'Vivir sin ti': Motherhood, Melodrama and espanolada in Pedro Almodovar's Todo sobre mi madre (1999) and Volver (2006).

The article examines the representations of motherhood and melodrama in the films "Todo sobre mi madre" and "Volver," both directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The author provides historical information on melodrama and the study of the genre. The author discusses the potential for subversion in Almodóvar's...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Bulletin of Spanish Studies: Hispanic Studies & Researches on Spain, Portugal & Latin America Vol. 87; no. 5; pp. 625 - 643
Main Author:	Camino, Mercedes
Format:	Article
Published:	Taylor & Francis Ltd Jul2010
Subjects:	Almodóvar, Pedro, 1949- Todo Sobre Mi Madre (Film) Volver (Film) Melodrama in motion pictures Motherhood in motion pictures Spanish films
Online Access:	View this record in EBSCOhost

Description
Summary:	The article examines the representations of motherhood and melodrama in the films "Todo sobre mi madre" and "Volver," both directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The author provides historical information on melodrama and the study of the genre. The author discusses the potential for subversion in Almodóvar's use of melodrama. Almodóvar's dismissal of the working-class father is examined. The article also examines the word and concept of "españolidad" (Spanishness) and how Almodóvar uses it. The portrayal of female friendship in his films is also addressed.