EVITA

US, 1996, 133 minutes, Colour.
Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce, Jimmy Nail.
Directed by Alan Parker.

Vita was in planning for almost two decades before it finally reached the screen. Director Alan Parker was offered the film at the time he was making Fame but did not want to get tied in to musicals. With his background of Bugsy Malone, Fame, The Wall, The Commitments, he finally agreed to make Evita. He collaborated on an Oliver Stone screenplay, but reworked the stage musical to make it more cinematic and persuaded Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to compose a new song, `You Must Love Me'.

The film was shot in Argentina, Hungary (especially the funeral sequence) and in England. The widescreen photography is quite magnificent, with an epic look.

Many actresses had been touted as playing Evita, including Meryl Streep and Michelle Pfeiffer but, finally, Madonna won the role and has made the role her own. It seems that part of the fascination is making some parallels between the climb to fame and success of Eva Peron and the career of Madonna.

Antonio Banderas sings and acts as a number of characters as he takes on the role of the `Everyman' chorus, Che, who appears at every stage of Eva Peron's life - as a waiter, a worker, a hotel attendant. He is the personification of Argentina, affected by Evita's life. He is also her constant critic. Audiences get their understanding of the events and their background through Che. They identify with him and make their judgments about Evita through him. Jonathan Pryce is a complacent, sometimes weak, Peron.

The dialogue is almost completely sung and Parker has devised ways of combining the visual and the aural, especially with many collages, like that of the various liaisons that Eva makes with powerful men who promote her career to media and fashion star (and who are all dumped as she moves on to her next stage) or the succession of military coups that control Argentina in the 40s. These collages move the narrative forward effectively.

Tim Rice's lyrics also contribute strongly to character development. They also ironically indicate the ambiguities of Evita's life, her changing reputation and her almost being canonised by the people. They also dramatise strong social issues, the decades of Argentinian history culminating in the Peron era and the popularity of Evita. This is one of the great strengths of the film, its social background and its ability to develop the audience's social awareness.

Evita herself is an illegitimate child of a middle class man. She and her family are excluded from his funeral. She is an ambitious young woman and moves with ruthless charm to rise in Buenos Aires' society. But Argentina is in the grip of military power and dictatorships. Peron himself is a victim of a coup but, with Evita's glamour and her calculated work for the poor, he remains in power.

Evita shows how theatre musicals can be transferred creatively to the screen. It is an epic screen musical.

1. The work of Andrew Lloyd Weber and audience expectations? The theatrical success of the piece? The quality of the music, lyrics? The cast?

2. Location photography, Argentina and Hungary? The re‑creation of period? The countryside, the villages? Buenos Aires? Evita's international tours? Panavision photography, editing and pace? Epic style?

3. The music and the orchestrations?

4. The lyrics and their revelation of character, illustration of themes, wit? The variety? The addition of the song, "You Must Love Me"? The quality of the cast and their singing?

5. The structure of the film: the situation in Argentina 1952, the people watching the movie, the interruption, the news, their weeping? The transition to the funeral? Che's beginning his narrative and critique of Evita? Her funeral and the flashbacks? Her life story and the return to the funeral and her lying in state? The story of Evita, the critique, her achievement?

6. The dialogue and its being mainly sung, the small spoken dialogue? The effect and the demands on audience attention? The stylised nature of the screenplay for the music?

7. Che as the Everyman character? His representing the people of Argentina? His various appearances, for example in the cinema at the beginning, on the streets, in the cafes, the restaurants, in the city, as a worker... His place in Argentinian society? His tracing the rise of Evita? How well delineated as a personality, as a character, as a device? Audiences identifying with him? His explanation of themes, judgment? His final dancing with Evita? The quality of Antonio Banderas's performance and singing?

8. The use of visual collages during songs, especially for the development of the narrative? For example, Evita's father's funeral and the family not permitted to go, her running into the church? The range of her contacts and lovers and her discarding them for scaling the heights in Buenos Aires? The revolutions and the changes of government? The military singing their hostility to Evita? Her becoming a woman of fashion and wealth? Her European tour? The elections? The quality of narrative pace and the visuals?

9. The correlation of the visuals to the soundtrack?

10. Argentinians and their response to Evita? The reaction at the stopping of the film, their immediate weeping, the huge funeral processions, Peron and his presence, Evita lying in state and people touching her coffin? The singing of "Santa Evita"? The background of World War II, rebellions and dictatorships in Argentina, the ousting of governments? Her coming from the working class, the disdain of the aristocrats? Her presence in the world of fashion, radio and film? Her politicking for Peron - she being the way to the heart of Peron? Film star? The world response: adulation in Spain and France? Being spurned in Italy? The visit to Pope Pius XII and her not getting papal honours? The popularity of Peron and the election? The seven years of her achievement?

11. Her father's funeral, the background of Duarte, seven years old, her running into the church, her yearning for her father? The effect on her - and the recapitulation in her memories? The support of her family, the restaurant? Prostitution? The encounter with Magaldi and the sexual relationship, his singing the song to her, her ambitions, the family threatening Magaldi, her going to the city, the farewell, travelling on the train - and the horsemen of the Pampas? Her arrival in Buenos Aires, her amazement, her being on the staircase - Magaldi's wife and child? Magaldi as a singer, weak, talent, the reaction of the family, taking Evita to Buenos Aires? His later appearance at the benefit concert?

12. Evita and her survival in the city, the encounter with the photographer, her becoming a model, the beginnings of glamour, clothes, poses and styles, looking at herself in the magazine? The businessmen and the sponsors, singing and advertising? The military connections? Government officials? Her becoming wealthier, her fame, the movie star? The discarded lovers?

13. Evita being alone, not having friends, her ambition, her response to adulation?

14. The background of Peron, his place in the government? The earthquake and its effect, his visiting the site, the concert and his presence, Magaldi's song? The party and his meeting Evita, dancing, the infatuation, her using him? Ousting his former mistress? The relationship between them? - "High Flying, Adored"?

15. The love between the two, her refusal of sex and the locked door? Her control? Their always being together, in society, rejection by the aristocrats?

16. The change of governments, the meeting of the government representatives, Peron's arrest, the revolt and his freedom? Popularity with the people? The establishing of Peronism? Democracy and fascism?

17. Evita and politics, her advice to Peron, the elections, his becoming president, their marrying? The possibility of her becoming vice-president?

18. Wealth, glamour, fashion, clothes, make-up? Her response to the people? The uses of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"? The purpose of her Rainbow Trip? The reaction in different countries? The collapse? Peron and his advisers watching the newsreel? The speculation on the success of her trip - and Che's comment that it was not a success?

19. Her return, establishing charitable foundations, her generosity towards the people, their response? Literally throwing money away?

20. Her illness, the collapse in the church, the song, "You Must Love Me"? Declining the vice-presidency? The hostility of the military? The hostility of the military?

21. The character of Peron, the strong man, his seeming to be weak in comparison with Evita, his standing back, watching her sing, his love and infatuation, his recognition of her popularity and his use of her, politically? Her death?

22. The funeral, the people and their response? Audience response after reviewing her life?

23. The film and its judgment on her, her star quality, her relationship with the people, political ambition, personal ambition, success? Her influence on Argentina?

24. The quality of the music and the lyrics and Alan Parker's design of musical cinema? As a way of illustrating character, developing themes, making social comment?