Frida

My overwhelming response to Frida is one of relief. Frida Kahlo is a fascinating, complex person whose story is ripe for a biopic. But much of her story and what she stood for isn’t exactly what Hollywood likes to focus on in its biopics. Frida Kahlo was a disabled, bisexual communist with a unibrow. There’s so many universes in which this most mainstream portrayal of her minimized these aspects. Huge credit has to go to director Julie Taymor. Not only did she turn in a great product, but did so under the oversight of Harvey Weinstein who had some truly terrible opinions on how the film should look. As unpleasant and misogynistic as Weinstein apparently made the filming of Frida, the final cut of Taymor’s film still manages to be a celebration of a radical, artistic and endlessly complex woman.

Frida is very much a biopic of broad strokes. The film follows Frida Kahlo’s life from her time as a student until her death at age 47. Much of the film focuses on Frida’s tempestuous relationship with husband, Diego Rivera. The film also weaves in elements of the political climate, particularly Frida and Diego’s ties to the communist movement. Frida is very much a celebration of Kahlo’s work and artistic exploration of the inspiration behind some of her most notable masterpieces.

Because Frida is a biopic with such a broad scope, some of these themes are acknowledged but little more than that. There’s a touch of gender non-conformity though Frida doesn’t do much with it besides having Kahlo wear a suit sometimes. Frida’s sexuality, disability, Mexican heritage and politics all jostle for focus in the film. Frida does its best to give equal attention to these facets. But the problem is that Kahlo is such a complex, interesting figure that there’s just too much to work with. Entire films could be made about small portions of her life or specific themes in her works. Frida decides to take on all of it. So, there’s a level of depth that’s missing. But this is still a great entry point to Kahlo’s life and works. It’s all in there, it just might not be as deep as it could be.

Frida’s bisexuality is present in exactly three scenes. The first is when has a tango and a kiss with Ashley Judd. The second two are part of montages. In one, we see a literal revolving door of Diego’s mistresses. Then, we see Frida also walk arm in arm with one of the same women. Frida takes the women out for a morning after breakfast and has a bit of a fondle. The last scene is part of a montage of Frida’s time in France. She has full sex with Josephine Baker. Like mentioned, none of these scenes are exactly deep. There’s no deeper discussion of Frida’s bisexuality. But it’s there onscreen, at least.

The focus on Frida’s marriage with Diego is really helped by the fact that Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina bring these characters to life. In general, Frida is filled with a cast of supremely talented actors. The assembled cast has both talent and an astounding among of charisma. This is particularly true of Hayek and Molina. this relationship is the centrepiece of the film. A heterosexual marriage is not what I would consider the most interesting focus for a film. But Hayek and Molina are such incredible scene partners. Their performances really make the focus of the film work.

The best parts of the film is when it gets less literal and more stylistic. Kahlo as a person is notable for being a creative force of nature. The film works best when it tries to mimic that. The more stylized the scene, the better. There’s some really extraordinary shots that mimic her paintings and blend her artwork with reality. There’s some very stylized animation sequences too, such as her stay in the hospital. Especially when doing a biopic about an artist, the more visually creative, the better. Julie Taymor rises to that challenge. There are so many beautiful shots in this film. The best are the ones inspired by Kahlo’s work. But Taymor has her own visual flair which she brings to almost every scene.

Frida is definitely an above average Hollywood biopic, especially for 2002. It is an accessible entry into Kahlo’s life without making it a toothless or inaccurate portrayal of a complex woman. There is clearly a love and respect for what Kahlo stood for. Additionally, there’s great performances and some really striking cinematography. As I mentioned up top, this movie is like a big sigh of relief. I’m extremely thankful that this most mainstream version of Frida Kahlo does her justice and has artistic merit.

Overall rating: 8.4/10

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