ELISA yy
MARCELA A FILM FILM REVIEW REVIEW A By Francesca Moran
Black and white, artsy, foreign language, gay; if you are like me and like any of these things then you will love Netflix’s Elisa y Marcela. Directed by Isabel Coixet, this biopic tells the story of Spain’s first same-sex marriage between the two titular characters. The film is set from the late 1800’s through to the early 1900s, depicting the progression of the relationship of the two main characters, portrayed through stunning cinematography. The couple endure a lot of challenges throughout their lives but contrary to how most LGBTQ+ films end, this one has quite a pleasant ending. The film is quiet and intimate and with scenes shot in black and white, it has a definitely artsy feel. There are a few plot holes in the story which are not explained in the film, which may have been due to editing or issues with run time. However, as it is a historical film, some elements of the story were unknown, so you can forgive the filmmakers for leaving it to
speculation rather than invent something that was not true. This film undoubtedly made me emotional, with the final black screen depicting that this was indeed a true story and that same-sex marriage was made legal in Spain only in 2005. Another nice touch was in the credits, with the inclusion of pictures of real-life lesbian weddings while the credits rolled. It was heart-warming to see just how far we as a society have come, that people can marry who they love without always having to resort to lying about their gender and having to live in secret. However, as the film points out in the end, homosexuality is still illegal in 72 countries, in 14 of which it is punishable with 14 years of imprisonment, and in 13 countries it is punishable by death. This is a stark reminder that, while we have come far, there is still much to be done.
