This film was a true example of magical realism. In definition alone, "Magical realism is characterized by two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as prosaic reality".
This film was peppered with examples, such as the first; the exaggeration of tears of joy overflowing the house when Dona Elena gave birth to Tita. Then it was said that the sun dried up this flood and the salt from the tears were used to cook with all their meals.
I enjoyed how the creator of this film correlated Tita's passion of emotion she poured into her cooking with the experience of whom ever consumes the food. When everyone at the wedding ate the cake that Tita cried into the reaction was unremarkably poetic to how she felt when she was crying~Yearning for their true love and sad for their loss.
I think the most extravagant and most memorable scene was the expression of passion from the quail with rose petal sauce that Tita made. This was another emotion filled meal made after Pedro gave Tita roses and her mother demanded for them to be thrown away. In protest to her mother and her heated love and passion for Pedro she cooks with them only to have everyone that consumes the meal to feel the heat and passion the Tita and Pedro have for each other. And who could forget the scene with Gertrudis' response to the meal...she was past the boiling point when she set the shower house on fire from her desire and passion of her consumption.
I enjoyed this film for the magical realism that encircled a beautiful love story. To be able to enjoy a story/film is to understand what the character is feeling. Yes, it was extravagant but you knew exactly what emotion guided each character down their chosen path. It WAS magical, poetic and beautiful.
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Renee I agree with you. This film was very beautiful. And the part that stays with you the most that shows the magical realism is the scene of the roses and how it affected everyone that ate the food and even was in range to smell it. The sister setting the shower on fire because she was a bit over heated and then running off with the Captin " naked".
ReplyDeleteThis was a good movie. I liked it.
The ending was dramitic. Tita burning herself to death by eatting the book of matches. I want a copy of that cook book.
What a great post. I agree with everything you said, and I especially liked you last sentence where you said it was magical, poetic and beautiful. Indeed it was :)
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