Frida Review – Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait In Documentary Form
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“I am not afraid of death. Even so, I must face the bitter fact that having many lives would still not be enough for me to paint everything I want” – Frida Kahlo.
Directed by Carla Gutierrez, the 2024 documentary “Frida” offers a riveting portrayal of the Mexican artist’s life through her own words. Drawing from intimate letters, diary entries, essays, and revealing interviews, the creators allow Frida Kahlo to narrate her own story. From her early days as a student activist to her rise as a celebrated artist who was painfully aware of her mortality, the documentary is a close look into Kahlo’s thoughts, ideals and artistic journey.
The cinematography incorporates a rich trove of archival photos and video footage of Frida Kahlo, filling in the gaps with striking animated renditions of her paintings. The tragic accident that forever changed Frida’s life is depicted viscerally, avoiding graphic imagery yet still leaving a profound impact on viewers. At the age of 18, Frida was aboard a bus when it was violently struck by a trolley car, resulting in injuries that would impact her for life. Though it left her in frail health, it also ignited her artistic passion and her love for self-portraits. Fernanda Echevarría lends her voice to Frida’s words, portraying her as the spirited, sensuous, and strong-willed woman that she was.
Intermittently, other voice actors also take over the narration, reading out the words of Frida’s friends, acquaintances, and her one great love – Diego Rivera (voiced by Jorge Richards), a celebrated painter and muralist whom she married at the age of 22.
Frida Kahlo’s tumultuous and passionate relationship with the much older Diego Rivera takes up a major chunk of the documentary, since a lot of her life did revolve around him, until the end of her days. There’s ample evidence from both artists to understand one thing: they deeply love each other, despite Diego’s perverse way of expressing it—through consistent infidelity.
“The more I love a woman, the more I want to hurt her. Frida was the most obvious victim of this disgusting trait,” Diego Rivera is quoted as saying. Theirs was an unconventional relationship to say the least, but they seemed to have pushed each other artistically, with their divorce proving to be turning point for Frida’s painting career. She vowed to be independent and support herself after the divorce, and even upon remarrying, Frida insisted on being self-reliant, sharing household expenses with her husband.
Love, sex, and art were the driving forces of Frida Kahlo’s life, and the documentary effectively captures the artist’s passion throughout its 1 hour 27-minute runtime. It doesn’t feature any “expert interviews” or third-party commentaries, offering viewers a self-sufficient and comprehensive look at her life through her own ruminations.
You can stream “Frida” on Prime Video.
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