and ethnically stereotypical. Still, even with being a being a Mexican Film it was suppressed and banned for years
The acting is first rate and it is hilarious…It is a guilty pleasure at times. The innocent patsy janitor grows into a first rate thieving PRI politician with the huge Mexican Criminal Code book in one hand and a pistol in the other. Dispensing justice, collecting fines and taxes, even stealing chickens from children. Taking out his “mordida” in trade at the local whorehouse, the movie pulls no punches. “La Ley De Herodes” along with Luis Estrada’s latest film “El Infierno” (another dark satire that deals with the Mexican Drug War) “La Ley De Herodes” has not had a theatrical release in the United States. For whatever reasons. In the history of the curious relationship between Mexico and the United States we can add this odd observation, Other than the Mexican Government itself, no country lies and obfuscates more about Mexico than the American Government. So get this one on Dvd, while you can.
