Sumith Prasad
Netflix’s musical crime movie ‘Emilia Pérez’ explores the internal and external lives of Manitas Del Monte in vibrant, vivid detail. The drug cartel leader becomes Emilia Pérez after undergoing gender affirmation surgery. The protagonist’s journey to embrace her true self, despite the hurdles she faces along the way, opens a window into the intimate aspects of her life, including her sexuality. Emilia nurtures a romantic relationship with two women: Jessi Del Monte and Epifanía Flores. While the former doesn’t get to see the truest form of her partner, the latter embraces the transformed woman in all her glory, leaving the viewers intrigued about the protagonist’s sexual orientation! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Karla Sofía Gascón’s Emilia Pérez is Seemingly a Lesbian
Karla Sofía Gascón’s character Emilia Pérez does not address her sexual orientation in particular in ‘Emilia Pérez.’ However, throughout the narrative, the protagonist is only attracted to women. Although she married Jessi Del Monte before her transition, she had accepted herself as a woman by then, which sheds light on her sexuality. She then forms a romantic connection with Epifanía Flores, who meets the former when she receives information regarding her abusive husband. Emilia and Epifanía’s togetherness turns out to be a highlight of the genre-defying musical drama.
“One of the other things in the film that is there is the lesbian relationship between Emilia and Epifanía,” Karla Sofía Gascón told Attitude. “No one really talks about it, but it’s there. It’s great that people don’t talk about it. They’ve normalized it! They accept it. And maybe there are other things people are talking about or thinking about,” the actress added. Through Emilia’s experiences, the film also sheds light on how hard it is to pretend to be a heterosexual. The gradual separation of the drug cartel leader and her wife, Jessi Del Monte, becomes significant here.
Emilia wants to be loved as a woman by a woman, which doesn’t happen when she nurtures a relationship with Jessi as Manitas. When she is with Epifanía, she is accepted and loved for who she is, which is essential for her. Karla, like her character, hasn’t directly addressed her sexual orientation publicly. Having said that, she is happily married to a woman named Marisa Gutierrez, with whom she has a daughter. The actress completed her transition with the help of her wife, who has been part of the former’s life since they met in a nightclub as teenagers.
“We’ve obviously shared a big chunk of our lives together, but I’ve never deceived her about who I was,” Karla told The New York Times about her life with Marisa. Since the release of ‘Emilia Pérez,’ the actress and her character, Emilia, have become queer icons. Karla’s portrayal of the protagonist and the audience’s reaction to the same show us how gay characters and same-sex relationships are commendably becoming the new normal on the screen.
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