Viva Zapata!

When are you going

to get a real knife?

You can keep this.

Who has

your papers?

Right here.

Good morning,

my children.

Well, come closer.

Come closer.

Here are the names,

my president.

Now then, my children,

what's the problem

you've brought me?

Well, someone has to tell.

You must have come

for something.

Yes, my president.

We have come for something.

Well, you. You tell me.

You know that field?

That field with the big

white rock in the middle,

just south of Anenecuilco?

My president, our delegation...

They've taken our land away.

Who took your land away?

My children,

when you make accusations,

be certain you

have the facts.

Who took your land away?

The big estate there.

It's bigger than a kingdom.

They've taken

our green valleys.

Left us only

the rocky hillside.

We can't grow

our corn there.

That's right. There's a

new fence with barbed wire.

We can't feed our cows.

You know those three houses

by that white rock?

They burned those!

They're planting sugarcane in our corn land.

Can you prove that

you own this field?

Our village has owned this

land since before history.

We have a paper

from the Spanish Crown.

We have a paper from

the Mexican Republic.

Well, if this is true,

you have no problem.

My children,

the courts will settle this.

I'll send you to

my personal attorney.

But before you see him,

I urge you to find

your boundary stones.

Check them against

your grants and titles.

Verify your boundaries,

facts.

Facts.

Now, my children,

I have many other matters

to attend to.

I've been your president

for 34 years.

It's not an easy job

being president.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, my president.

Thank you, my president.

Thank you.

What's next?

We can't verify the boundaries, my president.

The land is fenced

and guarded by armed men.

They're planting sugarcane

in our corn fields right now.

The courts will settle...

With your permission...

Courts?

Do you know of any land suit that

was ever won by country people?

Has your land been taken?

My father's land was taken

long ago, my president.

My children, I'm your father,

your protector.

I'm of your blood.

But believe me,

these matters take time.

You must be patient.

With your permission,

my president,

we make our tortillas

out of corn, not patience.

And patience will not cross

an armed and guarded fence.

To do as you suggest,

to verify those boundaries,

we need your authority

to cross that fence.

I cannot possibly

exercise such authority.

But you advised it.

I can only advise.

Then naturally, my president,

we will do as you advise.

Thank you.

With your permission.

You!

Yes, my president?

What is your name?

Zapata.

What is it?

Emiliano

Zapata.

There you are.

Thank you,

my son.

My pleasure, Father.

Come here!

Here! Here! Here!

Go back!

Get him! The one

on the white horse!

That's the one we're

supposed to bring in!

That's the one!

The one on the white horse!

That's the one!

Come on!

Zapata!

Emiliano Zapata!

Zapata!

Emiliano Zapata!

Zapata!

Emiliano Zapata!

The stupid.

He's still coming.

Who do you

think he is?

Stranger.

Look at his clothes.

Emiliano, shall I kill him?

No, shoot in front

of him again.

Careful,

don't hit him.

When I wanna hit him,

I hit him.

When I wanna to

miss him, I miss him.

Man has been known

to die of a close miss.

Zapata!

Emiliano Zapata!

He's more stupid than I

thought. He's still coming.

He's crazy.

You know it's not nice

to kill crazy people?

Emiliano, shall I try him

again? A little closer?

A little closer?

How can you come closer?

Maybe he has a message.

Look, maybe it's a trap.

Why don't we kill him? It's so much

easier instead of so much worry.

What does it cost?

One little bullet?

No!

What do you want?

I'm looking for

Emiliano Zapata.

He's not here.

His friends sent me.

Who are his friends?

People of the village.

He's not here.

I have no weapons.

What's this?

Writing machine.

Sword of the mind.

I thought you had

no weapons.

Don't you dare break that!

Put it down!

Put it down!

Hermano!

Put it down.

You're Emiliano Zapata.

I come with news of Madero,

leader of the fight against Diaz.

Give me some water.

Why do you come to me?

Give me some water

while I talk to you.

Fernando Aguirre.

Pablo Gomez.

I want to talk to you.

Talk.

I want you to listen.

Well, talk.

"The despotism of Porfirio

Diaz is unbearable.

"For more than 34 years he's ruled

with the hand of a ruthless tyrant."

Yeah, Blanco.

Pretty soon now.

Listen. "The true meaning of democracy

has long been forgotten in Mexico.

"Elections are a farce. The people

have no voice in the government.

"The control of the country

is in the hands of one man.

"And those he's appointed

to carry out his orders."

Who wrote that?

Francisco Madero.

"If we are to bring back to Mexico the

freedom that goes only with democracy

"we must unite to drive

this tyrant from office."

Who's Madero?

Leader of the fight

against Diaz.

Where is he?

Right now, he's in a part

of the United States. Texas.

A fine place to lead

a fight against Diaz.

From Texas he's

making preparations.

Now he's ready to move.

He's sending out many people

like me to spread the word,

search out leaders

in other parts of Mexico.

I was sent to

the state of Morelos.

Careful.

The smell of a mare came in on the

wind this morning and he's restless.

So am I.

The people in

the town told me...

Don't believe

what people tell you.

Hey! Hey, you!

Come on. Eat.

Go on. Eat.

Madero?

Yes. You remember I once read to

you about him in the newspaper?

You promised to

teach me to read.

I will, I will.

Let's talk to this man

more about Madero.

Maybe he has a letter.

No, anybody can

write a letter. Even you.

I'd like to look

at Madero's eyes.

Then go to wherever he is

and talk to him. I can't.

Why not?

No.

I know why.

I want you to go to Madero

and look in his face

and tell me what you see.

Me? He's in Texas.

Well, then go to Texas.

How far is it?

Who knows? Go and see.

You know I've never

been out of our state.

Now you will be. I want you to

go to see if we can trust him.

I like his face.

But a picture is

only a picture.

All right.

When do you want me to go?

Now.

Now!

Right now. Cinch up.

If you like what

you see in his face,

tell him about

our troubles here.

And tell him that we recognize

him as a leader against Diaz.

Where is he going?

What?

Where is he going?

I don't know.

He didn't say.

Now he's going.

Where is he going?

I don't know.

He didn't say.

What's the matter

with him?

Woman. What else?

Where are you going?

What else?

What about her?

She can take care

of herself.

This is all

very disorganized.

Police.

Josefa,

I must speak with you.

Federales are after you.

I know. I risked my life to come here.

When may I speak

with your father?

What for?

To ask permission

for your hand.

No, don't do it.

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