Evita (1996)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers (WGA):

Tim Rice (book)
Alan Parker (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 January 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Musical

Tagline:

The Most Anticipated Motion Picture Event of The Year

Plot:

The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president and dictator Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.

Plot Keywords:

Argentina | Actress | Broadway Musical | Political | Poverty

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Madonna	...	Eva Perón
Antonio Banderas	...	Ché
Jonathan Pryce	...	Juan Perón
Jimmy Nail	...	Agustín Magaldi
Victoria Sus	...	Doña Juana
Julian Littman	...	Brother Juan
Olga Merediz	...	Blanca
Laura Pallas	...	Elisa
Julia Worsley	...	Erminda
María Luján Hidalgo	...	Young Eva (as Maria Lujan Hidalgo)
Servando Villamil	...	Cipriano Reyes
Andrea Corr	...	Perón's Mistress
Peter Polycarpou	...	Domingo Mercante
Gary Brooker	...	Juan Bramuglia
Maite Yerro	...	Julieta (as Mayte Yerro)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, images of violence and some mild language.

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #34775) | Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Sweden:11 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:12 (bw) | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Spain:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Company:

Hollywood Pictures

Trivia:

Antonio Banderas only speaks 6 words of dialog in the entire film.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the Mass, when Evita is receiving Communion, she responds to the priest with "Amen". However, in a Tridentine Mass, nothing is said by the communicant before receiving the sacrament. The practice of saying "Amen" does not begin until the Second Vatican Council.

Quotes:

Ché: She had her moments. She had some style.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Nightmares (#1.10)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952

The first great musical movie after nearly 20 years

Excellent Lloyd Webber-Rice musical is finally brought to the silver screen twenty years after the release of its concept album. Being used to watching flashy, colourful musicals, namely from MGM, full of catchy tunes and full of breathtaking dance routines, "Evita" left me quite shocked. It was the first (and last) "political" musical I saw. The music impressed me at once, however the story and the setting did not quite do so at first sight. It was only later, when I read something about the life story of Eva Peron did I really appreciate the excellent work Lloyd Webber and Rice did. Even though they were not 100% faithful to the real story, the bio-musical gave a somewhat clear picture of what type of woman Eva Peron was. The movie was great with its re-enactments of the 1940s-1950s Argentine elections, however, having personally performed in the stage version (playing a descamisado, a waiter, a policeman and one of Eva's lovers), I cannot but point out the several drawbacks it had. It is true that the funeral, the electoral campaign and the terrorism were by far better on screen than on stage, yet the stage musical had a certain charm which was lost in the film. It could be due to the fact that on stage there was some dancing involved while the movie had none; it could be because one was live and one was playback; it could be because some of the harmonies were lost in the movie; it could be simply due to the fact that in one I participated while in the other I was just a spectator. I don't know, still the stage version was more "alive". Nonetheless, in order to be fair, I have to admit that the movie version did have some improvements as regards to the play. The best one of them was the song "You Must Love Me". Apart from finally re-uniting composer and lyricist after more than 10 years of cold war, it presents the First Lady of Argentina as a woman who has some feelings, who is afraid in front of her approaching death, who is not only interested in becoming vice-president, as the stage production tends to hint. How much this is historically true is beyond me, yet it is good to give some human element to the heroine.

I was quite impressed by the actors' interpretations. Madonna has finally showed the world that she is able to look great without taking her clothes off, that she is more than just voice, boobs and scandal. Jonathan Pryce was excellent as the Argentine president - such a pity he had so little to sing, having such a great voice. Antonio Banderas impressed me - I did not know he was that good at singing. The role of the narrator was quite a breakthrough after his ‘tough-guy' parts, and he did it quite well. Some critics said that this movie would set the way for future film versions of musicals - I hope they were right!