The many failings of Emilia Perez and how we can learn from it
As depiction of trans characters in film continue to evolve, recent movies like Emilia Perez reveal many challenges.
Over the years, the representation of trans people in film has gone through a massive shift. Many past depictions were rooted in negative stereotypes, with notable representations including Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Early portrayals were also shaped by the laws of their time, like the film Glen or Glenda (1953), which was filmed during a time when it was illegal for men to cross-dress. In recent years, trans representation has greatly improved but still occasionally falters, like the recent controversy with the film Emilia Perez.
The film follows Manitas del Monte, a Mexican crime lord who transitions and begins a new life as the titular Emilia Perez, leaving behind everything in her old life. As it is an international film, most of the movie’s dialogue is in Spanish, although according to native speakers, it often sounded “unnatural.” Emilia Perez inherently misunderstands the experience of being transgender, treating it as a redemptive tool. The film treats Emilia and Manitas as separate people, completely absolving Emilia of her past wrongdoings while also diminishing the impact of Mexico’s cartel issues. Despite this, the movie still received many award nominations and even won a number of them, including the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Another problem with Emilia Perez is that its publicity overshadowed other movies that arguably better represented the trans community. One of these films is I Saw the TV Glow, a psychological horror about two high school students whose favourite television show causes them to question their identities and nature. While not directly featuring any trans characters, many critics and audiences cited the film as an allegory for being transgender (the movie literally begins with the main character under a tent that looks identical to the trans flag). The director of the film, Jane Schoenbrun, is themselves a trans person, and has stated that they wrote the movie when they were still transitioning and learning how to deal with themselves. I Saw the TV Glow was acclaimed but ignored by most publications, failing to garner any significant award nominations.
Regardless, I Saw the TV Glow presents a path towards better trans representation in film, much better than that of Emilia Perez. The latter was made by a cisgender director who didn’t bother to consult any Mexicans on the film, much less any trans experts. Moving forward, more trans creators should be represented not just in film, but in the filmmaking process, as films about trans people that are written by cisgender people tend to lack depth or authenticity. In order to portray more subtle and complex portrayals of transgender people, we must steer away from stereotypes, like the “deceptive” trans character or tragic narratives, both of which are pitfalls Emilia Perez falls into. Hollywood also usually neglects the intersectionality of trans experiences, failing to consider factors such as ethnicity or socioeconomic status. To fully and respectfully portray trans people in film, creators will need to explore a greater array of narratives to elevate the visibility of these stories.
In the end, despite the many nominations it received, Emilia Perez only walked away with two Oscars, one for Best Original Song with “El Mal” and another for Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña. The film’s Oscars campaign was marred by many controversies, including statements by the director who said that he had not studied Mexican culture much and called Spanish the language of poor people. Furthermore, the lead actress, Karla Sofía Gascón, was highly criticized after many of her recent tweets resurfaced, most of which consisted of racist statements against Muslims, Black people, Chinese people and Korean people just to name a few. This caused Gascón to issue a public apology before deleting her Twitter account, though archives of her racist tweets still remain online.
Emilia Perez was a film born of ignorance, made by people who misunderstood the trans experience and didn’t bother to do any proper research. It angered Mexicans with its inauthentic portrayal of their culture and came to be hated by general audiences due to the actions of its cast. Its many nominations also don’t instill much hope for future trans representation.
That said, there is a growing number of LGBTQ+ creators gaining traction, which will likely improve trans representation in film. Movies like I Saw the TV Glow that accurately capture how it feels to be trans will continue to be made and people will talk about them. The legacy of a movie is not how much discourse it generates now but how much it will continue to generate in the future.
