Move Frida and the Mexican Culture in Which She Lived

Move Frida and the Mexican Culture in Which She Lived

Julie Taymor's "Frida" is (in addition to a biography of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo) a motion picture offering insight in Mexican culture and of the Central American society in general. The movie depicts the life of Frida Kahlo and how it was influenced by the fact that she was Mexican. The action in the script is contributed by characteristic Latin music in creating a perfect image of Mexico. Frida's tumultuous life along with the eclectic cinematic formulas succeeds in making the movie a hallmark of Mexican culture.

The movie displays Mexico in the first half of the twentieth century in an accurate manner. From the very first scene, when the camera pans on a typical Mexican garden, the public is without doubt expected to relate to a Mexican way of life. The animals and the vegetation are all characteristic to Central America. Then the public is presented with Frida, a woman whose appearance (ranging from her facial features and to her clothing) screams: "I was an authentic Mexican woman."

The movie is not necessarily focused on showing the public the exquisiteness present in Frida's paintings, but uses them as a mean to better acquaint the viewers with the painter's life and with the Mexican community.

To make a movie about Frida Kahlo would virtually mean that one has to get deeply involved in the Mexican culture, given the fact that the artist is representative when taking Mexican customs into consideration. The fact that the director uses a Mexican actress wearing traditional Mexican costumes for the lead role further increases the feeling that the viewers are not only watching a biographic movie, but that they are watching a true example of Mexican culture as it unveils before them, according to a script which is true to real-life events.

The vivid colors employed in the movie are also a reference to Mexican culture, with the Native American and Spanish influences being obvious through the diverse coloring used throughout the film. Mexico's cultural pride is seen through the bold colors used during the movie. A flashy colored Hayek on a sepia background certainly makes a wonderful illustration of Mexican tradition.

Mexico is a country filled with diversity, taking into consideration that it was formed as a result of a cultural clash between the Spanish and the Aztecs. Taymor put together the biography of a controversial individual and the mores in Mexico, depicting how Mexico is a place that teaches people that they have to be proud for their cultural background. Little influential Mexicans could have expressed Mexican culture better than Frida, given the fact that she stood up for her people and did not hesitate to promote her traditions wherever she went ("FRIDA KAHLO: PUBLIC IMAGE, PRIVATE LIFE A SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND LETTERS at NMWA July 6, 2007 -- October 14, 2007").

Taymor does not want to present Mexico and Mexicans as if the larger, whiter, and richer part of society assimilated them. Riviera's arrival in New York is seen as an episode involving a wild, passionate Mexican artist determined to make a name for himself. However, he rapidly encounters resistance as Rockefeller tries to control him and his work. Similar to an untamed King-Kong figure (Taymor uses King Kong as a mean of depicting Diego's rise to power and his tragic fall), he refuses to cooperate and even mocks Americans by proving that his principles are more important than his need for fame. This can be seen as a reference to how the Aztecs were refused the right to express themselves and how the U.S. presently wants to have control over Mexicans trying to make a living in the U.S. (Nevins 111)

The event involving Riviera and his reluctance to give up Lenin's portrait from the picture that was supposed to represent American ordinary workers is an example of the tension which exists between Mexico and the U.S. The political and cultural divergences between the two countries are portrayed in the mural, as Americans were not willing to accept paying for a painting with Lenin in it. While communism was favored by Mexicans, it was harshly criticized by Americans.

The Mexican indigenous culture had a deep impact on Frida's life and on her paintings, as shown in the movie. Mexican folk art played an essential role in Frida's character. Through her movie, Taymor reveals key factors in Mexican culture and belief. Frida's decision to change her clothing style from a Western-oriented one to a Mexican one can be considered affection for her country's traditions.

People will most probably feel sympathy towards Mexican culture as a result of watching the movie. It brings forward a series of element each meant to promote Mexican traditions and the beauty of Mexico. The film's action follows Frida as she jumps back and forth choosing between European, American, and Mexican traditions. To some extent, she manages to bring together all of these cultures in her paintings. However, it is obvious that the culture she enjoys the most is the Mexican one.

Frida had all that it took for her to live in Europe or in the U.S., but she could not resist being detached from native country, as its exoticism was everything she could dream for. The fact that she was part of the Mexican upper class did not stop Frida from identifying with Mexican customs, even though she had access to a succession of opportunities available to her because of her social statute. This can in point of fact be seen from the way she wore her hair - pulled on top of her head, representative for a Mexican peasant.

It is characteristic for an individual coming from a third-world country to be left in amazement consequent to visiting the U.S. However, this was not the case with Frida, as she could not help being repulsed by the fact that Americans were living large at the same time as her people were starving.