Sexo Por Compasion (Compassionate Sex)
Sexo por compasion is a film that we watched in my Spanish 385 class – Introduction to Hispanic Film. It’s a Spanish movie that was written and directed by a woman named Laura Mana. It’s a good, well-made movie, and there are some elements that are pro-feminists in the plot, but, as far as the overall story went, I found it to be a big failure for womankind over all.
These are some of my notes from a comparison of Frida and Sexo por compasion:
There is a popular old saying in the United States that says that only hookers and children wear red shoes. There are phrases such as “The Red Light District” that refer to areas where women of ill-repute conduct their business. In the movie “Sexo por compasion” this tradtion is continued with scenes of prostitutes wearing vivid red and the benefits of the unleashed sexuality of Lolita bringing the color back into a black-and-white town. However, in Julie Taymor’s “Frida” the protagonist often incorporates vivid reds, greens, and other colors of passion and power into her wardrobe. In this film, it is in no way implied that the audience is to think of Frida as a whore despite her active, varied, and adulterous sex life. Instead, she is simply a woman who is taking control of herself and her destiny, one who is not afraid to create her own personal style of thought and action, much like she does with her style of dress. In a word of already vivid color, those of Frida shine brighter because of her steadfast belief in herself and the right to be whoever she chooses to be, despite the confines of her society and her physical disabilities.
Frida’s personalit(ies) /contra Lolita’s 2-D character
The sexual revolution of the 20s and flappers short hair and revoluntionary style of dress and how Frida fully mirrors and embraces this attitude
How this sexual revolucion allowed for Frida’s masculinity and masculine golds and blues and deep greens and reds. Mainly primary colors.
Julie Taymor – “In traditional color-correcting,” she begins, “all you have is red, blue and yellow, and you can’t stop, so the color is easier to correct.” (email article) /
contra the black and white of Dolores and village and the color that only comes with men and women coming together, or more accurately, the men taking action upon their women – it is all their choice, the women stay passive to allow this to happen, always remain traditionally feminine. Lolita comes to be because of her desire for her husband, not her desire to reclaim her own identity and continue her charitable works on her own behalf. She would rather sin than be without her man.
Puta y Santa in green and Santa Dolores contra Las Putas y La Madame
Frida’s “blue periods” she came in and went out in the movie in vivid blue – the song “Burn in Blue”. Blue is usually a cool, calming color, but with Frida’s spirit it is vibrant, exciting, and literally fiery.
