Search - General Santa Anna: Su Alteza Serenisima on DVD

A story too long for a movie

Reader | Arizona | 10/01/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One would not learn much Mexican history from this movie; one would have to know it already. For those who do know, or subsequently learn, some Mexican history, this movie could be interesting. Americans generally know of only one part of Santa Anna's life, his failed Texas campaign. In fact, however, Sam Houston and a few other other influential Texians, with some difficulty, kept Santa Anna from being lynched and sent him overland under guard to Washington, D.C., and an interview with Andrew Jackson, who sent him back to Mexico by sea. Santa Anna participated in the later, and quite distinct, war with the United States, in the war against European invaders, and in many intrigues in the shifting politics of nineteenth-century Mexico. He lived a long life and was president of Mexico on eleven occasions. At least, eleven is the count offered by the note at the end of this movie. The whole story is far too long to tell in a movie.

Except for one short segment, appropriately in blank and white, the movie is set in the last three days of Santa Anna's life, when he has various visitors. The short segment is about the funeral, with full military and religious honors, for his leg, lost in battle. Lest viewers think this a bit of overdone drama, they may need to be told that such a funeral actually took place.

The DVD has English subtitles, but not English voice-overs."