Wednesday, January 8, 1997
With a lot of determination and a little luck, mega pop star and
occasional actress Madonna finds her dream role in the smash hit of
the season, ‘Evita.’By Brandon Wilson
Daily Bruin Staff
The release of "Evita," which goes into city-wide release this
week after a Christmas Day debut at the Cinerama Dome, is quite the
coup for the Material Mom. While critical response has been as
divided as the response to the real Eva Perón, the film has
managed to garner five Golden Globe nominations, including best
picture and best actress.
So, in case you didn’t notice, today is the beginning of a new
era for Madonna. This was evident at the press day held for
"Evita."
Looking trim and none the worse for wear after walking through
the shadow of the valley of childbirth, this is a different Madonna
from the one who once fellated a helpless Evian bottle in "Truth or
Dare." Wearing a tasteful maroon, floral print suit from Dolce and
Gabbana, this is a measured and contained Madonna.
"Evita" is the culmination of Madonna’s long-waged campaign to
land the title role. Her effort took the form of a now legendary
four-page handwritten letter from Madonna to Alan Parker,the film’s
director, in which she made her case for why she should sing the
songs and wear the suits.
"I truly believe Madonna was far and away the best for the role
because of the genre of the film and what the role required," says
the director. "I can’t get it in my head that anyone would’ve been
better. The only problem that ever came into my head was the fact
that the icon, the celebrity (of Madonna), might get in the way.
Whether people would not accept her as an actress or as Eva
Perón because she’s Madonna. She’s as famous as Eva Perón
was! That was the only difficulty, the baggage that came with
it."
Parker and Madonna met in Los Angeles to discuss her
involvement, and the director went in needing a replacement for a
recently departed Michelle Pfeiffer.
"I just really had to be convinced that she was going to be as
committed as she was saying." says Parker. "Because she’s very
busy, she’s got a company, she’s got a recording career to be
concerned with and I was kind of surprised that she would put all
that on hold for two years, which she has done. She has been
completely committed to it, I really have to point that out."
Landing the role put Madonna opposite Antonio Banderas, whom she
seems to have some cosmic link to considering his American
introduction came for many with his appearance in her documentary
"Truth or Dare" where he had to withstand the amorous onslaught of
a smitten and swooning Madonna.
For Banderas, having met Madonna years ago was a fortunate
coincidence, as well as a reassurance while undertaking a key role
in such a huge production.
"I think, and this is just my opinion, that Madonna uses ‘Evita’
as therapy. ‘Evita’ for Madonna is a diary, a way to tell real
feelings that she has without going to the press. I think there’s a
certain process of osmosis between Eva Duarte de Perón and
Madonna: both coming from the bottom to the top, both are hate her
or love her (personae), both have an incredibly huge public image,
an image that’s sometimes a monster they can’t control. I think she
jumped into this project with all that in her head, and it was very
overwhelming to see her in that transformation.
"I shouldn’t say this, it probably isn’t fair, but I think it’s
going to be hard for her to be as good as she is in this movie
(again). This character just fit her so well."
The two actors had nothing but superlatives for one another and
their working relationship. The production period began with
Madonna, Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce (who plays Juan Perón,
political strongman and husband of Eva), recording all their songs
and dialogue in a London studio. The music was also recorded at
this time so that the actors on location could sing to the
playback. While this approach to musical film making is a sound and
efficient one, Banderas often felt constrained by the London track
while on location in Buenos Aires and Budapest.
"I’m an actor that loves to improvise," says Banderas. "With
‘Evita,’ we had to record the album first in London, and at the
time we knew whatever we do there is what you have to perform, you
cannot escape from that," he says. "It was like building a house by
starting with the roof."
Meanwhile, Madonna had to acclimate to being only the actor in a
project when she’s used to a lot more control and wielding a lot
more decision-making power. But, she insists, this wasn’t as an
hard adjustment to make as many might believe.
"I think people misuse the word ‘control’ because everything
I’ve done all the records, tours, videos, whatever, there’s always
been a collaboration," she says. "I never work by myself. I never
work in a dogmatic fashion where I come into a room and say
‘Everything I want is going to happen.’ Obviously I’ve had the
final say over most of the things I’ve worked on. In the case of
this movie, it wasn’t a difficult thing to accept because I was
surrounded by very talented people, and I never once questioned or
doubted Alan’s decisions or his ability to pull it off."
And pulling it off was a tall order. The film required literally
thousands of extras (a feat usually left to digital imaging these
days) and locations meticulously made over to fit the period of the
story. And the biggest most daunting locale of them all was the
Casa Rosada, the presidential mansion from whose balcony Eva
addressed thousands, and where the famous aria "Don’t Cry for Me
Argentina" was to be sung.
From the start Parker and company were told they would never get
to film at the actual site. It took persistence, an audience with
Argentinean President Carlos Menem, and the formidable powers of
persuasion of Ms. Ciccone herself.
"I think President Menem wanted to hear in my words what we were
planning to do with the movie," says Madonna. "And to tell you the
truth, I’m the one who pursued the meeting for a very long time. I
kept working my way closer to the inner circle of people who knew
him. Finally I became friendly with someone who was a good friend
of the president’s. He was the one who made it happen and I’m very
grateful to him. I think our meeting helped get the balcony at the
Casa Rosada."
Parker however cites the shift in Argentine public opinion as
the deciding factor in their turn of good luck.
"When we first arrived in Buenos Aires there was graffiti that
said ‘Fuera (Get out) Madonna’ and ‘Chau Alan Parker,’ they didn’t
want us there. But it turned out to be only a few people, and the
majority of people welcomed us and were very kind to us. I think
Menem saw that, he saw the political change in most of the people
and he suddenly said yes at the last minute, because it was
apparent we were making a respectable and maybe even good film.
When all the maneuvering was complete Madonna found herself dressed
in the likeness of the Argentine first lady and surrounded by an
ocean of extras and technicians, standing in the same place the
real Evita did. The result greatly affected Madonna: "I felt like I
was dreaming because it seemed like something that was never going
to happen. From the time we arrived in Argentina we were told every
day there’s no way we could film on the balcony. And it finally
happened at the very last minute. So there was a great sense of
victory; but also the fact that I knew Eva had once stood in that
exact spot staring down at thousands of people, and it was a great
poetic synergistic kind of moment where I really felt I was her. It
was amazing."
Whether "Evita" manages to bring Madonna her first Oscar
nomination (let alone actually winning the statue) or launches the
film career she’s never been able to realize in over 10 years, the
film has already left it’s mark on her. Deeper than the new look
and more sophisticated image, Madonna’s bond with Eva Perón
seems to have taught her about both, Eva and herself.
"(Learning about Eva) helped me not to be so affected or wounded
by the negative things people say. I could relate to her on that
level," says Madonna. "Before I thought she’d been treated unfairly
in her portrayal by the media. I felt there was more to her, that I
was going to go in and find that out. Now that I have found that
out, I’m even more sympathetic and compassionate to her. I don’t
think she was a saint, I don’t think she always made the right
decision, but I think she was an incredible woman; it was a great
challenge as an actress, as a woman, as a human being to portray
her and bring her to life in this movie."
FILM: "Evita" opens city-wide Friday and is now playing at the
Cinerama Dome in Hollywood.
Photos by Cinergi Productions
During the production of "Evita," Madonna (r.) discusses a scene
with acclaimed director Alan Parker, the creative force behind the
successful film adaptation.