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Articles
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| Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the movies |
VOICE writes, "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the movies
By Beth Lambdin
Hispanic Heritage Month began Sept. 15, Independence Day for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, and runs through mid-October.
This month’s column honors the Hispanic contribution to film by featuring the first Oscar-winning performances by Hispanic actors and actresses. All, except the Best Actress performance, that is. Although Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek and Catalina Sandido Moreno have been nominated, we’re still waiting for that historic moment when a Hispanic actress wins. "
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Cyrano de Bergerac (1950, Unrated)
The film trailer, included on the DVD, praises José Ferrer’s Best Actor performance as magnificent, a “thrilling star performance as the remarkable hero of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac!” Cyrano is touted as the “most fabulous hero of all time with the most famous nose in history. He fought because of it! He loved in spite of it! He lived to immortalize it!”
Actually, there is some truth to the hyperbole. Cyrano (1619-55) was a witty wordsmith finding success in 17th century France as a playwright and poet. And, he was a fine swordsman known for his swashbuckling duels. His nose, however, was unremarkable.
Not so in the film. Ferrer sports a prominent protuberance, which he quips, “precedes me by a quarter hour.” As Cyrano, Ferrer is eloquent and charming showcasing natural comedic talent as a swashbuckling satirist who wounds and woos with his words. One minute, he skewers the local thespians and the next he waxes rhapsodic about his love for the fair Roxanne (Mala Powers).
But, his is an unrequited love; she’s clueless about his affections, and has given her heart to another, the handsome, but tongue-tied young soldier, Christian (William Prince). Nearly mute in Roxanne’s presence, Christian convinces Cyrano to coach him. Soon, the “stammering idiot who cannot court a woman” sets Roxanne’s heart aflutter. Woe is Cyrano.
West Side Story (1961, Unrated)
On Oct. 21, 1961, “West Side Story” premiered in New York City and was an instant success. Critics showered the film with praise. It earned 11 Academy Award nominations and won 10, including a Best Supporting Oscar for Rita Moreno, the first Hispanic actress to be so honored. She gives a great performance as the strong and fiery Anita.
“West Side Story” is Romeo and Juliet set to music and dance in the gritty New York City of the late 1950s. Two rival gangs of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds feud over turf. But, the heart of the story is the star-crossed love between Tony (Richard Beymer), a former member of the Jets, the white gang, and Maria (Natalie Wood), the baby sister of Bernardo (George Chakiris in an Oscar-winning performance), the leader of the Sharks, the Puerto Rican gang. Decades of gang warfare, bigotry and hatred be damned, they believe that somewhere there’s a place for them and their love.
Moreno’s sexy and vibrant as Bernardo’s girlfriend and tender and loving as Maria’s best friend. She’s also a great dancer stealing every scene she’s in.
The film boasts music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and direction/choreography by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. Is it worth a re-watch or a first watch? Many scenes are corny and hopelessly naïve, but the fabulous music redeems the schmaltz. It’s time for songs like “Tonight,” “America,” and “A Place for Us” to be appreciated by a new generation of film aficionados.
Traffic (2000, R)
At the Academy Awards in 2001, Benicio Del Toro became the first Hispanic actor to win the Best Supporting Oscar. Del Toro, always compelling to watch, won for his nuanced portrayal of a Mexican drug cop in Steven Soderbergh’s sweeping depiction of the drug trade.
This complicated film tells three different stories with overlapping threads. The first takes place south of the border in Tijuana, Mexico where a crafty and resourceful cop (Del Toro) struggles to do his job and stay alive in a country where law enforcement is described as an “entrepreneurial activity.” His is a confusing (and violent) world of drug dealers, police and government officials where no one can be trusted.
In a complete change of pace, the film shifts to the manicured lawns of La Jolla, Calif., where a wealthy, pregnant housewife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is stunned by her husband’s sudden arrest for drug smuggling. She is furious with her husband and faces numerous challenges as she copes with the potential loss of a privileged lifestyle.
Finally, we’re introduced to the new drug czar (Michael Douglas), a former Ohio judge, as he glad hands with members of Congress. He quickly sees the futility of his mission, but he has an intensely personal stake in the drug war since his 16-year-old daughter (Erika Christensen) is addicted to crack.
The lucrative drug trade takes everyone prisoner and forces the main characters to face complex moral questions. The film opts for realism rather than psychologically satisfying solutions. But, its fractured story line, somber material and flat emotional tone (except for Christensen’s scenes) make it a chore to watch, despite stellar performances and the occasional comic relief provided by Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman as bickering Drug Enforcement Agents.
Agree? Disagree? Let Beth know what you think at beth@bethlambdin.com.
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Posted on Oct 18, 2007 14:09pm.
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