The Fame Issue
What to read, what to see, where to go.
Famous People (book edition)
All these coffee table books are signed by very important people. What better reason to have them on the table?
Famous People (movies edition)
Why pay attention to your own life when everyone else's is projected on the big screen? Nothing calls for popcorn like the lives of the most famous.
In addition to commenting on, criticizing, and representing human reality, art has one essential function: entertainment. This truth is particularly absolute when it comes to movies. Yes, of course, the movies we watch must sprout seeds in us that make us think. But it's also true that if a movie doesn't capture our attention, we'll leave the theater at intermission. Few film genres manage to balance this duality. One of them is certainly biopics, or biographical films, for those who have the Latin to spare. There is nothing as fascinating as the celebrities we elevate to the status of the divine.
When the term "celebrity" is mentioned, it's normal to assume that we're simply talking about the musicians and actors who usually monopolize the title. But when it comes to biopics, fame is considered more broadly. The subjects of these films are also historical figures, people whose names are mentioned in history books rather than on Instagram. Individuals who, by the way, they have lived their lives, have fundamentally affected the lives of others. Malcolm X (1992) is certainly one of the films that falls into this category, telling the life story of an activist of the same name. It is also an excellent reminder of the injustice present in our social context. The film directed by Spike Lee not only represents the struggle for civil rights but was also the subject of controversy due to accusations that it glorified a "problematic character". The kind of criticism made by those who don't read the aforementioned history textbooks. But a biopic doesn't have to have a political essence to be considered quality, if it did we'd be back to the education/entertainment dynamic. Biographical films can simply be ways of exposing the adventures of the most interesting people who ever lived. Think of films like Frida (2002), in which the Mexican artist's journey is explored, revealing some of the moments that helped Frida become the cultural icon she still is today. In the same vein is La Vie En Rose (2007), one of the most successful biopics of all time. The film was so successful that Marion Cotillard became the first actress to win a Best Actress Oscar for a film spoken in a language other than English, an award that was more than justified given Cottilard's performance. Films like Ray (2004) and Walk the Line (2005) have the same energy: they are explanations of the artistic identity of controversial icons like Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, respectively.
In recent years, biopics have also developed a new function. In the light of movements like #MeToo and #FreeBritney, biographical films have become ways of showing how women are judged when they are famous. Behind the pink magazines lurk real people whose lives are misrepresented by malicious headlines. Judy (2019) fulfills exactly this purpose and exposes how, in the hands of the film industry, Judy Garland's life was tortured. Spencer (2021) has a similar function, only replacing Hollywood with Buckingham Palace. The film examines the pressure Princess Diana was under and how it was detrimental to her mental health. Although this genre of biopics is interesting, it's safe to say that, as a trend, it's over. After Blonde (2022), concerns were raised that these films glorified the pain these women had to go through. The Marylin Monroe biopic was the subject of incessant criticism that director Andrew Dominik had reduced the icon to her pain.
We couldn't fail to mention the biopic version of Barbenheimmer: Elvis (2022) versus Priscilla (2023). The former, directed by Baz Luhrmann, is a true visual odyssey, describing the fame of the King of Rock'n'Roll. However, the movie focuses more on the singer's relationship with his agent. The story of his love life, particularly his relationship with Priscilla Presley, is not explored in depth. This gap is about to be filled in Priscilla (2023), a movie that promises to tell the details of this romance (Priscilla met Elvis when she was 14 and the singer was 24). More importantly, the film is directed by Sofia Coppola. The anticipation building up for the film (which will premiere in November) proves the initial point: biopics are films that are as educational as they are exciting.
*Originally translated from The Fame Issue, published October 2023. Full credits and stories in the print issue.
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