MovieChat Forums > Chico & Rita (2010) Discussion > Rita´s speech in Las Vegas

Rita´s speech in Las Vegas

posted 12 years ago by Oskiros-Arg
5 replies | jump to latest

I´m spanish speaker.
In general I understand writing english, but have some problems with speaking english.

I have watch the movie without subtitles.
There are some dialogues in english but they are not problems.

But I have some doubts about Rita´s speech in Las Vegas.
I understand the general meaning but I wondering if somebody can remember this speech with more details.
This moment is so important because is a turn point in the Rita´s life.

Thanks so much...!!

Oscar

[–] chuck-526 12 years ago

What she said and did resulted in her not being able to get any more work and effectively ended her career in the U.S.A.

Partly it was the way she said it (not just _what_ she said): She was noticeably drunk on-stage, which is a real no-no. About half of her speaking time was just filled with "drunk talk" ("is this thing on?" "can you hear me?" "Happy New Year." and so forth). That alone would have demoted her to second rank and put her under tight control and suspicion for some years.

But she went on, and _what_ she said (toward the end of the time the film shows us) completed the destruction of her career: She said it was very hard being a dark-skinned artist in the U.S.A. at that time. She couldn't help noticing that the hotel in which she was entertaining was large and beautiful. But she couldn't stay there - because of her dark skin she had to stay at a different hotel quite a ways away. She didn't understand why, and she didn't like it.

(Bits of racist attitude show up throughout the film, such as some clubs in Havana allowing entrance to "whites only", or Chano Pozo saying he avoided gigs in the southern states. My understanding is it's unfortunately accurate [or perhaps even softened a bit from the reality]. I'm deeply ashamed -even after all this time and from this distance- to be from the same country. But I know that s--- happens.)

[–] The_Magical_Negro 12 years ago

(Bits of racist attitude show up throughout the film, such as some clubs in Havana allowing entrance to "whites only", or Chano Pozo saying he avoided gigs in the southern states. My understanding is it's unfortunately accurate [or perhaps even softened a bit from the reality]. I'm deeply ashamed -even after all this time and from this distance- to be from the same country. But I know that s--- happens.)

You forgot the part, early on in the movie, when the white guy who was pursuing Rita called Chico a "jungle bunny", when he bumped into him...

If people never started wearing shoes, ingrown toenails would not exist. Think about it.

[–] Oskiros-Arg 12 years ago

Thanks you so much....!

I though maybe this movie had some posibilities to the Oscar.... but.. this was not posible.... :(

Oscar
Hablo mejor español :)

[–] dogsandcats5 11 years ago

It reminded me a lot about Lena Horne and her singing career too. She also sang at some of the best hotels, but she wasn't allowed to stay at them.

[–] bellamae 11 years ago

Don't forget, it was back in the middle of the last century. That was very common then. On the CD "The Past Didn't Go Anywhere" (great CD, btw) Utah Phillips says the same thing about Marian Anderson, a black opera singer who performed in Salt Lake City. She wasn't allowed to stay in the hotel she sang in. And if you ever get to see the movie "Ballets Russes" (fabulous movie!) which covers the history of a ballet company from its inception in Paris to fairly current years; there are some Native American dancers in the company who didn't travel to the South for the same reason. And to think they were here first! But it was about the same time period.