FRIDA
US, 2002, 119 minutes, Colour.
Salma Hayak, Alfred Molina, Mia Maestra, Roger Rees, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Antonio Banderas, Edward Norton, Saffron Burrows, Valeria Golina, Diego Luna, Patricia Rayes Spindola, Marguerita Sandz.
Directed by Julie Taymor.
Frida is directed by Julie Taymor, the celebrated director of the stage version of the musical of The Lion King and director of the Shakespeare adaptation, Titus, with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange.
Frida is a biography of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who was injured in a street accident when young and was crippled for life, always in constant pain. However, she drew on all these experiences for a striking career in art, not well known outside Mexico until the end of her life and certainly in recent decades. The project was one dear to the heart of Mexican actress Salma Hayek who takes on the central role. Hayek was a star in Mexico and then moved to the United States in the 90s, carving out a successful career. This is a high point of that career. She is made up to resemble the real Frida, wears the flamboyant Mexican-style costumes, communicates something of the tempestuous nature of the artist, especially in her relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera (played by Alfred Molina) and in a relationship with the refugee Leon Trotsky (played by Geoffrey Rush).
The film's perspective is sympathetic to Frida although the screenplay gives something of a warts-and-all portrait. It also shows Mexico in a time of social revolution. The film also has a strong supporting cast with many cameos from respected actors like Ashley Judd, Edward Norton. Edward Norton appears as Rockefeller, commissioning a painting for the Rockefeller Centre, but turning against Rivera when he glorified Lenin in the painting. (This episode was also presented in Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock.)
While the film gives an outline of Frida Kahlo's life, it also gives some insight into the creative work of an artist and also explores the relationship between art and the details of the artist's life, especially in passionate relationships of love and hate.
1. The impact of this film biography? Audience knowledge of Frida Kahlo? Her art? The impact of her art, its content and style? Within Mexican 20th century culture? Her place in history, the Communist Party in Mexico, Leon Trotsky and his refuge in Mexico? International history?
2. The film as a project of Salma Hayak, the years getting it made, her role as producer, star, her commitment to the film and to the impersonation of Frida Kahlo?
3. Its impact as a biography and study of a woman, an artist? Insight into painting and art?
4. The structure: Frida on her bed, her age, the flashbacks, the return to her being on the bed, going to her first exhibition in Mexico, leading to her death?
5. The Mexican locations and atmosphere, 1922, the '20s and '30s, '40s and '50s? Mexico City, the homes, school, art, the streets, the bus, hospitals? The passing of the decades, the Mexican art world? Communism in Mexico?
6. New York City and its artifice, the collage of Diego and Frida visiting New York, walking through the symbolic representations? Her going to see King Kong, the parody of King Kong with Diego as King Kong, finally falling from the building? The galleries, the Rockefeller Centre and the commission for Diego Rivera to paint? The contrast with Frida's visit to Paris, the collage of her visit there, the colour and styles, the clubs, music and dance?
7. Frida as a young girl, her relationship with her parents, her photographer father, his background as a German Jew, marrying a Mexican Catholic (and the mother and her sister having a vigil outside Trotsky's house)? The characters of her parents, their influence on her, their fighting? The reconciliation when her mother died, her father tending the garden? Her relationship with her sister, the preparation for the wedding, dressing as a man for the family photo, the marriage celebration, the questions about Frida and marriage?
8. At school, her friendship and love for Alex, going to watch Rivera paint the nude model, their witnessing his wife's fight, calling out to him, her calling him Panzon and that being a theme throughout the film? The sex with Alex at home, getting her sister to distract her mother? Alex and the seriousness, the books by Hagel and Marx, Spengler? On the bus, the gold for the theatre, the impatient driver, the overtaking, the horror of the accident?
9. Frida in hospital, the animation sequence with her skeletal designs and her gradual coming to consciousness? The range of operations, the demands on her physically and mentally, in the hospital, with her father discussing projects, Alex and his going to Europe, drawing the butterfly, drawing her foot, her father giving her the paints? Her determination to walk, the scene of her success?
10. Painting over the years, the family portraits? Going to Diego, demanding he look at her work, his visit to her house, his affirmation of her talents?
11. Diego Rivera and his reputation, his Communist background, the ideology of painting murals rather than bourgeois framed art, the various assignments? His being married three times, his infidelity to Lupe? His friends, the Communists, Tina and her photography, the display of the photos, her working for the party? The character played by Antonio Banderas and his critique of Rivera's ideology? With the Communists, the parades and the potential for demonstrations - but his becoming more and more accepted by the wealthy, the bourgeois who paid people to have taste for them, his being ousted from the party?
12. His bringing Frida to the Communist entertainment, meeting Tina, the dancing, the speech between the two friends, the challenge of the swig and the dancing, Frida drinking the alcohol, dancing with Tina? The growing friendship with Diego, their collaboration? The promise not to sleep together - instantly broken? Leading to the proposal? His honesty about his womanising, her wanting loyalty? The preparation for the wedding, Diego paying the family bills, the mother wary of the Communist? Diego and Frida in the painting - but really themselves (and the technique of several seeming paintings to the audience but actually with the actors there)? Lupe and her being drunk, her scene and upsetting Frida?
13. Diego Rivera and his womanising, the models, his skill in painting, Frida's reaction to his infidelities? The clash with Lupe bringing the food, the friendship between the two, Lupe teaching Frida to cook, her children? Lupe's warning about Diego going abroad and not taking her?
14. The invitation to New York, her coldness, his asking her to go? The excitement, the collage of New York, seeing King Kong? The range of women that he met? Society? Her own painting and Diego's praise of it? The incident with Gracie, the intimations of Frida's bisexuality? The difficult situation, her returning home for her mother's death? Nelson Rockefeller, the commission of the mural in the centre, the inclusion of Lenin, the discussions about principles, Diego standing by them, Rockefeller and his decision and the destruction of the mural?
15. Diego's attitudes to Mexico, finding it boring, Frida's love compared with his discontent? The sexual encounter with Christina and Frida's anger, ousting them? His finally returning, wanting to marry her again? The decades passing and their love and friendship, his support?
16. Trotsky and his reputation, his arrival in Mexico, the meal and the discussion about Hitler and Stalin and brutality for the sake of ideology? His coming to the house, for security? Trotsky as a character, his wife? The visit to the Mayan monuments and his feeling alive? The attraction to Frida, the passionate affair? His continuing his writings? His sobbing wife and its effect on Frida? Their moving from the house? The gunshots, Diego being blamed? The build-up to the assassination? Frida and her arrest? Diego pleading to the president and Christina coming to bring her out?
17. The visit to Paris, her affair there? Paris and its changing her, her wanting to go home?
18. The passing of the years, hospitalisation, the gangrene toes and their being cut off? Her wearing a brace? All these incidents and themes being incorporated into her paintings? The range of symbols and suggestions in the paintings? Diego's speech at the exhibition explaining the strength and tenderness, acidity and gentleness of her content and style? Her death with him there? The final painting, her wanting her body to be burnt because of its difficulties all her life?
19. A 20th century artist, a Mexican artist, the film as a study of a woman artist, a genius, Diego Rivero, his genius and skills? The impact in the art world? The importance of the Communist background? The musical score and its continued suggestion of the rhythms and vitality of Mexico?
20. The impact of her pregnancy, her body not able to support the pregnancy, Diego arriving home to find her covered in blood, the miscarriage, the hospital, her painting of the experience of the miscarriage?
