FRIDA is Julie Taymor and Salma Hayek's opulent new bio-pic about Mexican painter and twentieth-century icon Frida Kahlo (Hayek). The movie focuses on Kahlo's often rocky relationship with husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). The high-wattage cast includes Antonio Banderas as David Siqueiros, Rivera's rival in the Mexican art world; Ashley Judd as the Italian photographer Tina Modotti; Edward Norton as Nelson Rockefeller, who famously contracted Rivera to paint the lobby mural of Rockefeller Center only to renege because it included a portrait of Lenin; and Geoffrey Rush as Leon Trotsky. "Bringing a fiery warmth and accessibility to the central role, [Hayek] proves a good match for the artist as she depicts Kahlo's indomitable will to live, love and paint." ~ Variety.

The Variety review quoted above reads, "Rockefeller, who famously contracted Rivera to paint the lobby mural of Rockefeller Center only to renege because it included a portrait of Lenin..." is not entirely accurate. Rockefeller did not simply "renege" on the mural... he had it DESTROYED!

Diego Rivera was barred from Rockefeller Center and his mural covered up so that it could not be seen. This set off a firestorm of protest from the international Art movement and many local Artists and Activists in New York held daily protests outside Rockefeller Center in defense of Rivera's mural. Rockefeller quickly had the mural destroyed.

Rivera later recreated his famous mural "Man at the Crossroads" for the Bellas Artes Museum in Mexico City. In the new mural he once again painted Lenin surrounded by the Workers of the world... but this time he also included Rockefeller in the painting. Near the center of the mural Rivera painted a group of rich elites partying in excess while ignoring the rest of the world... Rockefeller was included in that group. Floating about the heads of the elits was a giant cloud of syphilis germs!

Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and those Artists who circulated around them are all worth knowing of... and I encourage everyone to read some of the many books now published about these radical Mexican Artists.

Not having seen the "Frida" movie Directed by Julie Taymor and starring Salma Hayek, I really can't comment on it's accuracy. Some have told me good things about it. My contention is, if you really want to know about a historical figure... don't turn to Hollywood for answers... go read some books.