How Accurate is "The Road to El Dorado"?
The Dream Works’ portrayal of Spanish conquest of Mexico in
“The Road to El Dorado” features two comedic adventurers in a sure-fire quest
for riches, fame, and a few good stories to bring back home. The animation is
set in 1519 when two Spanish con artists, Tulio and Miguel, land in the new
world when they escape the imprisonment of Hernan Cortes’ fleet to conquer
Mexico.
Following a legendary map, the two men discover the lost city of gold,
El Dorado. Impersonating gods from a superior world they trick the natives and
their Chief with the intention of stealing as much gold as possible and
returning to Spain as wealthy heroes. Their “get rich quick” scheme is cut
short when Cortes threatens to destroy El Dorado and massacre its people. The Dream
Work’s PG movie concludes with a happy ending, like all children movies, with
the heroic adventurers saving El Dorado from Cortes’ grasp and leaving with
nothing but friendship and the promise of adventures to come. But how much of
the movie is historically accurate?!? Spanish conquistadors did indeed travel
to Mexico with the intent of finding hidden gold and wealthy artifacts. These
expeditions were called entradas and
the most renowned conquistador to embark on them was Hernan Cortes. Cortes’
most renowned conquest was in 1519 (like in “The Road to El Dorado”) when he
approached the city of Tenochtitlan. The city was protected by a lake, similar
to how the city of El Dorado was shielded by a waterfall. 
However the major
difference is that “The Road to El Dorado” ended with the city being saved from
Cortes, while in reality Cortes annihilated Tenochtitlan within two years. Upon
Cortes’ arrival to Tenochtitlan he tricked the chief Montezuma II with gifts of
pearls and glass as a sign of peace. Montezuma II presented Cortes in return with
a necklace of gold shrimp and royal house for the Spanish fleet. After gaining
the chief’s trust, Cortes imprisoned Montezuma which led to an uprising among
the natives. They escaped Tenochtitlan in the middle of the night; however
within two years Cortes massacred the natives and conquered Tenochtitlan in the
name of the Spanish king and the Holy Roman Empire.
The animation “The Road to
El Dorado” is a comedic representation of actual Spanish conquistadors
searching through Mexico for gold; however IT IS STILL A KIDS MOVIE so the
graphic slaughtering and defeat of the city does not take place. Overall, Dream
Works did a fair job in portraying historic events and native culture while still keeping
it classy
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