Herod's Law | AccessAtlanta

Herod's Law

Juan Vargas (Damián Alcázar), with wife Gloria (Leticia Huijara), embarks on a political career.

FILM FACTS

Starring: Damián Alcázar
Director: Luis Estrada
Rating: Not rated but contains violence, sex, nudity and language
Genre: Drama, Foreign

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See showtimes (Not Rated) 123 minutes

Grade: D+

Verdict: Violates the laws of good moviemaking.

By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The tiny Mexican town of San Pedro de los Saguaros has had terrible luck with its mayors -- three dead in five years. In the first scene of "Herod's Law," we see the most recent victim -- a portly sleazoid with a slight resemblance to Orson Welles' corrupt cop in "Touch of Evil" -- voted out of office. That is, his constituents cut off his head after he tries to steal what little money the last mayor left.

That, um, distrust of government authority is the heart of the movie, which won a bunch of prizes when it was released three years ago in Mexico. More importantly, it helped topple the country's ruling party after 70 years in power.

Why it's been brought to American theaters now is, as they say, a puzzlement. It may have been a political time bomb three years ago, but as a movie, it barely rises to the level of crummy.

Set in 1949 (an echo of the way China's filmmakers generally place their politically themed pictures in the past), "Herod's Law" concerns the new mayor of San Pedro. He's Juan Vargas (Damián Alcázar), a lowly party peon, selected for the post by crooked midlevel officials.

"He's a good man," says one. Translation: He's too stupid to cause any trouble before the next election.

Vargas is stupid -- stupid enough to believe in his party's false promises. He arrives in San Pedro de los Saguaros full of good intentions and noble ideals. Both are useless, given the realities of power, even in a minuscule impoverished village. Basically, it boils down to Herod's law, i.e., do unto others before they do unto you (the clean version). Pretty soon, he's in business with the tough-minded local madame and the greedy local priest. Before long, he's running the show.

With its incendiary political context now several years old, "Herod's Law" comes off as cartoonish drivel, broadly played and poorly written (though it does look good, with its slight sepia tint). Director Luis Estrada may have been aiming for the savage satire of a Luis Buñel movie, but what he's delivered is closer to a Three Stooges movie in Mexico. If the Stooges had ever indulged in rape and murder, that is.