Movie Review: Frida - the Life of Frida Kahlo, Famed Mexican Painter

Frida Kahlo, famed Mexican painter, is memorialized in a movie entitled simply "Frida," which was produced in 2002. The movie is based on Hayden Herrera's biography "Frida: the Biography of Frida Kahlo," which became a best-seller. Frida is widely known as the wife of another famous Mexican painter, Diego Rivera, although she herself achieved fame in her own right after her death.

Other than Salma Hayak who portrays Frida Kahlo in the movie, the cast is virtually unknown to movi goers. Alfred Molina does an excellent job as Diego Rivera who was a significant influence in Frida Kahlo's life.

Frida was born in Mexico in 1907 of loving parents and had a fine upbringing. She remained close to her father Guillermo throughout her life. When she was 18 years old, a tragic accident involving a bus on which she was riding left her with serious life-long injuries. While she recuperated in a full body cast, her father made her a special easel so that she could paint in bed. Many of her self-portraits symbolize her own pain.

As her works proliferated, she decided to seek the advice of Diego Rivera on whether she had the talent to continue with her painting as she needed to make money with some sort of career. Diego Rivera encouraged her to continue, recognizing that her paintings were uniquely Mexican and highly distinctive.

Over her mother's objections to Diego Rivera, an active Communist and twenty years older than Frida, the two painters were married and began a tumultuous relationship because of Diego's extra-marital affairs despite his deep love for Frida. At one point, the couple divorced, but later remarried.

In 1939, during her separation from Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo's paintings went on exhibition in Paris and she remained in Paris for a time before returning to Mexico.

Both Frida and Diego were active communist sympathizers. Leon Trotsky had been ousted from Russia by Josef Stalin and sought asylum in Mexico. Diego Rivera invited Trotsky and his wife Natalya to stay in their home, which they did for two years. Unfortunately, Trotsky became infatuated with Frida and the two had a brief affair. Trotsky's wife insisted that they leave the home of Diego and Frida. Trotsky was eventually assassinated in Mexico by a Russian agent.

Diego Rivera was invited by Nelson Rockefeller to paint a mural in the lobby of Rockefeller Center which brought Diego and Frida to New York City for an extended period of time. When Diego painted Lenin's face in one section of the giant mural, he was asked by Nelson Rockefeller to remove Lenin's face. Diego refused to do it; he was paid his fee and the painting was torn down by the Center's staff.

I must warn that the movie is rated R due to some graphic sexual scenes which I concede are an integral part of the story.

I loved the story of Frida Kahlo and would recommend the motion picture to anyone who has an interest in the creative arts and can overlook some of the necessary depictions.

Sources:

Movie: Frida - Netflix

http://www.wikipedia.com