So, I loved this movie, I was apprehensive when I heard it was being released, there were rumours of j-lo's involvement, which was largely untrue, Salma Hayek and Julie Taymor were a large part of the film being produced.
I normally cannot stand Taymor's work. I loathed Titus. However, I mostly enjoyed Across the Universe, though like all of her work, with the exception of Frida seems overblown to me. Too big, too grandiose.
Frida Kahlo was larger than life. To me at least. The first time I heard of Friday Kahlo I was in my junior year of high school and I'd gone to Tucson with my step-mom and sister to toodle. Usually our toodles included some vintage clothes stores, lunch at Furr's, some coffee and sweets somewhere, and maybe a visit to a museum or park. That day we went to the Ted De Grazia musuem The Gallery of the Sun. I think I'd been there before earlier in my life, but I still remember this day. It had been rainy and we walked in to the museum and it was the Pasion por Frida exhibit. Nothing could have prepared me. I'd never seen someone expose themselves so completely on canvas before. Frida's work always shows everything, she seemed to throw open the quiet spaces in her life and dust off the cobwebs. Her paintings showed her pain, her fears, her loves, everything. She was a remarkable painter and one of my inspirations. The Ted De Grazia exhibit was Pasion por Frida in Jan-March of 1993 I think.
I didn't know about the controversy then, and I don't remember going to that museum prior to that visit. I don't remember any penises, but I do remember it being quite graphic. Although Frida's art itself wasn't shown, representations of it abounded. Strangely when I was looking for the actual dates of the exhibit I could only find reference to it by one article. It's strange now to find those kind of limits on information on the Internet. At least, I found it a bit odd. I remember it was in high school, I couldn't tell you when for sure though.
Frida the movie, is quite a good one. I enjoy it immensly, I think the performances were solid and the switch from paintings to reality or dreams are beautifully done, and it may be my favorite of Taymor's films. It is certainly the only one I enjoy. Frida was an amazing woman and this film doesn't stray from the controversies in her life. I would however, recommend doing your reading up on her afterwards, her diaries and art speak so much for her also.
Frida was ballsy and direct and she came through so clearly in her paintings.She gives me hope that the world can accept women like me and her, artistic, passionate, colorful women.
