More about this DVD  •  DVD Info  •  Movie Main Page  •  Message Board

Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) is a Mexican surrealistic painter of the first half of the twentieth century; but, during her lifetime, she was better known for her tempestuous relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) than for her own work. It would take three decades after her death for her art to gain prominence and value. By the eighties, she was an icon of feminism, perhaps due to a perception of her casual bisexual independence or perhaps her association with socialist or communist ideologies. The reality is quite something else; despite affairs and separations, she was dedicated to one man for thirty years. This film is as much about their relationship as it is about her fierce determination to survive.

As a young student of perhaps fifteen or sixteen, Frida is involved in a horrific accident that she should not have survived. Her severe injuries include broken vertebrae, a shattered leg, a crushed foot, and an impalement that would render her incapable of carrying a child to term. She spends years recovering, confined to bed for prolonged periods, sometimes cocooned in a full body cast. Her loving father, Guillermo Kahlo (Roger Rees), aware of Frida's propensity for art, has a special easel constructed that can be used in her sickbed. He gifts her with paints, canvases, and artist's tools. He attaches a mirror to her bed's canopy. And she begins an autobiographical journey that will continue for the rest of her life; while other artists look outward, Frida looks inward. Her art reflects her life.

Frida's life is quite remarkable. As fiction, it would be dismissed as melodramatic nonsense. But this tale of tenacious spirit is based on reality, culled from extensive research including from Frida's diaries. Director Julie Taymor is visually brilliant. Those familiar with her imaginative staging of The Lion King and the impressive visuals of Titus, can anticipate another feast for the eyes. Taymor blends Frida's art into the film, perhaps as a tableau that comes to life, perhaps an animated sculpture in the Kahlo style.

Hayek is without ego here, exposing herself physically and emotionally, embellished by Kahlo's famous unibrow and wispy moustache that becomes more prominent later in life. She's outstanding, demonstrating unexpected depth and range that were hidden in previous, lesser roles. She is most deserving of her prominent award nominations. Molina is delightful as Rivera, a compulsive womanizer, egocentric and needy, but unable to continue without the love of his life. The cast is uniformly excellent, punctuated by a few unexpected cameos, like Ashley Judd as Tina Modotti and Antonio Banderas as David Alfaro Siqueiros. This is a fine film about an exceptional life presented with a mesmerizing visual style.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is presented in anamorphic video. I'm delighted to report that this DVD - like many of the discs I've recently reviewed - has virtually no edge halos. If I were superstitious, I would be hesitant to suggest that the studios may have finally caught on the those attributes that make a DVD's video presentation film-like; a superstitious man might not want to accidentally curse what I hope may be a welcome trend. Small object detail, like facial features in longer shots is quite good (the absence of halos is most responsible), but the delineation of fine textures, like the weaves of fabrics and normal imperfections in complexion, is not outstanding. The overall impression is a slight softness. Color rendition is wonderful. Skin tones are very natural and the bright colors of Frida's art and home decorating are vivid and noise free. Shadow detail is quite good. And I noticed no compression artifacts as I watched the film.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track provides pleasing fidelity but does not offer a feast for the ears. Director Julie Taymor is very visual, but her creativity may not extend to the audible realm. The mix is very front heavy, concentrating on the dialog and score. Surround effects are almost nonexistent, with perhaps two or three exceptions, one of which is musical. Sound effects are not an issue here; they exist to support the reality of the images, so practical recordings and Foley are clear but do not distract or dominate. Dialog remains distortion free throughout; I noticed no compression raspiness. As I listened to Elliot Goldenthal's Oscar winning score, heavily influenced by traditional Mexican themes, I was struck by the lack of air from plucked guitar strings. I found that if I disabled THX re-equalization, intended to roll off high frequencies at 3 dB per octave above 2 KHz to compensate for X-curve pre-emphasis, the sound was improved. Sibilants, such as the S sound, were not exaggerated as the top end was improved. I subsequently visited the Mi Casa web site to see if they had performed the mix for the DVD; they typically remove the pre-emphasis, while other audio contractors do not. Frida was not listed. I'll speculate that either other audio contractors have begun to remove the pre-emphasis or perhaps a simpler explanation might be that this particular track is simply a little soft on the top end.

The alternate language is in French. The audio is supported by Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

This feature-rich DVD set spreads its generous supplements across two discs. On disc one there are three significant extras. A Conversation with Salma Hayek (38:17) is a rather remarkable outpouring that describes the emotional roller coaster the actress experienced over the eight years it took to make this film and the satisfying aftermath of recognition. Her passions for the work and the artist she portrays are vivid. You will find much gushing during her responses to an unheard interviewer. She's extremely generous with her compliments to her director, the composer, her uncredited screenwriter, and her fellow players. I was left with the distinct impression that this was not some disingenuous backslapping to motivate interest in the film; I was impressed with a sincere expression of appreciation for those who she felt brought so much to the show.

When I listened to director Julie Taymor's commentary on the Titus DVD, I recall being impressed with her intelligence and clarity as she communicated her artistic rationale. In this feature-length, screen-specific commentary, she doesn't disappoint. Her commentary is exquisitely detailed, a blend of artistic decisions, descriptions of shooting locations, technique, biographical context, and a great deal more. Taymor is chatty and open, and seems very comfortable with the process. This is an outstanding commentary. I have watched over 800 DVDs and have reviewed about 420. Of all the directors I've heard in commentaries, I enjoyed hers the most. It was a pleasure to spend a couple of hours with her once more.

Composer Elliot Goldenthal provides another commentary of sorts. Rather than comment throughout the film, specific musical sequences are narrated. There are twenty of them and they must be played individually; I hope the folks at Miramax come to understand that a more considerate option would have been to allow the viewer to specify, "Play All." Goldenthal explains the process of expressing appropriate emotions musically with underscoring, accompanying the onscreen drama without dominating or distracting. Finally, on disc one there are a Miramax promo, a promo for the Frida soundtrack, and three trailers in full screen or non-anamorphic widescreen: Gangs of New York; Chicago; and, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Moving on to disc two we find a veritable cornucopia of supplements. Julie Taymor may be seen and heard in two interview sessions that have an aggregate run time of nearly fifty minutes. The first is an American Film Institute Q&A (30:13). She responds to questions from a moderator and members of an audience. The second is a previously broadcast Bill Moyer's Interview (19:10). There is a slight duplication of information, particularly at the beginning of each, but the sessions quickly diverge into different subject matter. Taymor again demonstrates her ability to articulate her artistic vision, and I was pleased that she mostly managed to avoid repeating comments made during her director's commentary.

Four supplements focus on the film's music. Elliot Goldenthal is the interrogator in the Chavela Vargas Interview (15:43). She is one of the singers Goldenthal integrated into the score, but more significantly, she was Frida's lover for years. Her recollections and responses to the film are emotional, but she tends to be repetitive and a bit rambling. The most interesting part of the exchange is her description of her relationship with Frida; it provides an insight unrevealed within the film. The Voice of Lila Downs (5:22) is a brief introduction to a contemporary artist that Goldenthal tapped to sing some of his original music. The Music of Frida (4:57) is a fluff piece in which Hayek interviews Goldenthal. Lastly, Finally, Salma's Recording Session (2:38) is a cute little sequence in which we see Hayek - her inhibitions vanquished with several glasses of wine - belting out a song for the soundtrack CD as Taymor and Goldenthal record her in their home.

The visual presentation is supported by five featurettes. The Vision of Frida: With Rodrigo Pietro and Julie Taymor (6:07) is a brief but insightful presentation by the director of photography and the director as they discuss the cinematographic approach to the film. The Design of Frida: With Felipe Fernandez (2:27) and Bringing Frida Kahlo's Life and Art to Film: A Walk Through the Real Locations (5:19) describe the effort invested in recreating the historically accurate locations and set designs and the process of integrating Frida's artistic sensibilities into the movie. "Amoeba Proteus" Visual FX Piece (9:22) highlights the work of Jeremy Dawson and Dan Schrecker as they created the effects that blend Frida's art into the flow of the film. They explained why they avoided CGI in favor of practical effects and miniature work. And they describe the techniques used to create the montage sequences, made necessary by budget constraints. The Brothers Quay Visual FX Piece (1:32) describes their contribution, the macabre stop-action animation representing Frida's delusional dream as she awakens from her terrible accident.

Finally, Portrait of an Artist (14:09) is the usual promotional fluff piece that describes the plot, the characters, and a tad about the background of the making of the film. Finally, there's Frida Kahlo Facts, a group of terse text pages that offer a few additional factoids about the artist's life. The 123- minute feature is organized into twenty-two chapters.

DVD- ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts

This project was a lovely, serendipitous venture in which actor friends accepted scale. Hayek's boyfriend, Edward Norton, wrote the final version of the screenplay and appeared in a cameo. Taymor's live-in love of twenty years composed the score and appeared in a cameo. The labor of love yielded a delightful biopic, compelling and ultimately satisfying. The DVD sports a splendid transfer, a reasonably good soundtrack, and a very generous selection of comprehensive and entertaining supplements. Highly recommended.