100 Years of Spanish Cinema

100 Years of Spanish Cinema provides an in-depth look at the most important movements, films, and directors of twentieth-century Spain from the silent era to the present day.

• A glossary of film terms provides definitions of essential technical, aesthetic, and historical terms
• Features a visual portfolio illustrating key points of many of the films analyzed
• Includes a clear, concise timeline to help students quickly place films and genres in Spain’s political, economical, and historical contexts
• Discusses over 20 films including Amor Que Mata, Un Chien Andalou, Viridana, El Verdugo, El Crimen de Cuenca, and Pepi, Luci, Born

List of Figures vii

About the Authors viii

Acknowledgments x

Preface xi

1 Silent Cinema and its Pioneers (1906–1930) 1

El ciego de aldea, Ángel García Cardona 8

Amor que mata, Fructuós Gelabert 10

Don Pedro el Cruel, Ricardo Baños, Albert Marro 12

La aldea maldita, Florián Rey 15

2 Surrealism (1924–1930) and the Advent of Sound (the Second Republic: 1931–1936) 21

Un chien andalou, Luis Buñuel 26

Tierra sin pan, Luis Buñuel 30

3 Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) 39

Suspiros de España, Benito Perojo 46

Canciones para después de una guerra, Basilio Martín Patino 52

4 The Autarky: Papier-Mâché Cinema (1939–1950) 61

Raza, José Luis Sáenz de Heredia 66

Locura de amor, Juan de Orduña 74

5 Neorealism: Status Quo and Dissent (1951–1961) 81

El cochecito, Marco Ferreri 89

Viridiana, Luis Buñuel 96

6 The “Liberal” Dictatorship and its Agony (1962–1975) 104

El verdugo, Luis García Berlanga 113

El jardín de las delicias, Carlos Saura 120

7 Cinema of the Transition: The Period of Disenchantment (1975–1979) 127

El desencanto, Jaime Chávarri 140

El crimen de Cuenca, Pilar Miró 145

8 Post-Franco Spain: The Pedro Almodóvar Phenomenon (1980–1991) 152

Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón, Pedro Almodóvar 161

¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!, Pedro Almodóvar 169

9 Contemporary Trends (1992 to the Present) 180

Vacas, Julio Medem 194

Carícies, Ventura Pons 203

Flores de otro mundo, Icíar Bollaín 211

The Secret Life of Words (La vida secreta de las palabras), Isabel Coixet 218

Glossary of Film Terms 226

Historical Chronology 232

Notes 246

Bibliography 257

Index 263

"However, 100 Years of Spanish Cinema is a much needed and comprehensive survey of Spanish cinema, and provides enough information on the history and context of this national cinema to encourage further inquiry and in fact, encourages the use of the book as a springboard for future reading." (Scope Book Reviews, 1 February 2011)

"An excellent resource for students of Spanish film and/or contemporary Spanish culture. Summing Up: Highly recommended.” (Choice Reviews, May 2009)

Tatjana Pavlovic is Associate Professor of Spanish at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Inmaculada Alvàrez is a Visiting Assistant Professor at University of California, Riverside.

Rosana Blanco-Cano is Assistant Professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Anitra Grisales is a freelance editor and translator specializing in film and media studies.

Alejandra Osorio is a professor in the Communications Department of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Mexico.

Alejandra Sánchez is a Ph.D. candidate at Tulane University in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

100 Years of Spanish Cinema provides an in-depth look at the most important movements, films, and directors of twentieth-century Spain from the silent era to the present day. Approaching film as a cultural institution and a technological invention, it combines aesthetic analysis with contextual information on Spanish history, politics, and the cinematic industry. 100 Years of Spanish Cinema offers a step-by-step guide for students as they explore the visual elements, critical perspectives, and cultural contexts of twenty-two featured works, helping them to be more analytical, sophisticated, and engaged spectators, while also enabling them to interpret and examine the films in light of the socio-cultural conditions in which they were produced. "Teachers of Spanish film have been waiting for a book like this – the close readings of individual scenes are especially useful. The coverage of early cinema is extremely welcome."
–Jo Labanyi, New York University

"'One Hundred Years of Spanish Cinema' is an excellent survey, combining broad cultural context with close filmic analysis. It is a unique resource for students in the field."
–Paul Julian Smith, University of Cambridge

"This splendid volume is an insightful blend of essays on cultural history and thought-provoking analyses of key scenes from over twenty films. It offers readers a sophisticated engagement with the critical debates that have shaped a history of Spanish cinema"
–Marvin D'Lugo, Clark University