Maria of the Slums or its English title, Humble Maria
(Thalia 2020)
Review
A common mid-afternoon pastime in Mauritius and elsewhere, or anytime really, depending on the reruns you follow – is the widespread, very popular watching of Mexican, Brazilian, and Turkish soap operas. (Does anyone remember Noor or Gümüş, as is its actual title?) These telenovelas, or tele-novels soak a viewer in some really soapy, serial melodrama. Referred to as feuilleton, as the word in its definition ports is loved for its gossip, and possibly an imaginary stance of seeing yourself as one of the actors.
One of my first experiences of a telenovela was Mexican-produced María la del Barrio (1995-1996) starring former actress, Thalía and actor, Fernando Colunga. Along with Marimar, whose theme song I can still hum to, both of the named telenovelas with Thalía as the lead female form part of the Trilogía de las Marías. Considerably child-friendly, a number of scenes are entertaining. I’m stretching it a bit here, but I was recalled of the continuous slap sound you hear, “tsch, tsCH, TSCH!” in Bollywood movies and series well after the person in question has been slapped. Like when the camera zooms into Maria’s facial expression at 00:56 as she walks in to Luis and Soraya embracing and kissing. Or zooming into Soraya’s smirk while she plots an evil plan. Or as Agripina and Veracruz hold each other in the background in disbelief supposedly in what looks like fear as Luis confronts Nandito. And when Luis shoots Nandito in an attempt to kill him, not knowing Nandito is his own son.
The reason I chose to review the trailer is because it more or less summarises Episode 1 to Episode 92 in 3 minutes and 54 seconds. Correctly, it starts with María’s beginnings and ends with a happy ending, dancing in the arms of her husband, Luis. The classic fairy tale princess storyline with a villain and her prince. You can read María la del Barrio’s plot on Wikipedia which I’ve linked to below. There’s so much sugar and spice in it, you’re hooked even just reading it. Ultimately, telenovelas rerun forever, and they are eternal. I find the sheer amount of drama in the telenovela unnecessary when I recollect it now, but these were the very parts we inadvertently liked best. Somehow one ended up hooked on to the television and the soap opera. It was truly an opera of orchestrated acting and poignant lines.
Justly, in Mauritius these feuilletons are referenced to as «films carrie briles» or “curry-burning films”. There is no explanation needed. Simply the reason that of how quickly our attention shifts from a more important task to Soraya trying to set María on fire. Then, realising we left something on the stove, where we then go running to check if it’s not already burnt.
Link to María la del Barrio’s plot on Wikipedia |
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Thalia. 2019. Thalia – Marimar - Video Oficial 1994. 12 April. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoYaAldj-4I.
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