Frida (2002)

an amazing film about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo

Director: Julie Taymor

 

Frida Kahlo was assuredly the most famous Mexican female artist of the 20^th century. She married muralist Diego Rivera who also became quite renowned for his work.  In Taymor’s celebration  of Kahlo’s life, Salma Hayek (who was one of the producers) plays the artist. Alfred Molina plays Rivera. The film is a vibrant, colorful, and joyous celebration of the Mexican heart.  The look of the film is quite poetic in its portrayal. It is extremely honest about her married life. Both had numerous extramarital affairs and she herself was bisexual and had a fling with singer Josephine Baker as well as Leon Trotsky.  Other stars include Edward Norton,  Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, and Geoffrey Rush

 

When she was a teenager, she was in a brutal accident aboard a bus, which left her in a full body cast, and in severe pain for decades. As she puts it in the film, “A handrail took away my virginity.”

 

The Brothers Quay contributed the stop-motion animation sequence  depicting her recovery from the accident.  Other animated portions are hysterical, such as the moment when Diego and Frida come to New York, and he becomes King Kong on the Empire State Building, The film won two Academy Awards for Best Makeup and Best Original Score.

 

It is a motion picture worth the attention of anyone interested in visual art. 

Reviews

[patricia]

A very interesting write up. Thanks.