El principio (1973): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1973, El principio is an action, drama and history film directed by Gonzalo Martínez Ortega, running about 135 minutes.

What it’s about. Mexico is in the midst of Revolution when the protagonist returns after studying in Paris to find his native town in Chihuahua occupied by Francisco Villa’s revolutionary forces. He visits his deserted home and remembers people and events from his adolescence that provide glimpses of pre-Revolutionary society under dictatorship: his uncle, the chief of police; his sister’s involvement with a liberal political association; bathing with the girls from a local brothel; a labor strike that ended in a massacre. Returning to the present he discovers that his father has been assassinated and, in the company of his father’s former servant, joins the revolutionary movement.

Who’s in it. El principio stars Lucha Villa as María del Rayo, la Coquena, Narciso Busquets as Don Ernesto Domínguez, Andrés García as Luciano and Fernando Balzaretti as David Domínguez, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, El principio has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch El principio page.

If you liked it. Fans of El principio tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.