Evita (1996)
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The film depicts the life of Argentine actress-turned-politician Eva Perón, detailing her beginnings, rise to power, and untimely death.
The story
The film depicts the life of Argentine actress-turned-politician Eva Perón, detailing her beginnings, rise to power, and untimely death. It begins with news of her death in 1952, using flashbacks to contrast her funeral with that of her father. At age 15, Eva lives in a provincial town, prostituting herself to a touring tango singer to reach Buenos Aires. In the city, she becomes a model, actress, and radio personality. She eventually meets Colonel Juan Perón, and the two form a populist connection that leads to his rise to power and their eventual marriage.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with the news of Eva Perón's death in 1952, featuring a narrator named Ché who promises to show how she did 'nothing for years.' Flashbacks reveal Eva's childhood and her father's funeral, where she was physically carried out of the church. At 15, she blackmails a tango singer to get to Buenos Aires, where she rises through the social ranks as a model and actress. She meets Colonel Juan Perón, and they form a political alliance based on their shared working-class roots. Eva uses her radio show and skills to promote Perón, who eventually wins the presidency. After marrying Perón, Eva becomes a glamorous First Lady and embarks on a 'Rainbow Tour' of Europe, where she receives mixed receptions from different nations. Upon returning, she establishes a foundation for the poor, becoming adored by the 'descamisados' but despised by the oligarchs. As she suffers from terminal cancer, she declines the Vice Presidency and makes a final broadcast to the people. She dies in the Unzué Palace, and the film ends with Ché visiting her embalmed body in a glass coffin.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 134
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Spanish
- Directors
- Alan Parker
- Writers
- Alan Parker · screenplay; Oliver Stone · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Madonna · Eva Perón; Antonio Banderas · Ché; Jonathan Pryce · Juan Perón
- Genres
- biographical; musical; drama
- Themes
- rise to power; political influence; class struggle; fame
- Tone and mood
- epic; grand; melancholic
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; musical; historical; political
- Source material / true-story basis
- the 1978 stage musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, which itself originated as a 1976 concept album
- Reception
- Evita received a mixed response from critics, with praise for Madonna's performance, the music, and cinematography, while criticism was aimed at the pacing and direction.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 64% · review count: 39; Metacritic · score: 45 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Song · win; Golden Globe · Best Original Song · win; Golden Satellite · Best Film · win; Golden Satellite · Best Original Song · win; Golden Satellite · Best Costume Design · win
- Production trivia
- Madonna broke the Guinness World Record for 'Most Costume Changes in a Film'.; The film was the first and only American film to be screened at the Pyongyang International Film Festival.; The production in Argentina was met with controversy, with the cast and crew facing protests.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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