CINEMA MASTERPIECES OF THE WORLD: EVITA, STORY OF WOMEN, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA

"EVITA"

the Saint and the Sinner of Argentina

“Evita” (1996) is an excellent musical about the life of Eva Peron, wife of Argentinean President Juan Peron. What makes this film special is the way that director Alan Parker (“Midnight Express”, “Mississippi Burning”, “Birdy”, “Fame”, “The Life of David Gale”), tells the story of this woman who caused so much controversy and love in her country.

Evita was released in January 10, 1997 by Hollywood Pictures. It was rated “PG” by the MPAA for its theme, elements of violence, and some strong language. The running time is 134 minutes.

Alan Parker along with Oliver Stone transformed the hit Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Music) and Tim Rice (Lyrics), adapting it to film after carefully researching the life and everything related with Evita Duarte.

Alan Parker & Madonna

The story is told in a magnificent way. It starts by the end, and little by little we are taking back and forth through flashes into the life of this enchanting woman. The film opens with a long shot in a movie theatre showing a Spanish version of “Romeo and Juliette”. There is a transition from this long shot into an extreme long shot of Chivlkoy in 1926.

The camera takes us to the funeral of little Evita Duarte’s father. She was seven years old. Evita is taking flowers to her father whose dead corpse rests on an uncovered coffin. She goes inside the church. We can feel the suffering of this little girl when the cinematographer shows us a close-up of her in order to emphasize this feeling.

We see Evita’s face kissing her dead father. There is a moment when we can see both of them included in a shot from another angle. People in the funeral home make her and her family to abandon the funeral. And it is here, when she starts her hatred for the Argentinean middle class.

The music is used to build up the dramatic mood of the story. Antonio Banderas, who plays Che Guevara, the story teller, one of the biggest communists of that time related to Fidel Castro who in real history ordered his mysterious death. Banderas opens the musical with the song “Don’t cry for me Argentina…”

Antonio Banderas & Madonna

The music wonderfully written and composed appeals to our emotions. The lyrics and music penetrates our feelings. The scene after the death of the father flashes back to the death of Evita Peron in 1952. The camera shows the heartfelt reaction of the Argentineans of that time mourning her.

Another thing I loved a lot about this film was the couple who are dancing. They are dancing a slow music. The song and the rhythm of the music convey the intimate mourning feeling that people felt with Evita’s death.

Alan Parker’s transitions between one song and another are beautifully made. For example, at the end of the song that Antonio Banderas is singing at the beginning of the film; the transition is made when somebody throws a stone over the big picture of Evita and breaks the glass that is protecting it.

At that point a new song starts, and there are details of the event with different shots angles. The shots are so beautiful that we can picture Alan Parker devoting his time to design effective compositions to narrate this woman’s story splendidly. The staging of the composition, the movement of the camera, each aspect of the production was taken care of.

The acting is terrific. All the actors performed wonderfully. Madonna especially has a phenomenal performance. In this movie she proves the world that she is not only a great singer, but also a fabulous actress. She does really surprise us.

And I have to recognize that it was not until I saw this film that I started respecting Madonna as an actress. Throughout the entire film, we can notice the respect she has for acting, her dedication and commitment as an actress, especially performing Evita Peron.

And it is the balcony scene, the scene of her that becomes the most emotional and unforgettable scene within the entire film, when after a period of absence, a sick from cancer Evita dare to face the people who adore her, and realizing that it is the last time she will see them, she starts singing them from the balcony, a goodbye forever song: “Don’t Cry for me Argentina”.

Antonio Banderas, the Spanish actor who since more than a decade has captivated America with his charismatic personality and natural performance, does surprise us one more time in his facet of singer, and finally gets in Hollywood, a remarkable first Golden Globe Nomination in the category of Best Actor for his role as Che Guevara.

The British actor Jonathan Pryce (Juan Peron) is extraordinary. Jimmy Nail in his role of Latin singer Agustin Magaldi, Eva’s lover who took her to Buenos Aires when she was fifteen, also portrays an outstanding part.

Here we know why this spectacular musical won in 1997, an Oscar Award and other four Academy Award Nominations in the categories of Best Music, Original song: “You Must Love Me” (Won), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Brian Morris & Phillippe Turlure; Best Cinematography: Darius Khondji; Best Film Editing: Gerry Hambling; Best Sound: Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, and Ken Weston.

And it also won three Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture-Comedy/Musical: “Evita”, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy/Musical: Madonna; and Best Original Song-Motion Picture: Andrew Lloyd Webber (Music) & Tim Rice (Lyrics), including two other nominations, Best Director-Motion Picture: Alan Parker; and Best Performance by an Actor-Comedy/Musical: Antonio Banderas.

Also among other many awards Madonna also won that year the MTV Movie Award in the category of Best Female Performance and Best Movie Song with “Don’t Cry for me Argentina”.

Eva Peron is the true story of a country girl who fights to escalate her position in high class society in her search for acceptance. She leaves her town in order to pursue her dream of becoming a famous film actress but instead she becomes the wife of President Juan Peron.

And it is when she helps and intercedes for the poor of her country, Argentina. Eva Duarte was the illegitimate daughter of a middle-class estancia manager Juan Duarte who dies in a crash, and the daughter of a domestic servant, Juana Ibarguren. She was born in May 7 of 1919, in Toledo, 200 miles from Buenos Aires.

Although Evita Peron could never see alive her dream of becoming a famous film actress, she became a world legend, and her life has been dramatized in the most important stages of the world: London, Broadway, etc., and later it was made into this award winning film by one of the most prestigious Hollywood's directors, Alan Parker.

“Evita” is a spectacular and excellent musical drama, a world film masterpiece worthy to be seen one more time.

Written by: Raphael Ojeda-Cubello

SPECTACULAR BALCONY SCENE OF "EVITA":
"Don't Cry for me Agentina..."

A FRENCH CINEMA MASTERPIECE