La Otra Conquista (The Other Conquest), directed by Salvador Carrasco, tells the story of the oppression of the Aztecs by the Spanish Conquistadors. Interestingly, the film is not from just one perspective, particularly the conquerors, which happens to be the case in most historical dramas but rather a film in which the oppressed are seen. Topiltzin, one of the last surviving Aztecs, is captured and is forced into Catholicism. He is immediately juxtaposed against Fray Diego, a friar on a mission to convert all natives’ faith to God. Together the film creates this fascinating comparison in which the audience is able to see how two different aligns and how they are more similar then meets the eye.
Topiltzin and Fray Diego are both introduced in a foreboding manner, one surrounded by death and the other on his deathbed. Topiltzin, in the opening scene, can be seen coming out from under a dead body. He survived the massacre at his temple and staggers looking for any sign of life, but once he witnesses his mother’s dead body we see that he has come to terms with the fact that he is the only one left. This scene sets the tone for the film. Topiltzin visually surrounded by death or decay introduces a theme of the film which is rebirth or renewal. This idea of rebirth comes up many times throughout the film as Topiltzin doesn’t fully give himself to God and time and time again tries to salvage his culture. His entire society was decimated by the Spanish Conquistadors, therefore, he comes to terms with the fact that in order for his culture to live on he must survive.
In the following scene, flashbacks from Fray Diego on his deathbed to a shadow-like image of Toplitzin converting to Catholicism familiarizes the audience with the parallels the director produces between the two cultures. Salvador even shows us a glimpse of Fray Diego’s last thoughts, the Virgin Mary and a Fiery Sun, exacerbating the film’s theme that both the Aztecs and the Spaniards aren’t very different from one another and could be seen as equals.