Gabriel Figueroa’s international influence in the film world is one that every cinematographer dreams of achieving. Known for his portrayal of Mexico as both a harsh and beautiful place, Figueroa, along with other leading filmmakers of his time, introduced a new nationalistic view of Mexico.
“He embodies a number of Victorian cinematographic traditions, and he combines them all. He’s eclectic,” said film professor Maria Elena de las Carreras. “He channeled different traditions, and he used them according to his own artistic vision.”
His artistry will be honored tonight and Saturday, as the UCLA Film and Television Archive launches its “Classic Mexico: Three Films by Gabriel Figueroa” series at the Getty Museum.
Gabriel Figueroa was among the leading cinematographers during his time and remains an unsurpassed talent of Mexico’s Golden Age of Film from 1930 to 1960.
The showcased films include what many consider his most famous works: “Nazarin,” “The Fugitive,” and “Enamorada.”
“Nazarin” is a critique of Christianity and is part of Pope John Paul II’s list of 45 best films of all time. “The Fugitive,” about a flawed priest who becomes a martyr, presents a harsh view of Mexico. “Enamorada” is a comedic update of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.”
In recognition of Figueroa’s significant influence in film development, de las Carreras never fails to include a screening of one of his films in her classes’ curricula.
“(My) students, especially in cinematography, are struck by the composition and how he captures the human emotion,” she said. “It’s the use of light and the use of composition that speaks to audiences. … It is through the experience of the beautiful that (Figueroa) reaches an audience.”
Figueroa was part of the artistic circle in Mexico of his time and worked with critically acclaimed directors, including Emilio Fernandez, Luis Bunue and John Ford. His proximity to great teachers and artists, as well as his genuine skill, have made him a reference point for measuring talent.
“Every cinematographer in Mexico defines himself against Figueroa,” de las Carreras said. “(He) was after a classic, grandeur view of Mexico.”
In conjunction with Figueroa’s films, the Getty is holding an exhibit called “The Goat’s Dance: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide,” open now and running until April 13th. Both Figueroa and Iturbide portray Mexico in unique and powerful ways, complementing each other’s interest in Mexican culture and history.
“(Figueroa’s films) are a precedent and they are very nationalistic, and I think (Iturbide’s) photographs are as well. Both of them are very in love with Mexico, and both have pictured it in iconic ways,” said Andrea Alsberg, co-head of public exhibitions at the Billy Wilder Theater. “Both (Figueroa and Iturbide) are intrigued with native images.”
Graciela Iturbide’s 140 displayed photographs are traditional, undoctored black-and-white representations of different aspects of life in Mexico and the United States (notably East Los Angeles) from the 1970s through the 1990s.
“The exhibition goes back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico and is her vision, her view of what these different areas of both countries are like,” said Judy Keller, curator of the exhibit.
“(Iturbide) refers to them as “˜her Los Angeles’ and “˜her image’ of what the border is like and what people there are like.”
Iturbide’s photographs tend to focus on different communities of people, specifically their customs, religions and rituals. A particular collection portrays a slaughter of goats that took place in the state of Oaxaca, La Mixteca in the early 1990s.
“She does think of it as very personal work and work that is intended to be more poetic, more … lyrical,” Keller said. “In other words, it borders more on the mysterious or the fantastic than the real.”
Her photographs also suggest an interest in the lives of women, “La Frontera” ““ the border between Mexico and the United States, the blend of culture in border cities such as Tijuana and the landscape of the southern United States and Mexico.
“I think her experience as a working artist helps her to relate to the people she photographs,” Keller said. “I think that her pictures will help us all perhaps understand each other better.”
Alsberg hopes that the free “Classic Mexico” event will attract a wide variety of people.
“The goal is to see the art exhibit and see the film,” Alsberg said. “The brochure is being printed in both Spanish and English. So, the hope is that Spanish-speaking people will be able to see the film as well.”
She hopes that visitors will appreciate these two artists, who share a deep interest in the representation of Mexico as not just a place, but as a culture as well.