Enough of the weather for now--let's get back indoors to watch films! This semester I am lucky to be teaching "Latinos in Film." We'll be looking at films from the 1930 Talkies to contemporary Latino film and Latinas/Latinos in film. There are so many interesting films, it was difficult to decide which to use and which to put aside for future classes.
![Dracula (Spanish) [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T5Q843ANL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
One early film we'll be discussing is the Spanish language version of "Dracula." Hollywood Director, George Melford filmed two versions: an English language version during the day and a Spanish language version at night (graveyard shift--no pun intended). Lupita Tovar, Mexican American actress of the 1930s whose starring role in "Santa" made her famous on both sides of the border, played the Mina character in the Spanish version. In this film, her name is Eva and unlike the Mina from the English-language version, Eva is much more expressive and dominant and this is interesting considering the era. Don't be misled by the picture above. The character of Eva negotiates power in this film differently from the English version.
The shots are also slower and deepen the tension. In an interview, Lupita Tovar discusses how at 7p.m., they would begin shooting and leave at 7a.m. the next day. Bela Lugosi would arrive on the set much after Lupita had gone home. She never was able to meet him. Many critics have noted that this Spanish language version is a much better film than the one with Lugosi playing Dracula.
"Santa," "Dracula," "Salt of the Earth" and on to films like "Real Women Have Curves"--we're just going to have lots of fun including the chance to learn to write a screenplay. More on this soon--as we escape the cold to enter the world of film!
Leave a comment