About the one who doesn't stay silent

perspectives on history and femininity in the biopic "Frida" (2002)

Abstract

This article analyzes the film Frida (2002), directed by Julie Taymor, from a gender perspective and through the lens of contemporary feminist theories. It examines how the cinematic narrative constructs Frida Kahlo’s personal and artistic life, challenging traditional norms of femininity—such as beauty, behavior, and motherhood—and highlighting the artist’s practices of resistance. The study draws on the concepts of “technologies of gender” (Teresa de Lauretis), “successful femininity” (Naomi Wolf), and analyses of female motherhood and sexuality (Elisabeth Badinter and Marcela Lagarde) to investigate how the female body and behavior are constructed and regulated within filmic discourse. The article concludes that the film operates as an ambiguous discursive technology: it reinforces certain historical norms while also creating spaces for subversion, allowing for critical interpretations of female identity and the body within patriarchal contexts.