Bless Me, Ultima

---

Why is there evil in the world?

Let me start

from the beginning,

when I was innocent of the ways of God,

and men.

It was the summer

when I was seven.

The summer Ultima

came to us.

Papa! Mama! Mama!

Mama, they're coming!

Deborah! Theresa!

They're here.

Is Ultima really a witch?

No. And you will call

her La Grande.

I'm afraid.

Mind your manners!

We are honored that she

comes to live with us.

Come, come.

What beautiful daughters you have raised.

Too.

Antonio.

Antonio?

- Antonio, Grande.

- Let it be.

This was the last child

I pulled from your womb.

I knew there would be

something between us.

I've come to spend the last

days of my life here, Antonio.

You will never die.

I'll take care of you.

It's too hot to be standing

out here and chatting all day.

She's a bruja!

They sometimes

become owls at night.

Mama says she's not a witch.

She's a curandera.

She won't hurt you.

Why does

she have to live with us?

Mama says she has no family.

Now, go to sleep.

Marez!

Mi hermano! He killed my brother!

Lupito! Lupito shot him!

Lupito? No, no.

No, I don't believe it!

Go get your rifle.

The other ones

are at the bridge.

The bridge?

He took to the river.

Qu pas, Antonio?

My brother was just at that

bus depot having coffee,

when that guy went up to where he was

and shot him in the back of the head.

Oh, Dios,

be careful, Gabriel.

I'm sorry.

Maria, lock the door.

Ese Lupito,

the war's made him crazy.

Antonio, what are

you doing?

I'm gonna tell.

Could be on the other side.

Hey. Yeah.

What about

the tall brush over there?

You gonna make

up the clearance?

Ssh! Did you hear that?

He's there!

There! There!

Run! Japanese soldiers!

Japanese soldiers!

Put

those rifles away!

No! He's down there!

He's an animal.

He's gotta be shot!

No! We need

to talk to him!

Marez is right.

Marez is right!

Por Dios, hombres!

Let us act like men!

That's Lupito out there!

You all know Lupito.

You know the war

made him sick!

Go back to your drinking,

Narciso.

Leave this job to men.

That animal crawled behind my brother,

and took his life.

He's gotta be destroyed!

Wait!

I will talk to him!

Lupito!

It's me, Narciso!

Listen, my friend.

A very bad business

has happened tonight.

Let me come down

and talk to you.

Let me help you.

Remember before

you went to the war.

When you first came into the

Eight Ball to gamble a little?

Remember how

I taught you

how Juan Botas

marked the aces

with a little tobacco juice,

and how you beat him?

Those were good times,

Lupito!

Those were good times!

That's your answer!

Bless me.

I'm heartily sorry

for having offended Thee,

and I detest all my sins because

of Thy just punishments.

Oh, my God,

I'm heartily sorry for having offended Thee.

You knew.

Yes.

They killed Lupito.

Will he go to Hell?

That's not for us to say.

And the men on the bridge?

Papa?

Men will do as they must.

Gabriel, get up!

Go, go. We go.

La bruja.

Hey. Hombre!

I don't believe you.

Hey, there's

that kid again.

Hey, kid, come here.

What, you scared or something?

Come on!

Darn, did you

see that?

Whoa!

The kid threw me!

They call me Horse.

Shake hands.

No, thanks.

Smart kid.

Shut up!

Listen, kid, don't think you

could do it again, understand?

Mass is starting!

We are very

lucky today. Mira.

Gordolobo.

Good for throat and lung,

fever, infections.

No, no, no!

Speak to it.

It is alive,

like all things,

like the trees,

the rocks, the river...

You must speak to it before you

take it from its home. Mira.

To all you who dwell

here by the river.

You that dwell here

by the river.

We lift you

to make good medicine.

We lift you

to make good medicine.

There is a beauty in the time of day,

and the time of night,

and there is peace in the

river and in the hills.

Ultima taught me to listen to

the mystery of the living earth,

and to feel complete in the

fulfillment of its time.

What's that?

It's the spirit

of the river.

Can it speak?

Yes, listen.

What's it saying?

Ay, my child,

you want to know so much.

Too.

Pedro!

And La Grande, you know,

has come to live with us.

Papa sends

his blessings to you.

How is Papa?

He's well.

He sends his love.

And our brothers?

Um, Lucas, he's...

He's very bad.

Even the great doctor

in Santa Fe cannot help him.

A few of our cows

wandered away, so...

So Lucas crossed the river

to look for them.

He walked toward

a grove of cottonwood trees.

An evil place.

He'd been warned before

not to go there,

but, Lucas, he...

He doesn't listen.

He came up on the three

daughters of Tenorio Trementina.

He saw them pour the blood of

a beheaded rooster into a pot.

Within the week

he got sick.

And now so many weeks later,

he lies in bed wasting away.

He's dying.

Did you go

to the priest?

The priest came

and blessed the house.

You know, the priest

in El Puerto, he...

He washes his hands

of the whole matter.

Ay, Pedro Luna,

you're like an old lady who sits and talks,

and wastes valuable time!

You will go?

Yes, I will go.

But you must understand,

that when one tampers with the fate of a man,

a chain of events is set in

motion that no one can control.

Can you accept

that responsibility?

S. On behalf of my brothers.

Good.

Antonio will have

to go with me.

What? What for? Why?

It must be so,

if you want your brother cured.

It will be good for

Antonio to see his uncle.

He's not going to visit.

Antonio?

Antonio, you wanna

help your uncle?

And if someone says that

you walk with a curandera,

will you be ashamed?

No, Ultima.

I will be proud.

Good! Let's go.

We waste precious time.

It's a good sign.

They call this valley

El Puerto de la Luna.

Because it is the door

through which the moon

passes on its journey

from the east to the west.

Hola, Grandpa.

Mdica,

my son is dying.

Abuelo, I have the cure

for your son.

Like old times.

I will pay you in silver

if you save my son's life.

$40 to cheat la muerte.

It's been many years since a

curandera has come to cure.

There are women who are already

mourning your son's death.

Ah, neighbors.

Get rid of them.

Is Tenorio in his dog hole

that he calls a saloon?

Wait!

I'll have Pedro and Juan

go with you.

I don't need them

to deal with Tenorio.

My grandson!

Antonio goes with me.

Venga, mijo.

Are you afraid, Antonio?

No.

Show me

what you have.

Tenorio Trementina!

Are you afraid

to face an old woman?

What do you want,

bruja?

Ay, Tenorio.

You're as ugly

as the devil will allow.

I am a curandera.

It's your daughters

who are witches.

You lie, vieja!

Tenorio, I know

about the curse.

And I know when

and where it was laid.

And you're a fool if you

don't tell them to lift it.

Bruja! You shame my daughters and

my good name in front of these men.

I will see you dead.

Don't threaten me, Tenorio.

You well know the power

of my medicine.

I tried to reason

with you.

Do not harm

my daughters, bruja!

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