Fainting with Frida



You just never know how you internalize someone else's pain experience when you are so close to them that their nausea makes you throw up. Well, my partner died in October, 2001, and for a while I misspoke and said that I died, or we died, because I couldn't accept the truth of the words "she died." She had breast and bone cancer. Her long bones didn't crumble first, so she could still walk until the end. But her neck, hips, and pelvis were starting to crumble, and when her pain medication wore off, well, you wouldn't want even your lover to be alive in that condition. The pain meds weren't enough and she overdosed on tranquilizer to end the pain. I have rare moments of being really glad that her pain is over. Watching the movie Frida, about Frida Kahlo, brought on one of those moments. And a fainting and nausea spell in me, and an epileptic spell in someone else. I made it through The Hours- with its terminal illness sufferer's suicide- because of the awful droning Philip Glass soundtrack that kept me from getting wrapped up in it too much. I cried, but I didn't get dizzy and have to go sit on the floor in a bathroom stall (shaking & sweating) like I had to after the scene where Frida tries to walk without a cane despite her multiply fractured pelvis and spine. If only Salma Hayek had given up a little intensity to a droning weird soundtrack.



So, soes Frida meet the Lesbian Movie Standard? (See yesterday's blog for the lowdown on the LMS.)

Barely barely. Salma trails off to another scene twice with a conversation between Frida and another woman (her sister and Diego's ex-wife) FINALLY turning away from Diego or the sister's abusive husband to the matter of work or money. The mother being asked if the melons were ripe by the sister and the mother saying to give them a few more days- this might count if this weren't a movie about a bisexual artist who had lots of women in her life. Mind you, I really should recuse myself from judging this movie, since I had to leave the theater for about fifteen minutes. But really, if Frida wasn't fucking women she was talking with them about Diego.



The Jesus Figure in Frida? Duh, Frida. Suffered, redeemed (remarried, at least) and rose from the dead.



The Gay Figure in Frida? Duh, Frida. Bi to the bone, actually. But there's a sea of straightness around her. You'd think she didn't know any lesbians. Unless there was a happy lezzie scene when I was in the bathroom.



Should you go see it? Absolutely, if only for the puppet sequence by the Brothers Quay.


Now I know what's nagging at the dark corners of your mind...
How About the New Pedro Almodovar Movie Talk To Her? Does that meet the LMS?



I'm happy to say YES, yes it does. The dance teacher having a scene alone with coma girl, talking with her, helping her do stretches, saves this movie from a negative LMS rating.



The Jesus Figure of Talk To Her? Coma girl Alicia. Died, suffered, and born again.



The Gay Figure? Actually, I'd say our protagonist Marco, because of his love for the antagonist. I don't want to spoil this movie for anyone. This is a very gay movie all around. Not very lezzie, but gay gay gay.



Now everyone go see The Hours. Viva La Lezbiance!