In making “Evita”, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice sought to present an unbiased portrayal of the life of Argentinian political leader Eva Peron. This unbiased portrayal however was interpreted as, an almost vicious attack to a woman that many Argentinians consider a saint. The musical “Evita” re-ignited a debate that had long since burned in Argentina, was this woman a saint or simply a social climber? The life of Eva Peron (then Eva Duarte) began in extreme poverty raised mainly in the town of Junin. In 1934 at the age of fifteen she left her home and moved to Buenos Aires to become an actress. There she would work in radio and film until she founded the Argentine Radio Syndicate (ARA) and began a career in politics in 1943. In a fundraiser
…show more content…
In the stage version, Evita was already thought to be overly sexualized and vulgar but the fact that a pop star who was known for sexual scandals would portray Eva Duarte on the big screen was like adding insult to injury. The crew was greeted with aggression from the moment they arrived in Buenos Aires to film. In an article by Nancy Griffin she recalls:” The pro-Peronist press began a relentless campaign against the movie. A former secretary of Eva Peron's was publicly quoted as saying, "We want Madonna dead or alive. If she does not leave I will kill her." This was a common feeling for staunch supporters of Eva Peron, they felt that their Idols memory was being dragged through the mud. In “Evita” we do not get to see very much political backstory, there are little quips in lyrics here and there insinuating fascists ties or money laundering, clips showing military leaders being deposed. David Shenin makes a great point in his film review by mentioning "Without attention to the corporatist foundation of Peronism, the strength of Evita's work in gaining suffrage for Argentine women, union organizing, and political leadership is lost." “Evita” seems to let the negative aspects of Eva’s life shine while her accomplishments are minimized almost to
In the stage version, Evita was already thought to be overly sexualized and vulgar but the fact that a pop star who was known for sexual scandals would portray Eva Duarte on the big screen was like adding insult to injury. The crew was greeted with aggression from the moment they arrived in Buenos Aires to film. In an article by Nancy Griffin she recalls:” The pro-Peronist press began a relentless campaign against the movie. A former secretary of Eva Peron's was publicly quoted as saying, "We want Madonna dead or alive. If she does not leave I will kill her." This was a common feeling for staunch supporters of Eva Peron, they felt that their Idols memory was being dragged through the mud. In “Evita” we do not get to see very much political backstory, there are little quips in lyrics here and there insinuating fascists ties or money laundering, clips showing military leaders being deposed. David Shenin makes a great point in his film review by mentioning "Without attention to the corporatist foundation of Peronism, the strength of Evita's work in gaining suffrage for Argentine women, union organizing, and political leadership is lost." “Evita” seems to let the negative aspects of Eva’s life shine while her accomplishments are minimized almost to