Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

1. Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nerviosWomen on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Sergio Pedro Modern Languages & Literatures (Spanish) spedro@ithaca.edu

2. Topics • The Film Itself -the artists -the film’s reception • Spain -Linguistic Determinism, identity & borders -Spanish history—a divided Spain -Almodóvar & Spain • The Film as Art -drama & parody -gender roles, symbolism

3. Antonio Banderasgains international recognitionthrough Women on the Verge…

4. Antonio Banderas Spanish Filmography, 1980’s • · La corte de Faraón (1985) as Fray José • · Réquiem por un campesino español (1985) as Paco • · Los zancos (1984) as Alberto • · Fragmentos de interior (1984) TV Series as Joaquín • · El señor Galíndez (1984) as Eduardo • · El caso Almería (1984) • ·Laberinto de pasiones (Labyrinth of Passion) (1982) as Sadec • · Pestañas postizas (1982) as Antonio Juan

5. Antonio Banderas Spanish Filmography, 1980’s • · La Mujer de tu vida: La mujer feliz (1988) (TV) as Antonio • · Así como habían sido (1987) as Damián • · La ley del deseo (Law of Desire) (1987) as Antonio Benítez • · Delirios de amor (1986) • · 27 horas (1986) as Rafa • · Puzzle (1986) • · Matador (1986) as Ángel • · Caso cerrado (1985) as Preso

6. Antonio Banderas Spanish Filmography, 1990’s • · El Acto (1989) as Carlos • · Huesta Luego Tenis (1989) as JakeSpicer • · La Blanca Paloma (1989) as Mario • · Si te dicen que caí (IfTheyTellYou I Fell) (1989) as Marcos • · Bajarse al moro (1989) as Alberto • ·Bâton Rouge (1988) as Antonio • ·El placer de matar (The Pleasure of Killing) (1988) as Luis • · Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (WomenontheVerge…)

7. Carmen Maura-already well known in Spain -wins European awards for her role as “Pepa”

8. Carmen Maura-Films 1970’s Los ojos vendados (Carlos Saura) 1980’s • Folle... folle... fólleme Tim! (Pedro Almodóvar) • Pepi, Luci, Bom (Pedro Almodóvar) • Dark Habits (Pedro Almodóvar). • What Have I Done to Deserve This? (Pedro Almodóvar). • Matador (Pe • Women on the Verge… (Pedro Almodóvar). • Bâton Rouge (Rafael Moleón).

9. Carmen Maura-Films-1990’s • ¡Ay, Carmela! (Carlos Saura). (Goya Award). • How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt (Ana Belén). • Sombras en una batalla (Mario Camus). (Goya Award Nominated). • Amores que matan (Juan Manuel Chumilla). • Lisboa (Antonio Hernández).

10. Carmen Maura-Films 2000’s • La comunidad (Alex de la Iglesia)(Goya Award) • Entre vivir y soñar (David Albacente and Alfonso Menkes) • Free Zone (Amos Gitai). With Natalie Portman. • Volver (Pedro Almodóvar) • El menor de los males (Antonio Hernández) • The Garden of Eden (John Irvin) • Tetro (Francis Ford Coppola)

11. Pedro Almodóvar Script & Direction

12. Pedro Almodóvar • Small town boy, born in1949 in La Mancha, Spain • “Educated” by the catholic church in the 1950’s (Bad Education)

13. Pedro Almodóvar • Experiments with film in the mid1970s (La Movida alternative film movement) • Artistic influences include Alfred Hitchcock, Andy Warhol, John Waters & Douglas Sirk

14. Almodóvar – Filmography, 2000’s • ·Los abrazos rotos (2009) "Broken Embraces“/"Broken Hugs" • ·La concejala antropófaga (2009) "The Cannibalistic Councilor" • ·Volver (2006) "To Return" • · La mala educación (2004) "Bad Education" • ·Hable con ella (2002) "Talk to Her" • ·Todo sobre mi madre(1999) "All About My Mother" –wins OSCAR

15. Almodóvar-Filmography, 1990’s • ·Carne trémula (1997) "Live Flesh" / "Trembling Flesh" • ·La flor de mi secreto (1995) "The Flower of My Secret" • · Kika (1993) • · Tacones lejanos (1991) "High Heels" • ·¡Átame! (1990) "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!"

16. Almodóvar, Filmography1980’s • Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988) -"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" • La ley del deseo (1987) "Law of Desire" • Matador (1986) • ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!!(1984) "What Have I Done to Deserve This?“ • Entre tinieblas (1983) • Laberinto de pasiones (1982) "Labyrinth of Passion” • Pepi, Luci, Bom y otraschicas del montón (1980) • -"Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom"

17. Women on the Verge … • Academy Awards, USA 1989 Nominated Oscar Best Foreign Language Film • BAFTA Awards (British Academy) 1990 Nominated Best Film not in the English Language • Golden Globe Awards (USA) • Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film

18. Women on the Verge … • David di Donatello Awards (Italy) • Won: Best Foreign Direction (Pedro Almodóvar) • European Film Awards • Won: Best Actress – Leading Role (Carmen Maura) • Won: Best Young Film (Pedro Almodóvar) • Nominated: Best Art Direction (Félix Murcia)

19. Women on the Verge … • Goya Awards (Spain) • Won: Best Actress – Leading Role (Carmen Maura) • Won: Best Actress – Supporting Role (María Barranco as Candela) • Won: Best Editing (José Salcedo) • Won: Best Film • Won: Best Screenplay - Original (Pedro Almodóvar)

20. Women on the Verge … • National Board of Review (USA) • Won: Best Foreign Language Film • New York Film Critics (USA) • Won: Best Foreign Language Film • Venice Film Festival (Italy) • Won: Golden Osella – Best Screenplay (Pedro Almodóvar)

21. Part II – Identity & Cultural Borders • Linguistic Relativism (one version) Each language draws a magic circle around the people to whom it belongs, a circle from which there is no escape save by escaping from it into another. (Wilhelm von Humboldt)

22. Spain, a nation divided • “Reconquest” (711-1492) • Map of Medieval Spain • Spanish Inquisition (1484 +) • Torquemada • Carlistas & Republicans • Carlista Banner • Spanish Civil War • Civil War • Post – Franco Spain • Franco

23. Almodóvar & Spain • Poor reception among Spanish conservatives -Subversion of (sexual) identity -Parody of Christian (usually Catholic) ideas

24. Almodóvar & Spain • Some poor reception from the left -“frivolous” themes, politically not committed (70’s & 80’s) -falls prey to “imperialistic” (AND non-Spanish) American influence

25. Almodóvar & Spain • More poor reception from the left criticism from Spain’s gay movement “obsessive concern with the fluidity of genders, the interchangeability of sexual tastes and orientations” (Stephen Marsh, U.S.C.)

26. Almodóvar & Spain “Almodóvar has gone out of his way to disavow the suggestion that he is a gay filmmaker (rather than a filmmaker who just happens to be gay)” (Stephen Marsh)

27. Almodóvar & Spain • His Positive Reception -His American influences do not hail from commercial Hollywood, but rather from underground & alternative currents.

28. Almodóvar & Spain • -His influences do include Spanish filmmakers. He has verbally acknowledged a few of these: Edgar Neville, Miguel Mihura, Enrique JardielPoncela, Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, Luis GarcíaBerlanga and Fernando FernánGómez

29. Part III Women on the verge as Art • Archetypal images (distressed woman, Don Juan, the virgin) • Use of color • The telephone & the note as symbols: distance, of non-communication

30. Part III Women on the verge as Art • -Intertextuality with Johnny Guitar (Spanish dubbing work of Pepa & Iván) • The transformation of Pepa • Empowerment—scene at the end of the film • (the UN-end)

31. Part III Women on the verge as Art • -The parody- • Parody as Subversion of traditional images (gender & otherwise) • Parody as exaggeration • Parody as plasticity—theatricality as emotional barrier (First dream image, last song “Teatro, lo tuyoespuroteatro”)

32. Women on the Verge as Art • Critics have said that Almodóvardefies discourse ..connection to language, thought, & the significance of artistic mediums

33. Thoughts for Wednesday • Is it important that Almodóvar is Spanish? Is there something here that does not “translate” for an American audience? • What is gender? How is it important for the film? • How is parody manifested in the film? What tricks does Almodóvar use? • Why doesn’t the emotional impact carry its full weight for the audience?