La ley de Herodes
Encyclopedia
Herod's Law is a 1999
Mexican
comedy film
produced by Bandidos Films; it's a political satire
of corruption
in Mexico and the long-ruling PRI party
(notably the first Mexican film to criticize PRI explicitly by name http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:184643 and carried some controversy and interference from the Mexican government because of it http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221344/trivia). The film won the Ariel Award for Best Picture
from the Mexican Academy of Film.
of the fictional village San Pedro de los Saguaros is lynched by angry villagers, a petty PRI party member named Juan Vargas (Damián Alcázar
) is appointed temporary mayor by the state governor. At first the new mayor attempts to do good but a lack of funds cripples his efforts, and the bribe of a brothel owner sets him on the path to corruption. Seeking help from his superior, the secretary to the PRI governor, he is given a copy of the constitution of Mexico
and a revolver
and is told that the only law is Herod
's law: literally translated: "Either you fuck yourself or get screwed." (O te chingas o te jodes).
When Vargas thus has become the executive
, legislature
and judiciary
of the village all in one person he soon becomes corrupt, first accepting a bribe from brothel owner Doña Lupe, and soon moving on to extort all of the villagers. When questioned, he declares that he is funding a new project to bring electricity
to the village - a farce which is revealed when only one utility pole is raised. Vargas becomes progressively more corrupt, levying false accusations against the local doctor (an obstreperous PAN
mayoral candidate), and killing Doña Lupe after she resists his authoritarianism. Vargas seems to meet his demise when he is surrounded by a crowd of torch-wielding villagers, but reappears at the very end of the film delivering a speech to the Mexican National Congress. As Vargas says in his speech that the PRI must stay in power forever, the film cuts to the scene of a new mayor coming to San Pedro de los Saguaros in exactly the same way that Vargas did.
and Venevision Intl. under the banner Cinema Latino in 2004; right now, this edition is out of print.
A second edition was released in 2006 by Warner Home Video
with Fernando Sariñana's Todo el Poder
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
produced by Bandidos Films; it's a political satire
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
of corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in Mexico and the long-ruling PRI party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(notably the first Mexican film to criticize PRI explicitly by name http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:184643 and carried some controversy and interference from the Mexican government because of it http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221344/trivia). The film won the Ariel Award for Best Picture
Ariel Award for Best Picture
The Ariel Award for Best Picture is the highest award given in Mexico to a single film and is part of the Mexican Academy of Film's Ariel Award program.-Award results:*1946 La barraca...
from the Mexican Academy of Film.
Plot
After the mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the fictional village San Pedro de los Saguaros is lynched by angry villagers, a petty PRI party member named Juan Vargas (Damián Alcázar
Damián Alcázar
Damián Alcázar is a Mexican actor.To an English-speaking audience, he is probably best known as Lord Sopespian in the 2008 film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.- Filmography :...
) is appointed temporary mayor by the state governor. At first the new mayor attempts to do good but a lack of funds cripples his efforts, and the bribe of a brothel owner sets him on the path to corruption. Seeking help from his superior, the secretary to the PRI governor, he is given a copy of the constitution of Mexico
Constitution of Mexico
The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States is the current constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, by a constitutional convention, during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constitutional Congress on February 5, 1917...
and a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
and is told that the only law is Herod
Herod
Herod is a name used of several kings belonging to the Herodian Dynasty of the Roman province of Judaea:...
's law: literally translated: "Either you fuck yourself or get screwed." (O te chingas o te jodes).
When Vargas thus has become the executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
and judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
of the village all in one person he soon becomes corrupt, first accepting a bribe from brothel owner Doña Lupe, and soon moving on to extort all of the villagers. When questioned, he declares that he is funding a new project to bring electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
to the village - a farce which is revealed when only one utility pole is raised. Vargas becomes progressively more corrupt, levying false accusations against the local doctor (an obstreperous PAN
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
mayoral candidate), and killing Doña Lupe after she resists his authoritarianism. Vargas seems to meet his demise when he is surrounded by a crowd of torch-wielding villagers, but reappears at the very end of the film delivering a speech to the Mexican National Congress. As Vargas says in his speech that the PRI must stay in power forever, the film cuts to the scene of a new mayor coming to San Pedro de los Saguaros in exactly the same way that Vargas did.
DVD edition
This movie was released in Region 1 by 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
and Venevision Intl. under the banner Cinema Latino in 2004; right now, this edition is out of print.
A second edition was released in 2006 by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
with Fernando Sariñana's Todo el Poder