Hernán Cortés followed Diego Velázquez on his conquest in the New World. In 1518, Cortés is appointed to lead an expedition to conquer the mainland. After some initial fighting, he is able to secure allies. One of the new converts is Cortés' future mistress Dona Marina who is able to translate for him. They marched on Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire. An uncertain emperor Montezuma receives the newcomers as emissaries into the city. As relationship sours, Cortés takes Montezuma prisoner eventually leading to an apocalyptic war.
The history of colonization is full of landmines. Cortés is one of those. This one tries to put a realistic spin on the story but it may be pushing too far. There is no harm in portraying him as a ruthless conqueror. I also would have wanted more from the language barrier. Every character speaks English despite having Marina there translating. It would be more compelling to have the characters speak their native tongues. There are also limitations to the war action although it's able to cover it. Despite some simplifications, this is a good starting point for history education purposes but one should gather more information.
The history of colonization is full of landmines. Cortés is one of those. This one tries to put a realistic spin on the story but it may be pushing too far. There is no harm in portraying him as a ruthless conqueror. I also would have wanted more from the language barrier. Every character speaks English despite having Marina there translating. It would be more compelling to have the characters speak their native tongues. There are also limitations to the war action although it's able to cover it. Despite some simplifications, this is a good starting point for history education purposes but one should gather more information.
