Biographies have become one of the most popular and time-honored
genres in film through their ability to both inform and inspire audiences in their accounts of the lives extraordinary individuals. Over time, however, the
genre has become saturated with formulaic films that echo one another in tales
of rags to riches and triumph over adversity that, while inspired by true
events, border on cliché. Fortunately, this week’s review avoids the familiar
trappings of the modern biography by chronicling the controversial art, political
activism, and many loves of one art’s most pioneering women; Mexican surrealist
painter Frida Kahlo. The 2002 film Frida
effectively chronicles Kahlo’s fascinating life, while also successfully capturing
the innovative and radical spirit of her work in a biography that is anything
but conventional.
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| Art imitating life or life imitating art? |
The story begins in 1925 as a young Kahlo (Salma
Hayek) attends college while pursuing her budding craft as a painter. Her life
soon takes a difficult turn, however, when she is critically injured in a trolley
accident in which she suffers a broken spinal column, broken pelvis, broken collarbone,
and punctured uterus. She defies her doctors’ expectations however, when she
not only survives the accident, but through months of painstaking work, is able
to walk again. During her recovery, she throws herself into her art, producing a
series of complex and unique paintings in which she finds her voice as an
emerging artist. It is these paintings that eventually draw the attention of
famed muralist and notorious libertine Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), who helps to
promote her work and launch her career as a successful artist. Despite her
wariness at his reputation as a womanizer, the two become fast friends as they
bond over their shared passions for art and politics, which eventually develops
into a tumultuous and fiery romance. The film then chronicles the couple’s
controversial work in both art and political activism as they continually
break-up and make-up, all the while supporting each other as artists and
comrades. Through its insight into both her personal and professional lives the
film captures the innovation and rebelliousness that made Kahlo an icon of
modern art.
While the film does recount the most significant
events in Kahlo’s life, its unique approach allows viewers additional insight
into the experiences and unique perspective that fueled her pioneering art. For
example, throughout the film, scenes are cut-away to show Kahlo’s impression of
an event or character, which then segue into many of her most famous paintings.
In this way, the film shows how the world around her influenced her perspective
and led to her original approach to painting. The film also provides an
unflinching look at her unconventional marriage and the ways in which her often
fraught relationship with Rivera impacted her work. While many biographies tend
to whitewash the historical figures that they focus upon, Frida presents a three dimensional portrait of Kahlo which
includes her flaws and mistakes as well as her triumphs. For instance, rather
than portray her as a victim of Rivera’s many infidelities the film makes a
point to include the fact that she was aware of his philandering before their
marriage and even reveals her own extra-marital indiscretions with both men and
women. The film also features insight into the couple’s radical politics through
its depiction of Rivera’s controversial Rockefeller Center mural and their
mutual efforts to aid fugitive Soviet leader Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush) as he
fled Stalin’s assassins. Through this multifaceted depiction of its heroine, the
film provides a truly informative and compelling portrait of an artist, as a
family member, political activist, wife, and woman.
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| An icon at work |
The uniformly superb cast successfully brings each of
their diverse characters to life in such a way as to remind audiences of their
significance beyond their impact upon Kahlo’s life and career. Cameo appearances
by Antonio Banderas, Edward Norton, and Ashley Judd help place Kahlo’s life
within the context of the historical events of her day, while still lending
depth to their roles as David Alfaro Siqueiros, Nelson Rockefeller, and Tina
Modotti. Patricia Reyes Spindola and Roger Rees bring the complexity of the
Kahlo home to life in nuanced performances as Kahlo’s stern mother and supportive
father, revealing the ways in which her family encouraged her unconventional
path in an era in which women were often relegated to secondary roles. Geoffrey
Rush brings wry humor and pathos to his role as the tormented Trotsky, as he portrays
the political figure less as a revolutionary icon and more as a man trying to
make a difference in the world, leaving viewers with little wonder as to how Kahlo
is tempted into embarking upon an affair with him. Mia Maestro and Valeria
Golino make excellent foils in their performances as Kahlo’s sweet, but meek,
sister, Cristina, and fiery romantic rival turned friend, Lupe. Alfred Molina is a burst
of charisma and energy in his portrayal of Rivera, in which he provides viewers
with insight into the couple’s unusual relationship and reveals why neither was
able to give up on their troubled relationship. Despite the excellent
performances surrounding her, the film belongs to Salma Hayek, whose turn as
Kahlo highlights her humor, tenderness, determination, insecurities, and loss
all with a ferocity worthy of the real Kahlo.
More than just a biography, Frida is a romance, inspirational drama, political exploration, and
artistic journey all in one. Through a combination of thorough research and nuanced
writing, the script provides a compelling account of an iconic artist and the world
that she inhabited. Each of the performances bring an additional level of depth
and emotion to the film, making each event in Kahlo’s life resonate, even for
viewers already familiar with her story. At her Mexican exhibition in 1954 Rivera
described Kahlo’s work as “acid and tender, hard as steel and fine as a
butterfly’s wing…loveable as a smile and cruel as the bitterness of life” all
these phrases and more could aptly describe Frida.
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| Life is grand with tequila in hand |
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