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The Movie
My
knowledge of Mexican history is about as complete as my knowledge of the
prevailing principles of Persian plumbing. In fact, I suppose a solid working
knowledge of the life of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna would be extremely
beneficial in gauging one's enjoyment out of Su Alteza
Serenísima (His Most Serene
Highness), the 2000 film from director Felipe
Cazale. The movie takes place during the final three days of
Santa Anna's life, attempting to provide context to a life filled with bravado, glory, and defeat.
Elected president of newly independent Mexico in 1833
after emerging as a central figure in the battle for Mexican independence, the
ambitious military officer soon found dictatorship more to his liking. The
former liberal declared himself a Centralist, and began a campaign of suspending
constitutional rights and crushing any uprisings against him. Americans know him
best as the "villain" in the legendary standoff at the Alamo Mission. Although
he successfully defeated his enemy there, he was later captured by Sam Houston
and eventually lost Texas. Retired, Santa Anna returned to active
service in a battle against a French invasion, where he lost a leg for his
efforts. His sale of the Mesilla Valley to the United States was not a popular
move, and he was exiled by outraged liberals in 1855. After bouncing between
various Caribbean islands, he was allowed to return to Mexico in 1874, and died
in Mexico City in 1876.
So why the history lesson? It provides a bit of
historical context to Su Alteza Serenísima, although it doesn't really help all too much. Not because the film
is an obtuse, context-specific piece, but because it is an unmitigated bore. The
performances are especially solid, but there is a sluggish, negating feel to the
picture. While the attempt to humanize Santa Anna as a human being and not
present him as a dime-store novel villain is refreshing, I never felt that I
understood the man, his motivations, or those of the people around him. The film
goes on for too long and seems to meander, squandering any opportunity to engage
the viewer in what could have been a more compelling story.
The
DVD
Video:
Su Alteza Serenisima is presented in a fullframe aspect
ratio of 1.33:1. The transfer seems a tad dark at times, but generally presents
a rich picture. Colors are accurate and lush. Image detail is only slightly lacking at times,
but otherwise well handled. Some line noise and shimmering are
infrequent but sometimes apparent, while the transfer is free of blocking
and compression noise. Minor but non-distracting print wear is detectable, but
this is more there than here. Overall, a solid
and enjoyable transfer.
Audio:
The audio is presented in a standard monaural
Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. There isn't much of an orchestral score to this
film, employing long periods of dialog over silent backgrounds. As such, the
center channel dialog sounds remarkably clear and bright. While the soundstage
isn't overtly engaging, dynamic, or expansive, it does a remarkable job in
presenting the film in a straightforward, low-key manner.
Extras:
There are text biographies for Felipe
Cazals, Alejandro Parodi, Ana Bethea Espin, and Pedro Armendarez Jr., as well as
trailers for other films in the Latin Cinema
Collection, including Cilantro y Perejil, Terror and Black
Lace, The Magic Hour, and Poison for the
Fairies
.
Final
Thoughts
I didn't particularly care for Su Alteza Serenísima, but the DVD is fairly
presentable. While there are no substantial extras of note, the presentation of
the source material is quite acceptable. While fans of the film will probably
get much value out of the disc, I didn't discern anything too compelling or
memorable about the film. At best this is a rental for the curious, although as
always your mileage may vary. Better to err on the side of caution and skip it
entirely. |
Buy: