Frida Kahlo: A Ribbon Around a Bomb (1992)
Director: Ken Mandel
Country: USA
Runtime: 49min
A tortured Mexican artist whose work reflected her physical and
psychological pain, Frida Kahlo lived in the shadow of her more famous
painter husband Diego Rivera during her lifetime. But in recent years
there has been a steady revival of her work, which has gained new
respect among the artistic community.
To the average observer, her paintings immediately
appear to be incredibly dark, if not disgusting and sick. But an
understanding of her background gives Kahlo's imagery a wider dimension.
"Frida Kahlo: A Ribbon Around the Bomb" is a
documentary about Kahlo's life, but it's hardly the traditional form
for this type of film. There are talking-head interviews with some of
those who shared Kahlo's life but the framing device — and clearly the
emphasis — for exploring her work (some 120 of Kahlo's paintings are
shown) is a dramatic interpretation by actress/co-producer Cora
Car-dona.
Using excerpts from a play (Abraham Oceransky's
"The Diary of Frida Kahlo"), Cardona portrays Kahlo as a fiery, angry,
unfulfilled soul who dwelt on death and embraced pain. During her
childhood she suffered from polio and later was severely injured in a
bus accident, from which she never fully recovered. She also could
never quite get over being unable to have children.
Meanwhile, Kahlo's self-portraits reveal a range
of dark, self-destructive feelings, whether her haunting face is on a
fawn plugged with bloody arrows or on a body opened to reveal a steel
post replacing her spinal column or whether she is shown in various
stages of bleeding in hospital beds.
While some of this is unpleasant, there's a morbid
fascination with this woman who was unable to come to terms with
herself during her lifetime.
Some of Kahlo's history is glossed over or omitted
completely (her affiliation with the Communist Party, her affair with
Leon Trotsky) and her relationship with the older and physically
imposing Diego Rivera is only briefly explored. There are also some
dramatic moments that seem to be here more for Cardona's benefit as a
performer than to lend any insight into Kahlo.
Still, despite its dwelling a bit too much in the
Land of the Tortured Artist, much of this is quite compelling.
Although, whether she should really be compared to Vincent van Gogh is
arguable.
"Frida Kahlo: A Ribbon Around a Bomb" (the title
comes from poet Andre Breton's description of the volatile Kahlo) is
not rated but would doubtless get an R for language and for some of the
imagery in Kahlo's paintings.
Director: Arun Khopkar
