Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Designed to prove
that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now
shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan
Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized
images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of
this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita
Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young
and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her
hometown,
and Aflees to the
big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession
of
men, marries her
country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born
illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life
under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides
being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as
bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats=
and often
prevented from
associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that
young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of
her
hatred of
Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be
an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s
attention. Aside from her good looks,
Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she
wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances,
and a
determination so
strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic
events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were
refused entry by his legal wife, were
still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the
big city to seek a better life.
Despite her
blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and
instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a ruthless
ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks,
strong character, determination to
succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against
the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change
her life.
Upon arrival in
Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and
she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to
become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing
limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men
who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to
be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she
did
to Augustine
Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film,
Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the
role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s
life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in
which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success
is
achieved,
ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163).
Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s
in many ways. Both came from a
working-class background, both lost a
parent at an
early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as
little girls. Evita=s fight for success
made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way
she overcame her loss in early life.
Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience
as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used
her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna
left her hometown to seek a better life.
Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get
what she wanted (185).
According to a
review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role
of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman
she is playing. Both ladies got far on
glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to
influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a
legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens
with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che
(Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as
politician and woman. He then takes us
through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva,
seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen
years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine
Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city
of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film
actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her
escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the
poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she
instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence
and shows the door to Peron=s mistress.
Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally
despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes)
who
Aview her as a
whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey
takes us to a confident and adored Eva.
Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks
stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan
Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and
the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know
fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know
what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty
speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On
the one hand is the
flesh that learnt
its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love
that turns the most sinful woman into a saint.
Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant.
(105)
The scene at the
balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as
a ruthless woman. Although the
privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her
(on the grounds of vengeance); the
masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged
working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally
on top of the world. Her followers
revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy,
she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given
the
Argentinean women
the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the
idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before
(106).
And the last
journey, a stricken Evita. According to
Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months,
Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline,
and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a
poor girl, became Argentina=s most
beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to
the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being
a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the
well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged
Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in
Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory
will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two
ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their
iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their
strong
fighting spirit,
and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to
be.
Evita and Madonna
may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to
follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them
heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan
Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A.
Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken.
"Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The
Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove
that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now
shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan
Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized
images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of
this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita
Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young
and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her
hometown,
and Aflees to the
big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession
of
men, marries her
country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born
illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life
under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides
being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as
bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats=
and often
prevented from
associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that
young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of
her
hatred of
Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be
an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s
attention. Aside from her good looks,
Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she
wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances,
and a
determination so
strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic
events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were
refused entry by his legal wife, were
still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the
big city to seek a better life.
Despite her
blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and
instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a
ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks,
strong character, determination to
succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against
the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change
her life.
Upon arrival in
Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and
she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to
become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing
limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men
who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to
be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she
did
to Augustine
Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film,
Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the
role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s
life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in
which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success
is
achieved,
ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163).
Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s
in many ways. Both came from a
working-class background, both lost a
parent at an
early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as
little girls. Evita=s fight for success
made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way
she overcame her loss in early life.
Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience
as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used
her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna
left her hometown to seek a better life.
Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get
what she wanted (185).
According to a
review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role
of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman
she is playing. Both ladies got far on
glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to
influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a
legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens
with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che
(Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as
politician and woman. He then takes us
through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva,
seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen
years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine
Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city
of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film actress,
becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her
escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the
poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she
instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence
and shows the door to Peron=s mistress.
Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally
despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes)
who
Aview her as a
whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey
takes us to a confident and adored Eva.
Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks
stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan
Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and
the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know
fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know
what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty
speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On
the one hand is the
flesh that learnt
its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love
that turns the most sinful woman into a saint.
Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant.
(105)
The scene at the
balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as
a ruthless woman. Although the
privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her
(on the grounds of vengeance); the
masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged
working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally
on top of the world. Her followers
revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy,
she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given
the
Argentinean women
the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the
idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before
(106).
And the last
journey, a stricken Evita. According to
Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months,
Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline,
and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a
poor girl, became Argentina=s most
beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to
the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being
a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the
well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged
Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in
Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory
will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two
ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their
iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their
strong
fighting spirit,
and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to
be.
Evita and Madonna
may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to
follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them
heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan
Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A.
Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken.
"Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The
Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove
that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now
shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan
Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized
images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of
this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita
Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young
and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her
hometown,
and Aflees to the
big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession
of
men, marries her
country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born
illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life
under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides
being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as
bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats=
and often
prevented from
associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that
young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of
her
hatred of
Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be
an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm
that could get her all the
things she
wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances,
and a
determination so
strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic
events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were
refused entry by his legal wife, were
still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the
big city to seek a better life.
Despite her
blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and
instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a
ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks,
strong character, determination to
succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against
the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change
her life.
Upon arrival in
Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and
she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to
become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing
limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men
who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to
be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she
did
to Augustine
Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film,
Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the
role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s
life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in
which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success
is
achieved,
ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163).
Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s
in many ways. Both came from a
working-class background, both lost a
parent at an
early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as
little girls. Evita=s fight for success
made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way
she overcame her loss in early life.
Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience
as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used
her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna
left her hometown to seek a better life.
Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get
what she wanted (185).
According to a
review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role
of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman
she is playing. Both ladies got far on
glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to
influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a
legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens
with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che
(Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as
politician and woman. He then takes us
through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva,
seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen
years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine
Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city
of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film
actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her
escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the
poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she
instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence
and shows the door to Peron=s mistress.
Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally
despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes)
who
Aview her as a
whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey takes
us to a confident and adored Eva.
Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks
stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan
Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and
the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know
fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know
what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty
speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On
the one hand is the
flesh that learnt
its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love
that turns the most sinful woman into a saint.
Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant.
(105)
The scene at the
balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as
a ruthless woman. Although the
privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her
(on the grounds of vengeance); the
masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged
working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally
on top of the world. Her followers
revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy,
she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given
the
Argentinean women
the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the
idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before
(106).
And the last
journey, a stricken Evita. According to
Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months,
Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline,
and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a
poor girl, became Argentina=s most
beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to
the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being
a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the
well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged
Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in
Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory
will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two
ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their
iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their
strong
fighting spirit,
and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to
be.
Evita and Madonna
may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to
follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them
heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan
Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A.
Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken.
"Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The
Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
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