The Holy Office (El santo oficio in Spanish) is a 1973 Mexican drama film by Arturo Ripstein about the trial of crypto-Jews by the The Spanish Inquisition.
A deadly epidemic strikes New Spain in the latter years of the 16th century. Fray Gaspar de Carvajal (Peter Gonzales) attends his father's funeral and notices odd practices in the process, such as the washing of the body and a burial in a shroud without a coffin. Suspecting his family, who sent him away to a monastery at the age of 10, he accuses them before the Inquisition of being crypto-Jews (i.e. Jews who nominally converted to Catholicism but continued to engage in Jewish religion). Soon enough the Inquisition is knocking on their door and takes them to the dungeons of the Palace of the Inquisition.
Luis de Carvajal (Jorge Luke), one of the sons, is locked alone with Fray Hernando (Farnesio de Bernal), a spy. His mother Francisca (Ana Mérida) is locked with his sister Mariana (Diana Bracho). Francisca is tortured into confessing their Jewish faith, while Mariana is raped by the guards. After repenting, they're set free, with Luis being forced to work in a sanatory. But this comes with a warning: if they revert to their Jewish faith once again...
Tropes:
- Against My Religion: The Carvajales refuse to eat in the dungeon because they're fed pork.
- Burn the Witch!: They're among the people persecuted in the Acto de Fe.
- Church Police: Naturally.
- Come to Gawk: Hundreds of people gather to laugh and boo at the people about to be executed in an Auto de Fe.
- Corrupt Church: According to Luis, the Inquisition only persecutes Jews to take their properties.
- Downer Ending: The movie ends with all the Jews burning at the stake.
- Everyone Has Standards: The priests leading the Inquisition scold the Principal of the Royal Audiencia for suggesting to exterminate the Jews by saying Jesus wants repentants and not dead people.
- Evil Wears Black: Most characters wear colorful 16th century clothing except the inquisidors, who dress in all black. Justified in that black dye was expensive and thus reserved for people with higher positions.
- Freaky Funeral Forms: The burial of Gaspar's father includes washing the body and praying in Hebrew, which throws him off and leads him to accuse them of being crypto-Jews.
- Heel–Faith Turn: Fray Hernando is supposed to spy on Luis de Carvajal for a confession of Jewish faith. However, he's so impressed by his faith that he ends up converting to Judaism and doesn't tell the Inquisition anything that could get Luis executed.
- The Heretic: The Carvajales and the rest of crypto-Jews are burned at the stake for this crime.
- Illegal Religion: Judaism, along with Islam and Protestantism, are outlawed in New Spain. This doesn't prevent the Jews from practicing in secret however.
- It's All My Fault: When Luis is taken to confession, Fray Hernando flogs himself while yelling "Adonai!! Why have you abandoned me!?"
- Just Following Orders: The priest conforts Fray Gaspar de Carvajal this way, telling him it was the correct thing to do to accuse his family before the Holy Inquisition
- Listing the Forms of Degenerates: The inquisitor listing the people they persecute, including people who follow the Old Law of Moses and the sects of Muhammad and Luther.
- Locked in the Dungeon: The Carvajales are locked in here while they await judgement.
- Meaningful Rename: Luis de Carvajal changes his name to José Lumbroso (=the one who burns in his faith) after King David tells him to in a vision.
- Patched Together from the Headlines: The story is based on multiple inquisitorial records from the time.
- Prisoner's Work: After repenting for the first time, Luis is sentenced to work at a sanatorium.
- Race-Name Basis: Luis is called "judío" by the people of the sanatory.
- Torture Always Works: The Inquisitors get what they want by torturing Francisca and Luis.
- Turn to Religion: Fray Hernando has one after witnessing the faith of Luis and ends up converting to Judaism. Luis himself has one following a vision featuring King David and becomes more pious, circumcising himself and confessing his faith to the Inquisition.
- Wardens Are Evil: The wardens rape Mariana de Carvajal when her mother is taken to confession.
