Original subtitles

I don't understand.

I'm the one he loves.

I know.

That's why I'm sure he must have had a reason.

Don't stand up for him, Nacha.

Pedro left without taking responsibility.

Why can't I get married or have my own family?

Why does my mom punishes me like that?

Well, I don't get it.

Why did you listen to that goddamn lady?

What choice did I have?

You heard her yourself, "Tita will never leave this house!"

Yes, but I also heard you saying

you would marry her, whether she likes it or not.

-You said it was her or nothing. -That's why, Dad.

And you think such bullshit will work, Pedro?

I don't know, I just said it.

No sane man would have done what you're about to do.

I must have gone crazy, then.

But there was no other way to be close to Tita.

It's beautiful, Miguel.

We're leaving to San Gabriel de los Hornos next week.

So soon?

If we're still thinking of getting married,

you have to meet my parents.

Elena?

Pay attention.

Learn to defend your own house.

LAS PALOMAS RANCH

Are you having second thoughts?

No, how could I doubt it?

Nacha! Don't you have things to do? Go to the kitchen now!

Lady! Please! I swear he's leaving and he won't come back.

How many times have I told you he can't be here?

Go to the kitchen.

And take the girl with you.

This is my final warning.

Nacha was born here.

She belongs in here, and she will never leave.

Is that clear?

When she found out that Pedro would marry her sister,

winter came rushing into Tita's heart.

The cold she felt was worse than the breeze on the highest hills.

She could feel this cold right in her bones.

Nothing would make her feel warm again

without Pedro's love.

She wished for all the love she felt for Pedro

to turn into hate.

But can we hate what we love?

LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE

I don't understand why can't we choose who to marry.

I think it's time to put an end to that stupid custom.

I will love whoever I want.

No one will decide for me.

You will get married one day, at least.

I'm sorry, Tita.

Come on, hurry up.

Juan!

Juan!

Take this horse with you.

Juan! Where are you?

Pascual!

Are you alright, boss? What happened?

That damn horse threw me on the ground!

I told you, boss.

I told you he wasn't well.

It is my fault, then?

-If you had horseshoed him right... -The horseshoe was okay, boss.

What?

Juan...

If the boss says it was not, then he must be right.

Apologize.

I didn't do anything wrong, Dad.

Do you know what the problem is, Pascual?

Young men these days think they're always right.

Apologize!

I told you to apologize!

I'm already tired of apologizing.

I'm sorry, Mr. Pedro.

I'll talk to him, he will apologize.

That won't be necessary.

I want you out of my house.

-Mr. Pedro... -You and your family will leave today!

I don't want you in my ranch anymore.

-Shall I tell him anything? -No.

-Tita! -He should be treated like a hog.

I'll go inside.

Scream if you need me.

Tita!

We need to talk.

Tita, please. Listen to me, please!

You already brought the cattle. My mom will be happy.

At least let me explain.

My mom said I can't get married and you decided to marry my sister.

That's the explanation, nobody asks me anything.

Okay, then.

I hope you're happy.

Come here.

Look at you, you're shaking.

Pedro!

Are you here to court your fiancée?

Of course.

That's why I'm here.

Elena, I have been talking to Nicolás.

You've been talking to my foreman?

They're not happy about the payment and the food.

When were they happy about something?

They're fed up.

-I could talk to them... -You leave that to me.

And don't get too friendly with them.

See you later.

Come, Pedro. We don't have much time

to get to know each other before the wedding.

-Rosaura. -Yes?

Listen...

I don't want you to feel forced.

I understand if you don't want to marry me.

Don't worry, Pedro.

I know one day we'll be very happy together.

Shall we?

Sure.

I'm leaving this place. I'll go somewhere far away.

-Where will you go? -I don't know.

Anywhere.

Girl, I know you love him.

And he feels the same for you,

ever since you were kids.

And what should I do?

What could I do?

Leave if you want to.

But talk to him first.

Listen to him.

Tell him what you want to say.

Listen to this old woman.

What happened?

Your dad gave the order.

Ask him.

My dad?

Why?

The boss kicked us out.

That can't be true.

Why would he do that?

Because my son is too arrogant and doesn't know his place.

-I told you not to argue with the boss! -No, Dad!

I argued because I was right!

I'm tired of being taken advantage of.

It's time for you to take responsibility!

Let's go, Mom.

We have nothing to do here.

Juan!

Juan!

Let me talk to my dad.

The harm is already done.

Let me help you.

We're friends.

Friends?

Take a look in the mirror, Pedro.

And then look at me.

We were friends when we were kids.

I can talk to Elena!

You can all come to the ranch with me!

No, thanks.

I don't want more bosses.

I don't belong to anyone!

We'll start today with the arrangements for the wedding.

I asked the dressmaker to be here as soon as possible.

Gertrudis, you'll be in charge of embroidering the nuptial sheet.

Rosaura will help you.

We'll have a discreet celebration.

With our country on the verge of war,

every penny counts.

Only God knows what will happen.

Tita, you'll take care of the invitations.

And you'll help Nacha with the dishes for the banquet.

Mom, can I ask you something?

What do you want to know?

Are you really my mother?

Because it's weird to see my mother treating me like this.

Stop it, Tita.

Why do you want to hurt me?

-What did I do to deserve this? -Enough, Tita! Shut up!

Shut up.

Sure, Mom.

I'm done here.

Tita had always felt her mother's disdain.

But no one ever revealed to her the reasons for such hate.

Mother Elena's heart kept a secret

that made her incapable of loving her daughter.

A secret she would take to the grave.

You're here again, Tita?

Show your face.

Show your face!

Enough with your lamentations. Cry all you have to,

and roll up your sleeves once you're done,

we have a lot of work to do.

I'm not crying.

I have just made a decision.

You'll be by your sister at the church. You'll be her bridesmaid.

And don't forget the invitations.

When Tita was born,

Mother Elena's heart was already dry.

The days before the wedding were the hardest for Tita.

Not only did she have to live with the fact

that Pedro would marry her sister,

she also had to come to terms with the fact

that her destiny would be to take care of her mother.

The days went by, but the questions remained in her head.

Why couldn't she get married?

Why couldn't she be happy like her sisters?

Why did Pedro agree to marry Rosaura?

Green pipian sauce, chickpeas cream,

mashed sweet potatoes, marinated ribs.

Quail with green sauce,

axolotl michmole, and Chabela wedding cake.

Twenty dishes, Nacha.

The same we did for my wedding.

Tita, wait! Listen to me!

-You told me nothing but lies. -I never lied to you.

You loved me, you wanted to marry me.

You wrote to me every day while you were gone. It was all a lie.

Is Grandma's shotgun loaded, Mom?

Of course not, Daughter.

That would be dangerous.

I want to learn how to shoot.

Okay.

Stretch it out.

This is going to be your nuptial sheet, Rosaura.

Through this hole,

the man can get into the woman's body.

Will it hurt, Mom?

-Are you laughing? -Don't laugh at your sister, Gertrudis.

Hugging a cactus might hurt you.

This fabric keeps the spouses' bodies apart.

This way, we avoid lust, which is a capital sin

that can only cause misfortunes.

Make a lovely embroidery.

After cooking for three days,

Nacha was extremely tired.

She had been tired for a long time.

The years weighed on her,

and so did the banquets she had prepared for the De la Garza family.

But what weighed on her the most, was the memory of that very love

for which she had never dared to fight for.

To cover the Chabela cake,

you only need four ingredients.

Water,

sugar,

a few drops of lemon, and carmine.

Preparing the icing seems easy,

but you have to be very careful,

because it might break at any moment.

The secret is to add the carmine at the right time,

and to prevent the mix from getting polluted.

Nacha.

Did you ever fall in love

after Miguel?

No, there was no one after Miguel.

The same thing will happen to me.

No, girl.

Don't say that.

Listen to me.

Don't let your family do the same thing to you.

Don't let anyone tell you who to love.

I would rather see you far and happy,

than seeing you here, hiding in pain.

But, please, if you leave,

do it because you want to walk.

Never look back.

A lost love will always stay in here.

You don't know what it feels like.

It strangles your heart.

Don't cry.

Go to bed, I'll take care of this.

You're the one that's tired.

Go. Do it for me.

You have to look gorgeous tomorrow.

Put the gun down, Mr. Pedro.

We're not here to hurt anyone.

Get out of here.

Out!

What's happening?

Juan, what are you doing here?

Your friend is a criminal and a thief!

You're the only thief here.

You've been stealing our health for years.

And our lives, too.

And for what?

Only tortillas and amaranth.

It's time to get something in return.

We're here out of hunger!

-I'll kill you, goddammit! -Easy!

You want me to calm down?

They come at midnight to take everything!

They're here to kill us!

No one is killing anyone.

You, take whatever you need and leave.

Let's go!

Dad. Dad!

Damn...!

Jesus!

-Are you crazy? -What do you want?

A bloodbath?

You must stand up for what's yours!

If you had been fair to them, none of this would have happened.

Come here.

What happened to you?

You've become a traitor!

I'm ashamed of you!

Thank God tomorrow you'll leave this house forever!

CHABELA CAKE

Do you want me to help you detangle it?

You don't look good.

What's wrong? Do you feel well?

I'm just tired of working all night.

I don't want to be bothered today.

I'll need the whole day to rest.

I wish I could do the same.

Come on.

Start getting dressed, it's almost time.

Nacha, what would I do without you?

Come on, girl.

You'll break my bones.

Today should have been your special day.

Promise me you'll be strong.

Okay.

Go get some rest.

You look beautiful, Daughter.

What's wrong?

Are you nervous?

Yes.

I don't know.

Were you and Dad in love when you got married?

Marriage is not about love, Rosaura.

Never?

There's not a single woman from our class

who's gotten married out of love.

Love is an illusion.

And all illusions vanish.

Marriage is an agreement between two families.

It's business.

The Muzquiz are a well-respected family.

They're powerful.

Their sons will inherit everything,

and they will bring together two of Coahuila's biggest ranches.

That would happen too if Tita were the bride.

Don't think about your sister, Rosaura.

Tita belongs right by my side to take care of me,

but you belong to Pedro.

You're getting married.

You'll have children.

And you'll help Las Palomas to grow and survive.

That has always been my duty.

And it's also yours.

Yes, Mom.

I'll do my duty.

But do you think I will ever get Pedro to love me?

You're ready, my daughter.

Be strong, Tita.

Don't even look at that asshole.

Pedro Muzquiz,

do you take Rosaura De la Garza to be your wife,

to love her and to honor her

in sickness and in health,

forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?

Yes,

I do.

Rosaura De la Garza,

do you take Pedro Muzquiz to be your husband,

to love him and honor him in sickness and in health,

forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?

Yes, I do.

The rings, please.

Rosaura, take this ring

as a pledge of my love

and fidelity.

Pedro,

take this ring as a pledge of my love

and fidelity.

Everyone into position, please.

United by this sacred bond,

I now pronounce you

husband and wife.

How's everything going?

Delicious.

Enjoy your meal.

Thank you.

Miss Elena,

what a great banquet!

All the dishes are exquisite.

That's Nacha's work.

She prepared all the dishes.

Send her my regards, please.

I will.

Excuse me. I'll help with the wine.

I'll go with you.

Excuse me.

Nacha is still sleeping.

What a great day to feel sick.

She's sick from working all night long.

We must pour more wine.

Wine? We should give them tequila and send them to sleep.

Come on.

Is it true they raided your brother's ranch yesterday?

It was the third attack this week.

-Were there any casualties? -Only at one of the ranches.

And what happened, Colonel? Tell us!

A woman fired the gun.

I drink to that.

An old woman killed the rancher and you're celebrating that?

I like to see women learning how to use guns to defend themselves.

She wasn't defending herself, she committed a crime.

But we caught her.

She'll be hung soon.

Is it true that a revolution is coming, then?

What revolution could a bunch of Indians do?

All sizzle and no steak.

-Let's have a toast to the couple! -Yes!

-Yes! -To the couple!

-To the couple! -To the couple!

A word from the groom!

Yes, let's hear the groom!

A word from the bride!

No, no! A word from the groom!

A few words, Pedrito!

A toast! Let's hear the groom!

Yes! A few words!

Well,

since you make me do it...

Let's have toast to all of you!

And thank you for being with us today.

And, if I may,

I'll have a toast to Nacha,

the cook at Las Palomas.

And to everyone who helped her cooking all these delicacies.

Thank you.

Cheers to everyone!

-Cheers! -Cheers!

Dad, toast with me.

Say something, Mr. Pedro!

Cheers to everyone!

-Cheers! -Cheers!

If your mom could see you,

she'd be as disappointed as I am.

Now, lift your chin.

Ready?

-Bravo! -Bravo!

Nacha, I brought you some cake.

Fina has spent the whole day cursing.

She'll bring a bucket of cold water if you don't get up.

Nacha.

Nacha?

No!

Nacha!

The most beautiful thing in my life

Is being by your side

My skies turn gray

When you're not here

Now I wait eagerly

For the May rains

When they tasted the cake,

an immense nostalgia took over the guests.

Those who had ever suffered from love,

succumbed to the effect of Tita's tears.

Please

If tomorrow

My horizon were endless

Keep me

In your prayers

As for me, I'll promise I'll miss you

With another song

I will name a star after you

What did you put in this cake?

You've ruined your sister's wedding, Tita De la Garza!

Nacha's dead!

-What did you say? -That Nacha's dead!

The most beautiful thing in my life

Is being by your side

The night makes it possible

For you to listen to my voice

There will be many more days

Left on the calendar

To remind you

That my heart is yours

Nacha's death flooded Tita's heart with loneliness.

She was so sad,

that even the sky cried with her that day at Las Palomas.

I'm sorry, I'm really nervous.

I've never slept with a man.

I've never even been kissed.

Good. Your first time should be at the wedding night.

-Yes. -Yes.

Do you mind if we do this some other time?

Are you too tired?

No, but...

With Nacha's death...

Making a child after a death feels like a bad omen, right?

As you wish.

Yes. Maybe later.

Good night, my husband.

Good night.

Where are you going?

What do you think?

I'm going to Nacha's funeral.

It's a ceremony for the servants, Tita, not for our family.

-I'm going anyway. -And I forbid you.

I can't listen to you this time.

Do you want to get five scourges?

Five or 500, whatever you want. I'll go anyway.

I forbid you from leaving this house, Tita De la Garza!

I'll go anyway.

Nacha raised me.

She fed me.

She took care of me when I was ill.

She never hit me.

She always said nice things to me.

She sang to me when I was afraid,

and told me a thousand stories.

Nacha loved me like a mother loves her daughter.

So, even if you try to stop me,

or if you punish me later,

I'll join the servants to say goodbye to her

the way she deserves.

Now you're on your way to Heaven

Now you're gone to your home

There's a light up there

In Heaven

That brightens up

My day

Love

And suffering

Fight their own

Hard battles

They get buried

Deep into my soul

Like a thorn

Found in the desert

I don't know how it will end

I will go on

Without seeing you

My path is ahead of me

I have to follow it

I'm just here

I couldn't stop you

Because this was your destiny

And you had to go away

What are you doing here?

I know you loved Nacha.

I want to be with you.

Say what you want, but nothing will make me forgive you.

Your mom didn't give me a choice.

She said your destiny was to be by her side,

that you can't love anyone, or get married, or have children.

I can be near you by marrying Rosaura.

And I decided to do that.

And you thought I would be fine with that?

You didn't care to tell me that stupid plan?

Tita...

I love you.

I want to be by your side every single day of my life.

Sleeping with my sister and having babies with her?

I don't love Rosaura!

Tita.

I might be wrong.

But everything is meaningless when you're not near.

I want to leave, so I won't have to see you again.

I wish I could hate you.