La Lengua de las Mariposas, directed by José Luis Cuerda, is a marvelous and powerful film that explores Spain’s past through the lens of education. Cuerda does this by exhibiting the contrast between the 1931-1936 Republic and the dictatorships that ruled the country just before and after the Spanish Civil War through the relationship between Moncho, a young boy, and Don Gregorio, his teacher. The film depicts the Republic’s aims for a liberal education and the pressures this produced within the more conservative region of society. Overall this film portrays both the freedom of this short period in Spain’s history and the beginning of Franco’s oppressive dictatorship. There are many layers of themes that are subtlety imbedded into the film. The political theme of the film is a truly intriguing portrayal of life in Spain during this tense time. The underlying message of the film is one of defending the freedom of expression. It explores the importance of gaining knowledge through one’s own personal experiences. Culture is used as a pathway to achieve personal freedom. In addition, the film attempts to break some of the taboos surrounding an adequate education, focusing instead on this education through experience. Observation is used as a way to awaken the senses. Another theme that was imbedded in the film was childhood with the inclusion of a vast number of topics. The film not only contains scenes that deal with war but it includes scenes that include family, love, and
The whole movie deals with emotions and how they grow up in that environment and that reflects in next generation’s life. Their perceptions are a lot different from my culture. One thing that I felt from this movie is whatever you see from parents or elder siblings, most of the time you will follow that way and it’s also happen in my culture also. Twenty years ago at about the same time that "Cisco" and "Stingray" Santiago became leaders of the notorious Assassination gang and Luis also became a gang leader. That movie is also a great example of emotional intelligence. This movie is kind of empathetic.
In this essay, female oppression in La Casa de Bernarda Alba will be discussed and analyzed. However, in order to be able to understand the importance of this theme and the impact it has had on the play, one must first understand the role of female oppression in the Spanish society in the 1930s.
This essay will be discussing how gender is portrayed in the films Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother) and Tacones Lejanos (High Heels), both directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The use of the theatre and performance, along with the audiences that come with it, enables these films to explore the manner in which gender is unstable. Gwynne Edwards writes that Almodóvar often pays tribute to the stage . Almodóvar dedicates All About My Mother “to all the actresses who have played actresses, to all women who act, to men who act and become women” , which is also relevant to High Heels. He uses the stage setting as a platform to show the instability of gender, not only on a physical stage but also in the characters’ lives: “The dialogue of his films has the cut and thrust, and very often wit, of stage plays. There are also soliloquies, and one of them – in All About My Mother – is even delivered to the audience from the stage of a theatre” . Russell Jackson suggests that this is done as a method for the characters to “find the sometimes onerous ability to deal with and describe their past, and to create a future in the face of death and desertion.” The character ‘La Agrado’ in All About My Mother as well High Heels’ Femme Letal (Letal), will be considered - both the manner in which they carry themselves throughout the film, as well as the their performances on stage. In the following paragraphs, I will illustrate how performance and the stage are vital in Almodóvar’s exploration
The book’s main appeal and power is the author's use of Estrella, who serves as the focal point of all the large issues. In one particular scene, we see Estrella playing with one a naked doll. Estrella asks the naked doll if she was okay and then shook the doll's head “No”. This conversation with the doll can be seen as the sense of denial that takes place in a child’s mind that is not allowed to openly express herself, her fears, her anxieties, and her hopes. She allows the doll to represent her honest feelings about the lifestyle of living she is placed in. She is a unique and interesting individual, who will not grow up to be knocked down by economic issues, difficult labor, and especially men.
It shows the community does not really welcome immigrants. Also it is very difficult to adopt life in new place, for example washing machine is so complicated for Rosa so she washes all the clothes by hand and lays them on the grass in the garden. Rosa and Enrique attend language school to improve their English. Movie emphasizes the power of the language again and also shows learning English helps their life to get better. Nacha helps Rosa to change her appearance with more fashionable clothing Nacha said “have you ever heard Sears” and tokes her for shopping. When Enrique sees her with new clothing and makeup, he says “What is this? You look like a clown! “. Scene shows Enrique’s attachment to their culture also they try hard to integrate. Enrique gets an offer for a better pay job with the chance to become legal resident but he refuses to leave his sister. The house they are staying is a mess when they come but after a while they clean and organize it and one scene Enrique told his sister that “In this country you work hard you can get somewhere” they are proud to earn better life standards. Then suddenly everything changes, Rosa gets sick, immigration was looking for Enrique. Enrique gets promoted at the restaurant and jealous coworker is upset about it and calls immigration police. At the end Rosa dies in the hospital room. The conversation between Rosa and Enrique is heartbreaking. Rosa said “they told us we make lots of money but
In El Laberinto del Fauno, Guillermo del Toro uses the theme of obedience to illustrate and condemn two repressive components of fascism: patriarchy and the coercion of free will. This essay will look at two examples of obedience in the film which reveal the abhorrent nature of these aspects of fascism and the importance of resisting them. These are, respectively, the relationship between Captain Vidal and Mercedes and Ofelia’s refusal to compromise her own integrity.
The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela is arguably the most important novel of the Mexican Revolution because of how it profoundly captures the atmosphere and intricacies of the occasion. Although the immediate subject of the novel is Demetrio Macias - a peasant supporter of the Mexican Revolution -, one of its extensive themes is the ambivalence surrounding the revolution in reality as seen from a broader perspective. Although often poetically revered as a ‘beautiful’ revolution, scenes throughout the novel paint the lack of overall benevolence even among the protagonist revolutionaries during the tumultuous days of the revolution. This paper will analyze certain brash characteristics of the venerated revolution as represented by Azuela’s
UNIT I – The Great Spanish Tragedy: History and Cultural Significance of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
The students of the Centre are conformists. They are typical example of Spanish citizens to live under Franco’s Rule during the 1950’s. They accept what they are thought by Don Pablo and Doña Pablo and do not question it. In contrast to the students Ignacio is an independent character who does not conform to the society of the Centre. He challenges what the students have been thought. ‘Ciegos! Ciegos y no invidentes, imbéciles.’ Ignacio keeps on emphasising how there is a division in life between ‘los invidentes’ and ‘los videntes’ and tries to spread his darkness to the people of the centre. ‘La Guerra que me consume os consumirá.’
Lope de Vega’s play touches upon several key components and ideas that were brought up in many of the other stories read throughout the semester. This included the role of gender and how men and women are viewed differently in the Spaniard town of Fuenteovejuna. Another topic included the importance of family, love, and relationships and their connection on loyalty, trust, and personal beliefs. The last major influence found in other literature and in Fuenteovejuna, were the political and religious references made throughout the play. Even though Lope de Vega didn’t make these views obvious, the reader could still pick up on their connotation and the references made towards these specific ideas. With all of this in mind, each of these
I chose to watch the movie La Lengua de las Mariposas; which translates to ‘The Tongue of the Butterflies’. I did not know what movie to watch originally but I remembered learning the word ‘mariposas’ from my high school Spanish teacher. Also, this movie came up on two separate lists when I searched for a movie to watch for this assignment.
I believe the social context for this work is probably about freedom and revolution, definitely revolving around the character, or person named, José Clemente Orozco. I suppose that this has an effect on the viewer by indicating the value or the disadvantage of a revolution, or the emphasis on a particular person.
an atmosphere of pain or illness. What I wanted to show was the everyday life of
Taking the location of the story into consideration we are able to understand that it is set in a small, isolated, confined community that is somewhat abandoned by the outside world. It is understandable that this isolation of the community has allowed it to maintain obsolete traditions which remain implanted in their society. Traditions such as the “honor killing” of Santiago Nasar or the “cult of death,” that the Vicario daughters practiced, as well as the custom of superstition and of course the essential concept of pride and honor.
“What're we supposed to do? Everything is dying! People are dying!”, “We can't even go about our work, it's just too hot. How're the people supposed to survive?”. Were many of the questions asked. The people were absolutely devastated and had nowhere to turn to for answers, but one night a woman appeared in a dream of Franco’s telling him that if his people showed true kindness, courage, and strength that they would be greatly rewarded.