Summary
Elisa & Marcela is a Spanish film with a historical background about two women who, against all odds, decided to love each other and are willing to do anything to be together. The film takes inspiration from the first recorded same gender marriage in Spain which, in this case, involves a woman dressing up as a man. The story is set in the late 19th and early 20th century Spain.
In 1885, Marcela Gracia Ibeas arrives to a Catholic school in A Coruna, Galicia where she meets fellow student Elisa Sanchez Loriga. At first, the two develop a friendship. However, as times goes their friendship deepens. The bond that the two share is stronger than any other, but the issues that surround them make it must harder.
Their love stays the same no matter the circumstances, and the two are determined to stand with each other no matter the situations. Marcela goes on to work in the education field with Elisa, who is a teacher. The two accept any risks involved in the society that goes against women loving women.
Soon, Elisa’s father learns of thier unexplained bond and decides to send Marcela to Madrid. This does nothing to lessen thier love for each other. In fact, the two are inspired to enact an audacious scheme. In an act of unconventional gender presentation, Elisa adopts the moniker “Mario Sanchez,” and dons the garb of a male for the purpose of a Catholic wedding to Marcela in the year nineteen hundred and one.
Rather, they manage to pull off the remarkable feat of procuring a marriage license under the guise of fooling the overwhelming red-tape bureaucracy, while the other legitimizing aspects of their bond remained oblivious to the church. Shortly afterward, however, they were informed that their marriage had been revoked, much to the church’s dismay. This led to extensive public speculation and the marriage had to bear the brunt of the legal maltreatment that followed, much to the couple’s shame. Attempts to garner some attention from the church and the state were futile, and they had no choice but to run away for the sake of their lives.
This film slyly omits Marcela’s intense fight for survival. Her psychological pain prevails in the memories of being an outlaw during a time of deep division. It cleverly captures the Makhnovist tenderness and enduring spirit that.Even though they annulled the marriage, it was still a marriage for the ages in Spain, as it was the first documented marriage between people of the same gender.
Elisa and Marcela was directed by Isabel Coixet, a Spanish film director celebrated for the emotional piquancy of her films and her rich visual imagery. She also uses her cinematic artistry to infuse historical narrative with emotional tenderness. The film’s use of black and white pictures adds an ethereal, archival quality appropriate for the film’s setting in the early 20th century.
The film’s protagonist, Elisa Sanchez Loriga, is performed by Natalia de Molina, who manages to play Elisa as a woman who is a prisoner of her own emotions.
The role of Marcela Gracia Ibeas is performed with a comparable emotional sensitivity and depth by Greta Fernández. Marcela is able to characterize the tumultuous brewhaha of emotions as she tries to love Elisa and dictate which side of the love spectrum she wants to be on.
The supporting actors, including Manolo Solo, Tamar Novas, and Sara Casasnovas, portray characters who offer support or opposition to the protagonist’s love.
Isabel Coixet’s masterfully written screenplay integrates history with poetry for emotional impact. Coixet steers clear of melodrama, rather, she brings out the emotional essence, the humanity of the two actors.
Coixet cinematographer’s monochrome cinematography supports the film’s setting. As the film is black and white, the viewers are brought back in time, profoundly and emotionally rather than just visually. It heightens the historical realism and emotional resonance.
IMDb Ratings
Elisa & Marcela holds an IMDb rating of 6.5 out of 10. While there is a plethora of mixed reviews, the score does indicate a relatively stagnant reputation, and a portion historical and social significance along with the pacing and storytelling do receive criticisms.
Critics awarded the film for shedding light on a blind spot in the LGBTQ+ chronicles, along with hailing the director for the respectful and honest portrayal. Standout performers, especially Natalia de Molina and Greta Fernández received accolades for their emotional authenticity.
Regardless, some reviewers pointed out that the film’s visuals and subject matter were interesting, yet the story progression at certain sections was rather sluggish, if not pompous. Others argued that the film suffered in the constructic of character arcs in the story that shifted focus from the main association.
In Spite of these criticisms, the film received awards for the audacity in covering a story that, for the most part, had been neglected and avoided. Numerous film festivals and critics in Spain and Latin America appreciated the cultural and historical importance of Elisa & Marcela, pertaining to the rising debates on equality and historical amnesia.
Cultural and Historical Importance
Elisa and Marcela were real life lovers and their story becomes remarkable not only because of their affection but the extent to which they went out to demonstrate it at a period of time in which it was deemed intolerable and were severely punished for. The first marriage to be recorded in the Spanish history was performed by a Marcela and Elisa. She was the winner of the first marriage that they had, even though it was later deemed unlawful.
Elisa and Marcela goes beyond a mere film and serves as a testament to the hidden stories of heroism that goes untold. It embodies the conflict endured by people who, against all odds, wished to pursue their hopes and live a reality intertwined with love and acceptance.
In the hands of Isabel Coixet, the story becomes part of a larger narrative that seeks to integrate and celebrate the lives of forgotten historical figures. The work serves as a cultural touchstone that, alongside other Isabel Coixet films, reframes the prevailing narrative to encourage discourse on how much has changed—and still needs to change—regarding social inclusion and equality.
With its distribution on Netflix, the film has an unparalleled reach and, as a result, has contributed to the understanding of Spanish history and reignited conversations on the global stage about the interrelationship between personal conviction, identity, human rights, and the history of Spanish people.
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