Product Details

• Actors: Damiįn Alcįzar, Pedro Armendįriz Jr., Delia Casanova, Juan Carlos Colombo, Alex Cox
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000TPA56
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,093 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Herod's Law (La Ley de Herodes)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

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. After the corrupt former mayor is killed by the peasants, poor janitor Juan Vargas is appointed new mayor of a desert town in central Mexico. Although he tries to bring the motto of the ruling party to town (modernity, peace and progress) he realizes soon that there's nothing to do against corruption?except to become corrupt. Step by step, helped by his pistol, Juan Vargas becomes the law and the worst major in the town's history.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny Political Satire, December 5, 2004

By 

K. Hooker "kh1958" (Dallas, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Herod's Law (La Ley de Herodes) (DVD)

This very funny movie satirizes the PRI party of Mexico, political corruption, and human nature. After the townspeople of a tiny, isolated, extremely poor Mexican town rise up against their corrupt mayor, the ruling party names a minor political functionary, selected for his stupidity, to preside over (and avoid trouble in) the town pending the selection of candidates for the next election. What ensues in illustration of the maxim that power corrupts is both hilarious and appalling. With amazing location shots that take you to the poorest regions of Mexico, where residents may not even speak Spanish, memorable characters (including an American), and a wonderful mambo orchestra score, this movie is definitely recommended.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight into Mexican politics - and perhaps Latinameri, April 9, 2004

By 

Alvaro E. Guzman "henry33" (Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Herod's Law (La Ley de Herodes) (DVD)

This is a movie that illustrates very well the way Mexican politics were handled for so many years by the ruling party (PRI), unfortunately some of it still remains, if not all.
I own the Spanish VHS version and to me it was hilarious while at the same time very realistic.
A word of warning: if you are not Mexican or at least from other latinamerican country, you might not get all the jokes, or reasoning behind some actions. You have to be familiar with the culture. Then again, if you buy it, you may watch it again, perhaps in the company of a hispanic friend.

I really recommend it both as a comedy, and as a "general culture" must-have.
As a bonus, you will learn several Spanish bad words, should you want to impress your friends!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Movie Made Me Laugh Loudly, August 13, 2004

By 

B. J Wilson (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Herod's Law (La Ley de Herodes) (DVD)

I am very pleased to see La Ley de Herodes with subtitulos. I have wanted to share it with friends who live here near the border [San Diego] but don't speak Spanish well enough to get some of the humor. This is a great piece of political satire. I am sorry it didn't have broader distribution in the US. It is really a remarkable movie, not often does one see film that is this viscious about the powers that be come out of Mexico. It is a part of the rebirth of Mexican cinema that is so enjoyable.