La apropiación de María Félix del icónico personaje en Doña Bárbara de Rómulo Gallegos

Abstract

This article examines a performance of the Mexican actress and cultural icon María Félix from the American perspective of a “glamorous superstar,” a concept associated with Hollywood's mega–film studios. I trace Félix's unique way of appropriating the character of Doña Bárbara, the protagonist of the novel of the same name by the Venezuelan Rómulo Gallegos. I emphasize Félix's earliest characterizations of the “strong woman,” a title that she craftily lived in her complex and very public life. Finally, I explore Gallegos's strong interest in incorporating his iconic character into the “Golden Age” of Mexican film culture and, most importantly, the reasons for which he surprisingly detached himself from the film.