Imelda (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Imelda
Directed by Ramona S. Diaz
Starring
Studio CineDiaz
Release dates
  • November 23, 2003 (2003-11-23) (Amsterdam)
Country Philippines
Language Tagalog, Filipino, English
Box office $200,992

Imelda is a 2003 documentary film about Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines, directed by Ramona S. Diaz.

Synopsis

Diaz followed former First Lady Imelda Marcos for a month and also interviewed her daughter Imee and her son Ferdinand, Jr.[1] In the film, Imelda recounts her whirlwind romance and marriage to her husband, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos.[2] According to Imelda, there were no human rights abuses in her country under her husband's rule;[2] she says that the reason her husband abolished Congress and declared martial law in 1972 was to protect democracy.[1] She justifies her extravagant clothing by claiming that it "inspired the poor to dress better".[1] She also says that she had enormous museums and theaters constructed to enrich the lives of Filipinos.[1]

Imelda claims that she had met Douglas MacArthur during his landing in Tacloban at the end of World War II, and that McArthur insisted that she should perform for the composer Irving Berlin,[3] who had composed the Philippine national anthem not long previously.[4] She sang "God Bless the Philippines"; and when asked by Berlin why she got the lyrics wrong, she said, "what's the difference between America and the Philippines?"[3] The assassination attempt on Imelda and the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr. are featured in the film.[5] Footage from parties held by the Marcos couple also appear, including one held in a yacht where actor George Hamilton is quoted as saying "I can't give you anything but love, Imelda."[3]

Release and reception

Imelda in 2006.

The film had its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and had its North American premiere in the documentary competition of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival,[6] where it won the Excellence in Cinematography Award Documentary.[6] The film was also screened within Maryland Film Festival in Baltimore, where Diaz resides.[6]

Critical reviews are mostly favorable.[7]<ref name = :Deseret" >Imelda. Deseret News. December 2, 2004.</ref>[8][9] The film holds a 94% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes and a 69% favorable review form Metacritic.[10][11] The website Film Threat commends the film's treatment of the subject's flaws because it "allows her to describe them herself";[1] TV Guide acknowledges Marcos as "an entertaining storyteller".[12] The New York Times describes the film as "a devastating portrait" and equates the theme of Imelda with that of delusion and power.[13] San Francisco Chronicle said the film was "spellbinding".[3] Both the Chronicle and Variety considered the film balanced and even-handed.[3][4] Variety suggested that Marcos, someone who has been accustomed to living under the spotlight since her teens, was convinced that her own charm and charisma would create a more favorable impression in the film than might otherwise be expected. It remarked that "her defenses of her husband and his regime are obviously filled with rationalizations and obfuscations".[4] Other reviewers were more scathing,[1] or noted with irony her distorted reality and many contradictions within her rationalizations.[4][3]

The film took only $200,992 at the box office in the United States.[14] In the Philippines, Marcos succeeded in obtaining a temporary injunction that prevented its showing, but the injunction was lifted before long. Upon release, it earned more than Spiderman 2, and was considered as a smash hit.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Imelda. Film Threat.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "A walk in the shoes of Imelda Marcos". The Boston Globe. August 6, 2004.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 FILM CLIPS / Also opening today. San Francisco Chronicle. June 11, 2004.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Review: ‘Imelda’. Variety. March 17, 2004.
  5. ↑ 'Imelda': Don't Cry for Her. The Washington Post. July 16, 2004.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Imelda. Internet Movie Database.
  7. ↑ Walk in her shoes. Canoe.ca. December 1, 2004.
  8. ↑ Short Reviews: Imelda. The Phoenix. August 6-12, 2004.
  9. ↑ Movie guide. Christian Science Monitor. June 18, 2004.
  10. ↑ Imelda. Rotten Tomatoes.
  11. ↑ Imelda. Metacritic.
  12. ↑ Imelda. '.TV Guide.
  13. ↑ For a Regal Pariah, Despite It All, the Shoe Is Never on the Other Foot. The New York Times. June 9, 2004.
  14. ↑ Imelda. Box Office Mojo.

External links

Family
Education
Political career
Presidency
(1965–1986)
Post-presidency
Elections
Contributions
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.