Cinco de Mayo: La batalla

---

1

"FRANCE IS NOT AT WAR WITH YOU,

BUT THE EMPIRE.

"YOU AND I ARE FIGHTING AGAINS THE EMPIRE,

"YOU, IN YOUR COUNTRY,

I, IN EXILE.

"BRAVE MEXICAN MEN, RESIST.

"THE ATTACK AGAINS THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO

"IS A CONTINUATION OF THE ATTACK

AGAINST THE FRENCH REPUBLIC."

VICTOR HUGO:

Firing squad, ready!

Aim!

Fire!

AFTER LONG YEARS OF FIGHTING,

"THE WAR OF REFORM" IS OVER,

AS BENITO JUAREZ

AND HIS LIBERAL ARMY

DEFEAT THE CONSERVATIVE FORCES.

THE COUNTRY IS DEVASTATED

AND IN BANKRUPTCY.

PRESIDENT JUAREZ

IS FORCED TO SUSPEND

THE PAYMENT OF THE EXTERNAL DEBT.

THE CONSERVATIVE LEADERS FLEE

TO EUROPE:

LOOKING FOR SUPPOR TO THEIR CAUSE,

MEANWHILE, IN MEXICO,

THEY TRY TO REGROUP THEIR ARMY...

PARIS, FRANCE, 1861

Is it your first time in France?

Yes, indeed. We came here

because the Emperor invited us.

- Mr. Juan Nepomuceno Almonte?

- Yes.

Mr. Gutierrez Estrada,

and Mr. Jose Maria Hidalgo?

His Imperial Majesty Napoleon Ill,

Emperor of France, will receive you now.

I have been informed about your project

to establish a French monarchy in Mexico.

Interesting.

President Juarez

has announced the suspension

of payments of the external debt.

This is the perfect excuse.

Spain and England

are very annoyed, too.

One way or another,

we have their support.

I will send my troops,

commanded by Count of Lorencz.

It is a great honor,

Your Highness.

Give him your support

in Mexico.

Wise decision, Your Excellency.

- Thank...

- Enough.

This way, gentlemen.

Remember, General,

our victory must be

fast and blunt.

Your Highness,

Mexico will be no rival for us.

In a month, it will be ours.

After that, take the troops to our

allies of the U.S. Confederate Army.

As we agreed.

With our support,

they will defeat Lincoln's army,

without a doubt.

General, one step at a time.

Mexico will be ours,

and the United States

will be divided.

The future belongs to the French Empire.

VERACRUZ HARBOR,

MEXICO, 1862

Corporal.

Anemia'?

- Wake up!

- What's going on?

Look.

We have to inform Captain Leon.

You wait here.

France, England and Spain.

- Those are battleships.

Battleships?

- Captain, what is going on?

- Don't you see?

They're invading us.

- What are we going to do?

- What do you think?

- We won't let them in alive.

- Are you crazy? Put that down!

You will get us in trouble,

like you always do.

They are still far, you idiot.

Don't be a coward.

We have already protested

and invaders have stopped.

Minister Doblado,

begin diplomatic negotiations immediately.

I will, Mr. President.

We are confident that

the weapon of reason will avoid

a greater bloodshed.

Don't expect a country

to move its troops to another continent

and come back empty-handed.

We have to get ready for the worst.

Our military forces are inferior.

Mr. President, we don't have the resources

to transport and feed our troops.

Exactly. That is why

we have to use reason

and strategy,

not in order to attack them,

but to defend ourselves.

Let's hope we don't have to fight

against those three countries.

That

will depend mostly on you, Minister.

You will be the right hand

of this nation.

However, we must get

the left hand ready as well.

I don't understand, Mr. President.

I sent the general in charge of the defense

his designation.

- Who is he?

- Our war secretary.

General Ignacio Zaragoza.

Ignacio.

You have to go.

I will be fine.

I will look out for you from there.

For whatever you may need.

Don't let them take

our country from us.

I won't.

I swear.

General Prim,

these conditions are unacceptable!

This infernal weather

is breaking our soldiers!

They throw up all the time!

We have to order the Mexican government

to allow us to take our troops

inside the country,

where the weather is less harmful.

We cannot order them, but we could ask

for their permission, as a goodwill gesture.

We French don't ask

for anyone's permission!

- Before our whole troops get sick...

- I remind you that you are not alone.

France, Spain and England are allies,

all decisions must be made in common.

- We must be careful.

- Careful? About what?

The Mexican government should not

take our request like a menace.

As if our troops were moving forward.

We have to show them our goodwill.

Let us hope for a decent answer

from our Mexican friends.

Friends?

Okay, then.

But take us out of this hell, General Prim!

Give him some water!

Take him to the shade. Dismissed.

- How many do we have?

- Sixty, Captain.

So, you are coming with us, ma'am?

Of course!

My husband, God save his soul,

was a soldier,

and now it's our turn to help

our troops, isn't it?

Maybe the French will come

to harm us and then what would we do?

What are you doing with that cannon?

It's stuck, Captain.

- Don't worry, we are pulling it out, right?

- Yeah!

.Hurry up!

- Yes!

- Wait, Juan.

- What?

I'll help the lady.

- Here.

- Oh, thanks.

Thanks.

Let me help you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Here.

Come on, Juan! Hurry!

We need to get the cannon

out of the mud!

Wait!

We have to help the lady, right? Wait!

If I wore a skirt, would you help me

with the cannon?

No, I... I'm sorry, Captain!

Hurry UP!

- Citlali!

-Yes?

- What are you doing?

- Nothing, aunt.

- Come on, hurry up!

- Yes, yes.

Minister Doblado, please understand that

we are hereto help the Mexican people.

We only want your debt

with us to be guaranteed.

General, you are speaking for

Mr. Saligny and Commodore Dunlop.

I would appreciate it if you sent these

words to President Juarez in writing.

Yes, indeed.

We are going to send it

to Mexico City immediately.

We should send our troops instead.

I don't speak French,

but I understand it perfectly.

And I see all those soldiers

who arrived from so far, with you.

- More than we agreed, General.

-It's just for protection.

For protection?

Or for exploration?

As you know, our troops are at the port

suffering from black vomit.

For your peace of mind, we will send

half of them back to Veracruz.

Well, now that we understand each other

like the gentlemen that we are,

please allow me to offer you a cigar.

Now we understand each other.

We don't have whiskey,

but we can get you a fine tequila.

Mexican beer will do. Thank you.

Return to the port?

We will take some other route.

Lieutenant Fauvet,

those are not Saligny's orders.

Sergeant Vache,

we are military men and we have

to explore enemy territory.

Those are my orders,

are you against them?

Aim!

Fire!

Attention!

Terrible, gentlemen!

You don't act like soldiers!

If you don't want to be one,

get out of here!

Ignacio,

I have bad news.

Give me that.

President Juarez also sent

a statement from General Prim,

who is in charge

of the Spanish delegation.

According to Prim, they are here to demand

satisfaction for our past affronts

and get guarantees for the future.

What affronts?

They are here to get

their money the nasty way.

We are not ready to resist an attack.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes