User Reviews

Televisa proves once again that it is the premier producer of novelas de epoca with this colonial period story starring the sexy and popular Fernando Colunga and Lucero, who make a beautiful screen couple.

The story begins with Luis Manrique y Arellano's arrival in Santa Rita and his arrest for a crime he could not have committed. When he escapes from the prison in the middle of the night he is caught crossing the Guzman property, where the patrona, Doña Adelaida, holds him hostage until he has sexual relations with her daughter-in-law with the objective of making her pregnant. María Hipólita had been mildly drugged and until she hears Luis' voice she is under the impression that her husband has finally recovered his health to exercise his marital duties (there is a superficial resemblance between the two men). She is horrified the following morning to learn the rumors of her husband's homosexuality and her horror is compounded by her mother-in-law's threat to have her locked up in a madhouse if she refuses to cooperate. Her husband, Antonio, is willing to have the marriage annulled if she is not pregnant; however if she is the marriage would continue because the child would be his guarantee of an inheritance.

As soon as Hipólita learns she is pregnant she and her maid escape and over the next two years work their way to Mexico in the hope of finding the father of her little boy. Luis is married to Esperanza who is unable to bear children and who also regards sexual relations as the ultimate sin. She claims to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary who tells her she will bear a child, but no one believes her (with good reason; the viewer will automatically realize she is mental). They live with Luis' widowed mother, aunt, and cousin in a mansion that is more like a viper's nest. Doña Juana is a despotic woman who attempts to run the lives of everyone around her. Diego, the cousin, is no better and in fact is the person whose bribe led to Luis' arrest. When Maria Hipólita arrives in Veracruz, Diego develops dishonorable intentions toward her and evil intentions toward the child. Luis, who had never stopped thinking about her, recognizes her and wants her in his life. However, Hipólita's evil and controlling stepfather is equally determined to prevent her finding any happiness, just as he has made her mother miserable while Doña Juana will do anything to get her hands on the child for reasons of her own.

A great story, worthy of Kathleen Woodiwiss or Virginia Henley, and populated by excellent actors. Fernando Colunga is in his element as the noble and heroic Luis. Lucero is a perfect match as Hipólita, who is both feminine and strong (I am so glad this isn't Aracely Arambula, as originally reported). Daniela Romo is in fine form as the tyrannical Doña Juana, aided and abetted by Manuel Ojeda as Francisco Escobar, the evil stepfather. Ernesto LaGuardia is on hand as Cristobal, the pre-ordained priest who begins to doubt his vocation just on the eve of meeting Catalina, the unwilling novice who falls in love with him at first sight. Iran Castillo is the perfect actress for this role. The adorable Valentino Lanus portrays the innocent and idealistic Martin Alvarado, a role usually assigned to Pablo Montero. Mariana Garza is the delusional Esperanza and Luis R. Guzman completes the lineup at the reptilian Diego.

As usual, the production values are first-rate, with numerous outdoor scenes and beautiful interior sets. While the women's costumes and hairstyles are fairly consistent with what would have been worn by wealthy women and their servants during this period, the men's costumes and hair are somewhat less accurate: Luis and Diego should be clean-shaven and have the "Brutus cut" popular in Europe during this period. They probably also should be wearing Hessian boots, as opposed to the bucket-topped style popular during the Three Musketeers' time.

That is easily forgotten, however, when Fernando Colunga doffs his puffy shirt. In this series more than any he's done so far, he belongs on a book cover.

This period-piece is an adventure set in the Mexico of some 200 years ago, but written for a modern audience. If you like Hugo, Dumas, Dickens, and much of Shakespeare, then this is for you. It is what Televisa excels at producing. It is what the studio hopes will grab the growing Spanish-American market. This drama is truly superior, as this genre goes. Suspension of disbelief is necessary, but at tolerable levels. Yes, there are quite a few chronological, geographical, and technical errors, but they don't get much in the way of your enjoyment of the story. Spanish-language melodramas are facetiously, yet affectionately, called 'culebronas' by their audience because of all the hackneyed twists and turns the stories take before the leads pair off, exact righteous retribution on antagonists, and ride into the sunset. This story is no slacker in that respect. The writers seem to have done their homework in putting together a saga that moves forward with breakneck speed in every episode. It also has a good smattering of passion, greed, tragic heroism, stolen birthrights, switched babies, corrupt authorities, mistaken identities, damsels in distress, pauperized nobility, adultery, and amnesia (I hope I didn't leave anything out!) Those should be reasons enough to watch it, but there's more. Add to this mix the more modern elements of single-motherhood, the Inquisition's attack on Jews, closeted homosexuality, and a humorous perspective on sightings of the virgin Mary. The scope of this story is breath-taking. The best "novelas" keep all the format gimmicks in balance, yet maintain the plot on a steady course. The recent "Amor Real" grabs you from the very first episode, and rarely slows down. This romance is its slightly more-tawdry cousin. Where "Amor" was a little more technically accurate, the characters were less well developed. "Alborada" is almost over-populated with interesting characters and sub-plots, giving it the feel of a fast-paced movie. Mexican cinema was once the envy of the Spanish-speaking world, and this story shows that some still know how to get it right. As the story begins the viewer is immediately made aware that intrigue and betrayals abound. You may need to record the first few episodes and review them to unravel the story (or wait for the DVD). Luis Manrique y Arellano (actor Fernando Colunga) is returning home to Cuencas, Mexico, from a business trip abroad. His ship stops off in the town of Santa Rita, Panama, where Luis is to meet a man at the request of his cousin, Diego Arellano, Conde De Guevara (actor Luis R. Guzman). Luis asks an innkeeper the whereabouts of a Don Facundo Perez Pacheco, not knowing that the man was recently murdered by men in Diego's employ. Luis is overheard at the inn, framed for the murder, and quickly arrested for the crime. Luis' travel companion is Don Felipe Alvarado (Alejandro Tommasi), who bribes jail guards so as to allow Luis to escape and return to the safety of the Mexico-bound ship. During his escape, Luis somehow trespasses into the grounds of the mansion of an Antonio Guzmán y Pantoja (Arturo Peniche), and is re-captured by a servant. Antonio's mother, Doña Adelaida, questions the accidental guest, and begins the cascade of events of this story. And this is just the start of the very first episode of this wonderful saga. Do not miss it.