Jos Luis Trueba investigates the controversial life of the Tlaotani ("King" in Aztec culture) Moctezuma II, especially in the lesser-known events that preceded the Spanish conquests. From the dangerous circumstances of his birth to his encounter with Hern n Cort s, passing through his education, military career, and political actions, Moctezuma is a complex portrait of a man that passed from adored to defeated in dizzying succession.