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i the worst of all | Year: 1995 Classification: Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa Directed: - María Luisa Bemberg Lush, Sad . . . Wonderful If ever there was a movie to see--this is definitely it. If you can get over your initial disgust at the pornographic misrepresentation, which is an insult to the woman whose life inspired this film, you will blissfuly experience the brilliance that is the beauty of Sor Juana. This movie is without doubt the most moving and accurate portrayal I have ever seen in biographical films to date. The end was so moving (we--the Spanish class) were literally sobbing. "Su sangre fue nuestros sangre". As delicate as a Raphaelite painting and as bold as a Rodan sculpture, this depiction will leave you breathless at the fiery soul who was "The Tenth Muse of Mexico". STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL FILM-MAKING One of my best friends saw that I was reading a novel about Sor Juana, SOR JUANA'S SECOND DREAM, by Alicia Gaspar de Alba, and recommended this film to me -- with the admonishment to ignore the tawdry blurb on the cover: "Lesbian passions seething behind convent walls", indeed! How ridiculous -- it would be like describing FORREST GUMP as "partying with coeds in a dorm room after hours". It's a cheap attempt to draw the wrong conclusions about this moving story. Don't let it put you off. This film about the amazing woman who has been called Mexico's 'Tenth muse' -- a reference to the title Plato bestowed on Sappho -- is a beautiful piece of film-making. Even considering the scenes that were meant to be outdoors, that were obviously shot on a sound stage, this is a lovely experience. The direction is superb, the acting amazingly sensitive -- I was enthralled, and I usually don't enjoy films with subtitles. Sor Juana was an amazing woman -- intellectual, creative, always pushing her own boundaries, and brave. For a woman in her era (seventeenth century Mexico) to profess that women had just as much right to an education, to learning, as men, set her against some powerful forces -- mainly the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Her courage and determination in the face of such opposition is inspiring -- it's easy to see why she's seen as a hero by so many. Tremendous Film - It's about time! The "Tenth Muse" has finally been portrayed accurately. I've studyed the writings of Sor Juana for nearly a decade and continue to be impressed by her artistry. This film captures much of what I appreciate about her and her writing. It shows Sor Juana as a strong woman who is truly a master of her art and a master of herself. That may seem an odd thing to say, but being a master of oneself in the cloister of the 17th century convent is a feat worthy of mention. For years there has been speculation that Sor Juana was, at the least, a sapphic poet, and probably a lesbian. Lets set the record straight. There is no direct evidence that Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was a lesbian. Did she write love poems to the Marquesa de Mancera? Yes. Does that make her a lesbian? No. She was simply writing poems to, and for, a friend in a commonly accepted style. Other contemporary male poets also wrote love poems to the Marquesa. Does that mean they were in love with her. Not at all. It was a common practice and was done as a sign of devotion, of friendship, and often as an attempt to earn a pension from the noble family. Having now said that, is it possible that she was a lesbian? Of course it's possible. Does it matter? No! Sor Juana is one of the finest scholars and poets of the Americas. That's what's important. Buy I The Worst Of All at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on I The Worst Of All Search with the Priority Search Engine on I The Worst Of All This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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