I had heard of "Like Water for Chocolate" for a long time and finally got around to seeing it on DVD yesterday. The English subtitles are very well done, both in vocal matching and vocal pacing. As Ebert explains, water for chocolate is very hot, and that's what kind of passion Tita's cooking arouses in others, when she adds her magic ingredient.
Set in early 1900s Mexico, Tita is the youngest and "by family tradition" is told she cannot marry but must stay and take care of her mother until she dies. Being a rather young and healthy mother, that seemed like forever. The young man who loves her marries her sister instead so he can stay close to Tita. In addition to her exquisite cooking, she has a special way with babies, caring for her nephew, secretly breast feeding him, who dies shortly after they move to Texas. He wouldn't eat anymore.
Eventually Tita tires of her mother's oppression, leaves, marries a doctor, mother dies, things get complicated, 22 years later she and first love consumate but he dies from the passion, she eats matches symbolicly and they burn up in the bed together. Starnge ending, and the whole film has mysticism mixed in, including appearances by the deseaced mother. Still, a fascinating film.
(BTW, my "one line summary" is intended to parody all those who feel compelled to overly criticize a movie for not being exactly like a book. My advice? Either quit reading books, or quit seeing the movies based on them, but please quit your infernal nit-picking! Please. Think it if you will, but we don't want to read it.)
Set in early 1900s Mexico, Tita is the youngest and "by family tradition" is told she cannot marry but must stay and take care of her mother until she dies. Being a rather young and healthy mother, that seemed like forever. The young man who loves her marries her sister instead so he can stay close to Tita. In addition to her exquisite cooking, she has a special way with babies, caring for her nephew, secretly breast feeding him, who dies shortly after they move to Texas. He wouldn't eat anymore.
Eventually Tita tires of her mother's oppression, leaves, marries a doctor, mother dies, things get complicated, 22 years later she and first love consumate but he dies from the passion, she eats matches symbolicly and they burn up in the bed together. Starnge ending, and the whole film has mysticism mixed in, including appearances by the deseaced mother. Still, a fascinating film.
(BTW, my "one line summary" is intended to parody all those who feel compelled to overly criticize a movie for not being exactly like a book. My advice? Either quit reading books, or quit seeing the movies based on them, but please quit your infernal nit-picking! Please. Think it if you will, but we don't want to read it.)