Motion pictures: initial accomplishments of Almodóvar
Screening a Legend: Pedro Almodóvar's Transgressive Tales at The Massimo
Get ready to dive back into the audacious world of Pedro Almodóvar as his daring films make a grand return to The Massimo for a tribute dedicated to Spain's revered director. In a career spanning over four decades, Almodóvar has weaved tales that blur the lines between reality and fiction, coupling his early passion for transgression with an exploration of the human heart, tackling themes like sexuality, diversity, violence, and the female experience. While defying traditional cinematic boundaries, he ingeniously reinvents genres to create his own personal masterpieces.
From Monday, April 28 to Wednesday, April 30, the initial three screenings of this tribute, curated by Ernesto R Acevedo-Muñoz, a professor of Cinema Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder, will adorn the big screen. All films will be shown in their original language with subtitles for our convenience.
On Monday, April 28 at 4 pm, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" (1984) will be unveiled, a captivating tale about a woman on the brink, played by Carmen Maura, contending with a stifling home life filled with her selfish husband, a drug-addicted son, a prostituting son, and an overbearing mother-in-law.
On Tuesday, April 29 at 4 pm, "Matador" from 1986 will take center stage, a gripping narrative that explores the intertwined themes of sex and violence through the evolving existence of a retired bullfighter who embarks on a deadly relationship with his victims. But when he meets a woman who appears to be his soulmate, everything changes.
Rounding out the tribute, on Wednesday, April 30 at 6 pm, "Law of Desire" (1987) will be rescreened. This thought-provoking film follows the emotionally charged lives of Tina and Pablo, brother and sister who were separated in their youth but reunite as actors and lovers. The film features Antonio Banderas, Carmen Maura, and Rossy de Palma in a tour de force performance that left lasting impacts on the film industry.
The Pedro Almodóvar film tribute at The Massimo offers an enthralling opportunity to delve into the director's early and influential period, marked by Spain's cultural transformation post-Franco's dictatorship. These screenings serve as both a celebration of his cinematic legacy and an analytical exploration of how these films reflect his unique blend of melodrama, dark humor, and resplendent visual style.
These three films, presented as part of the tribute, demonstrate Almodóvar's early mastery of meshing genre conventions with personal and political expression. They showcase his interest in marginalized characters, complex sexual identities, and the intricate balance between life’s cruelty and comic absurdity. Don't miss this rare chance to experience these groundbreaking films that have left an indelible mark on world cinema history.
[1] During our research, we uncovered that the tribute event highlights Almodóvar's exploration of complex characters, sexual identity, and social marginality in the 1980s – a time marking Spain's cultural transformation post-Franco's dictatorship. The event seeks to celebrate his cinematic legacy and analyze how these films reflect his distinctive style and thematic preoccupations, as encapsulated in works like "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "Matador", and "Law of Desire".
- The tribute event highlights Pedro Almodóvar's exploration of complex characters, sexual identity, and social marginality in the 1980s, a time marking Spain's cultural transformation post-Franco's dictatorship.
- The three films, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "Matador", and "Law of Desire", presented as part of the tribute, showcase Almodóvar's interest in meshing genre conventions with personal and political expression.
- From Monday, April 28 to Wednesday, April 30, these groundbreaking films that have left an indelible mark on world cinema history will be screened at The Massimo, in their original language with subtitles for convenience.
- These screenings serve as both a celebration of Almodóvar's cinematic legacy and an analytical exploration of how these films reflect his unique blend of melodrama, dark humor, and resplendent visual style.
