Frida Kahlo
- Director: Ali Ray
- Writer: Phil Grabsky, Ali Ray
- Producer: Phil Grabsky
CGiii Comment
Quite possibly...the worst Frida Kahlo film ever made!
Pseudo-academics...transferring all their agenda-[feminist]-laden interpretations onto a great artist...who would - no doubt - recoil at such sycophantic and hyperbolic interpretations of her life and work.
Would Frida have identified as a feminist? Of course not...read a decent biography to find out why! Neither was she an academic, she was an espousal communist...not exactly an intellectual pursuit, not exactly a puritanical feminist!
There are very few 'good' art historians out there. Those that are...find success and are - usually - very entertaining and enlightening . Unfortunately, those that aren't...feature in films like these...promoting their own - not that of the artist's - opinion.
Apart from the awful narration, there is never an allusion to Kahlo being the narcissistic martyr [that she was]...one 'historian' mentions Munchausen...but, it is fleeting. Nor does it even broach the subject...without the horrific accident that she experienced...would Frida Kahlo ever have painted? Or, if that was not a factor, would her work be as important as it is now rather than then [when it wasn't]?
The interpretation of The Broken Column [her greatest painting] is an absolute nonsense. Her bisexuality is almost ignored, mentioned fleetingly...her devotion/obsession [with the womanizing] Rivera given much more agency...?!? Not exactly the paragon of feminist virtue is she? Yet that is the portrait they paint!
Look...this is a kindergarten summary of the life and work of Frida Kahlo...there is no depth, no strategy...just a ridiculous agenda, piled high by below average pseudo-academics...none of whom really understand her work!
This is not a serious film about a seriously important artist.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Who was Frida Kahlo? Everyone knows her, but who was the woman behind the bright colours, the big brows, and the floral crowns? Take a journey through the life of a true icon, discover her art, and uncover the truth behind her often turbulent life. Making use of the latest technology to deliver previously unimaginable quality, we take an in-depth look at key works throughout her career. Using letters Kahlo wrote to guide us, this definitive film reveals her deepest emotions and unlocks the secrets and symbolism contained within her art.
Exhibition on Screen's trademark combination of interviews, commentary and a detailed exploration of her art delivers a treasure trove of colour and a feast of vibrancy. This personal and intimate film offers privileged access to her works, and highlights the source of her feverish creativity, her resilience, and her unmatched lust for life, politics, men and women. Delving deeper than any film has done before, engaging with world-renowned Kahlo experts, exploring how great an artist she was, discover the real Frida Kahlo.
Cast & Characters
Díana Bermudez (as Frida Kahlo (voice))