Rating: 
Summary: Poor Carmen Miranda was a sad woman in real life.
Review: .
I have always greatly admired the talent and music of Carmen Miranda. Her movies, especially the Technicolor extravaganzas she made for Fox in her heyday, are truly amazing.In her films, she played her own version of the stereotypical role of a Latin bombshell. Her elaborately costumed musical numbers were the highlight of her films. She presented a character unlike any other ever seen, and she seemed to radiate pure joy and happiness. Through this documentary however, we discover that beneath the tinsel and glamour of her Hollywood image was a woman tortured by depression and unhappiness. The dark side of Carmen Miranda is something I never knew about. Discovering the deep sadness within this delightfully talented woman was quite a shock. I was very disturbed to see that Carmen lived such a sad life beneath the image she portrayed to the world. It seems she had been yet another victim of the Hollywood star system, not unlike Marilyn Monroe and many others. Born in Portugal, Carmen was eventually rejected by her adopted country of Brazil because they felt she had become too "Americanized" after she came to work in the USA. Fox studios only wanted her to portray the sterotypical Latina in film after film, never allowing her the opportunity to expand her art beyond the image she had originally created. Although I have always felt that Carmen Miranda was an undeniable talent, truthfully I don't know what we could have expected from her if Fox had allowed her the opportunity to take off the fruit-basket hats and platform shoes. I'm certain that Carmen felt she had something else to offer, but we really have no way of knowing what surprises she may have been hiding under her compotes chapeaus. This documentary gives us no real insight to what she may have done if she had been allowed to experiment and alter her fruity image. Carmen Miranda lives on in Technicolor splendor in her many movies. I'm sure she would prefer to be remembered for the joy she brought to the screen with the image she worked so hard to create and to protect for so many years. The darkness in her heart is something I'm sure she would rather have kept private. If you're interested in Carmen Miranda, the woman; as opposed to Carmen Miranda the movie star, then you'll enjoy this dark documentary film. If you'd prefer to remember her as the happy joyous woman who delighted us with her "Brazilian Bombshell" image, then I recommend that you watch one of her Technicolor musicals instead. Carmen Miranda lives on in her many Technicolor extravaganzas. She left her legacy on film for us to remember her by. Don't do her the disservice of remembering her for the depressed and unhappy woman she had become in her private life. Remember her with the fruits on her head and the music in her heart.
Rating:
Summary: Poor Carmen Miranda was a sad woman in real life.
Review: .
I have always greatly admired the talent and music of Carmen Miranda. Her movies, especially the Technicolor extravaganzas she made for Fox in her heyday are truly incredible. In her films, she played the stereotypical role of the Latin bombshell. Her musical numbers were the highlight of her films. She presented a character unlike any other ever seen, and she seemed to radiate pure joy and happiness. Through this documentary however, we discover that beneath the tinsel and glamour of her Hollywood image was a woman tortured by depression and unhappiness. The dark side of Carmen Miranda is something I never knew about. Discovering the deep sadness within this delightfully talented woman was quite a shock. Carmen was rejected by her adopted country of Brazil because they felt she had become too "Americanized" after she came to work in the USA. Fox studios only wanted her to portray the sterotypical Latina in film after film, never allowing her the opportunity to expand her art beyond the image she had originally created. Although I have always felt that Carmen Miranda was an undeniable talent, truthfully I don't know what we could have possibly expected form her if Fox had allowed her the opportunity to take off the fruit-basket hats and platform shoes. I'm certain that Carmen felt she had something else to offer, but we really have no way of knowing. This documentary gives us no real insight to what she may have done if she had been allowed to experiment and alter her fruity image. I was very disturbed to see that Carmen lived such a sad life beneath the image she portrayed to the world. It seems she had been yet another victim of the Hollywood star system, not unlike Marilyn Monroe and many others. Carmen Miranda lives on in Technicolor splendor in her many movies. I'm sure she would prefer to be remembered for the joy she brought to the screen with the image she worked so hard to create and to protect for so many years. The darkness in her heart is something I'm sure she would rather have kept private. If you're interested in Carmen Miranda, the woman; as opposed to Carmen Miranda the movie star, then you'll enjoy this dark documentary film. If you'd prefer to remember her as the happy joyous woman who delighted us with her "Brazilian Bombshell" image, then I recommend that you watch one of her Technicolor musicals instead. Carmen Miranda lives on in her many Technicolor extravaganzas. She left her legacy on film for us to remember her by. Don't do her the disservice of remembering her for the depressed and unhappy woman she had become in her private life. Remember her with the fruits on her head and the music in her heart.
Rating:
Summary: Poor Carmen Miranda was a sad woman in real life.
Review: .
I have always greatly admired the talent and music of Carmen Miranda. Her movies, especially the Technicolor extravaganzas she made for Fox in her heyday, are truly amazing. In her films, she played her own version of the stereotypical role of a Latin bombshell. Her elaborately costumed musical numbers were the highlight of her films. She presented a character unlike any other ever seen, and she seemed to radiate pure joy and happiness. Through this documentary however, we discover that beneath the tinsel and glamour of her Hollywood image was a woman tortured by depression and unhappiness. The dark side of Carmen Miranda is something I never knew about. Discovering the deep sadness within this delightfully talented woman was quite a shock. I was very disturbed to see that Carmen lived such a sad life beneath the image she portrayed to the world. It seems she had been yet another victim of the Hollywood star system, not unlike Marilyn Monroe and many others. Born in Portugal, Carmen was eventually rejected by her adopted country of Brazil because they felt she had become too "Americanized" after she came to work in the USA. Fox studios only wanted her to portray the sterotypical Latina in film after film, never allowing her the opportunity to expand her art beyond the image she had originally created. Although I have always felt that Carmen Miranda was an undeniable talent, truthfully I don't know what we could have expected from her if Fox had allowed her the opportunity to take off the fruit-basket hats and platform shoes. I'm certain that Carmen felt she had something else to offer, but we really have no way of knowing what surprises she may have been hiding under her compotes chapeaus. This documentary gives us no real insight to what she may have done if she had been allowed to experiment and alter her fruity image. Carmen Miranda lives on in Technicolor splendor in her many movies. I'm sure she would prefer to be remembered for the joy she brought to the screen with the image she worked so hard to create and to protect for so many years. The darkness in her heart is something I'm sure she would rather have kept private. If you're interested in Carmen Miranda, the woman; as opposed to Carmen Miranda the movie star, then you'll enjoy this dark documentary film. If you'd prefer to remember her as the happy joyous woman who delighted us with her "Brazilian Bombshell" image, then I recommend that you watch one of her Technicolor musicals instead. Carmen Miranda lives on in her many Technicolor extravaganzas. She left her legacy on film for us to remember her by. Don't do her the disservice of remembering her for the depressed and unhappy woman she had become in her private life. Remember her with the fruits on her head and the music in her heart.
Rating:
Summary: An Extraordinary Talent!
Review: Helena Solberg takes Carmen Miranda fans where they've never gone before. This video is the most in depth bio I have ever seen on the "Little Girl" from Brazil. Not only does it delve into Miranda's life, but it goes into detail the abuse she took from the movie industry. Hollywood stereotyped Carmen to the point that it was impossible for her to find roles other than the "Rosita" and "Carmelta" characters she portrayed, and her native Brasil deemd her too "Amricanized", almost to the point of disowning her. She was definitely a woman without a country."Bananas" also shows some of Miranda's classic numbers from the camp 20th Century Fox musicals.All in all, "Bananas Is My Business" is a detailed account of the life of this extraordinary talent....a "must read" for any Miranda fan.
Rating:
Summary: An Extraordinary Talent!
Review: Helena Solberg takes Carmen Miranda fans where they've never gone before. This video is the most in depth bio I have ever seen on the "Little Girl" from Brazil. Not only does it delve into Miranda's life, but it goes into detail the abuse she took from the movie industry. Hollywood stereotyped Carmen to the point that it was impossible for her to find roles other than the "Rosita" and "Carmelta" characters she portrayed, and her native Brasil deemd her too "Amricanized", almost to the point of disowning her. She was definitely a woman without a country."Bananas" also shows some of Miranda's classic numbers from the camp 20th Century Fox musicals.All in all, "Bananas Is My Business" is a detailed account of the life of this extraordinary talent....a "must read" for any Miranda fan.
Rating:
Summary: haunting docu-fantasy--masterfully done!
Review: I first saw this film when it was broadcast on the independent film show, P.O.V. (Point of View), on PBS back in 1995. I knew about as much about Carmen Miranda as the average Yanqui. (Even though I like to think I transcend this national limitation with my inherited sense of Latina soul by way of my Venezuelan father's DNA.) I wanted to know more about "The Lady with the Tutti Frutti Hat," this icon who represented so many things to so many people. To her people of Brazil, she was their Carmen, that young, vivacious and drop-dead gorgeous singer of sambas, forros and Brazilian popular music (Musica Popular do Brasil) in the 1940s. To the North American public, she was the Latin bombshell with a flare for flashy, bold and colorful "traditional" costumes, who emerged as part of "tropical" dance numbers in several popular, Hollywood musicals. It didn't matter to many what language she was singing in, nor the content of her songs. It was pure, exotic fluff to entertain and distract us from our troubles. That was what we were lead to believe, anyway.
The story behind Carmen Miranda, the young Brazilian woman, born in Portugal to Portuguese parents, is finally revealed in Helena Solberg's compelling, cautionary film, that is disclosed to us through an innovative and engaging series of archived films, fantasy re-enactments and personal accounts of people who knew the woman behind the bananas. Let me tell you, here and now, bananas weren't the ONLY thing that were her business. Don't let the song fool you! ("Bananas Is My Business") Carmen Miranda was actually born Maria de Carmen, to Portuguese parents who immigrated with their young, two-year old daughter to Brazil. Maria was a gorgeous, outgoing, green-eyed ("like the headlights of a car," according to a Brazilian journalist) hatmaker at a men's boutique, when her enchanted voice was first heard. Maria used to sing to herself, to while away the hours. The numbers of customers surged when Maria was around. They were immediately enchanted and attracted to the beautiful young woman. A few years later, her first test record for the RCA studio, became a hit record in Rio de Janeiro. Once she had built a name for herself, she was performing at a nightclub one night and an American producer from Hollywood happened to see her sing. The rest is history.....
The film unapologetically presents the duality of Carmen's experiences in Hollywood and showbusiness in the United States. Though, she had given herself the name Carmen Miranda, when she began her journey of self discovery before she even became a popular singer, her overall makeover and appearance in the public eye was severely altered by Hollywood's hand. She was presented as a goodwill ambassador, representing the cultures of South America to the United States, not only as a means of social outreach, but as a tool of political and economic advancement. This beautiful woman gradually began to resemble the clownish, over-the-top persona carved out for her. She was never given successful, "serious" roles as a Latina in U.S. showbusiness. Instead, she was presented as the exotic icing, while other Non-Latin actors took the cake.
When she finally succumbed to a heart attack at the young age of fourty-six, the numerous sleeping and caffeine pills she had taken to become addicted to, along with an abusive and disrespectful marriage to American David Sebastian, finally took their toll. Nonetheless, her legacy lives on as a beautiful, talented and vivacious film legend who can never be replaced in our hearts. It is my hope that people see this film to get a glimpse at the woman behind the fruit basket.
Rating:
Summary: This is Worth Seeing
Review: I saw this video in a college media library. I was searching through 1,435 videos on a computer and I ran across this one. I've always admired Carmen Miranda (but not a big fan) and liked her music as well. I love traditional Samba, so this picture was a treat for me. I'm also quite historical, and I love documentary films that have old newsreels, home movies, etc. in them. I really liked this video a lot. I've never seen much Carmen Miranda. I've read about her, however. Fascinating lady. If you're nuts over Samba, Brazil, or Carmen, this is a video for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but misses a key point
Review: This documentary is more about the director and her feelings about Carmen Miranda than Carmen. In the end, I find she does no more service to her than Hollywood did. What she fails to note is Miranda was just great and joyous in those old Fox films. How many other foreign actresses could do a full-length number like Cae Cae with her Banda de Lua? It's authentic and fun and clearly Miranda is enjoying herself.
The old clips are fun but I wanted to know more about Carmen Miranda and less about the director. If there were more things available about Carmen, this would be a fine experiment.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but misses a key point
Review: This was a great documentary! I just discovered Carmen through the Fox Movie Channel. This film covers her whole life. She was really a great talent and she did not deserve to be treated that way by hollywood. Maybe if she was a star of today she would have been more respected.
Rating:
Summary: Great, but very sad.
Review: This was a great documentary! I just discovered Carmen through the Fox Movie Channel. This film covers her whole life. She was really a great talent and she did not deserve to be treated that way by hollywood. Maybe if she was a star of today she would have been more respected.
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