La ley de Herodes (1999)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

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 | Group Sex | Strong Sexual Content | Prostitute

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

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
Eleuterio Gómez	....	constructor
David Gomez Frias	....	chief of construction (as David Gómez)
Gerardo Gómez	....	constructor
Inocencio Hilario	....	constructor
Ernesto Lobera	....	constructor
Israel López	....	constructor
Joel López	....	chief of construction
Luis Luna	....	art department assistant
Agustín Martínez	....	constructor
José A. Medina	....	constructor
Facundo Meneses	....	constructor
Zaida Monteforte	....	art department coordinator
Benito Moya	....	constructor
Guillermo Nájera	....	constructor
Federico Nava	....	construction contact
Federico Ramos	....	constructor
Vicente Ramos	....	constructor
José G. Reséndiz	....	constructor
Hugo A. Reyes	....	property master (as Hugo Reyes)
Alfredo Rivera	....	constructor
Eugenio Romero	....	constructor
Eleazar Sánchez	....	construction coordinator
Jaime Sánchez	....	deputy chief of construction
Jon Solaun	....	constructor
Lourdes Solís	....	constructor
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)
Arturo Márquez	....	generator operator
Alejandra Mejia	....	chief lighting technician (as Alejandra Mejía)
Noe Muñoz	....	second assistant camera (as Noé Muñoz)
Salvador Orendain	....	grip
Miguel Ángel Pacheco	....	grip
Armando Paez	....	generator operator (as Armando Paéz)
Israel Páez	....	camera loader
Ignacio Prieto	....	Steadicam operator
Joaquín Solano	....	grip
Juan Uruchurtu	....	video assist operator
Antonio Vargas	....	key grip
Armando Vargas	....	gaffer
Camilo Vázquez	....	generator operator

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	....	musician: trombone
Enrique Sida Jr.	....	musician: trombone
Israel Tiaxcaltécatl	....	musician: trumpet

Transportation Department
Efraín Alfaro	....	driver
Julián Álvarez	....	driver
Arnulfo Arroyo	....	driver
Manuel Ávila	....	driver
Antelmo Barragán	....	driver
Calixto	....	driver
José Luis Conde	....	driver
Antonio Flores	....	driver
Roberto Flores Jr.	....	driver
Roberto Flores Sr.	....	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

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
Elvira Ochoa	....	laboratory coordinator
Eamon O'Farrill	....	set production assistant
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

• 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:

Herod's Law (Europe: English title) (USA)

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, México D.F., Mexico

Company:

Alta Vista Films

Trivia:

The movie release was forbidden for several years. Since filming started, the Mexican government wasn't very happy about it; mainly because it showed a bad image of that administration. Filmmakers fought back. This reached the press so the movie had to be released to avoid rumors about political censorship.

Movie Connections:

References Los olvidados (1950)

Soundtrack:

Que me lleve la tristezza

How many times can we say movies have the power to change a political system?

Politically inspired `Herod's Law' weaves a familiar story of a mousy junkyard operator making his way up to a powerful position and more importantly, corruption that ultimately follow. Director Luis Estrada commands an ensemble of talented actors and masterfully executes this sharp, tough and funny material. Set in 1949, Damián Alcázar plays Juan Vargas, a newly appointed mayor, promising to bring `modernity and social justice' to San Pedro de los Saguaros, a small but troublesome town. Although Juan Vargas initially has good intentions, he is soon forced to `Herod's Law' – a sort of Darwinian way of looking at your peers. D. Alcázar's physical comedy is perfectly pitched and the scenes with Doña Lupe, the brothel madam, are especially funny.

When this film was released in Mexico, it cause so much stirred that the ruling party for 70 years, PRI, was voted out. How many times can we say movies have the power to change a political system? This is 8/10.