Redefining Gender in Twenty-First Century Spanish Cinema: The Films of Pedro Almodóvar

Wardrop, Georgina (2011) Redefining gender in twenty-first century spanish cinema: the films of Pedro Almodóvar. MPhil(R) thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2925/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ theses@gla.ac.uk Redefining Gender in Twenty-First Century Spanish Cinema: The Films of Pedro Almodóvar University of Glasgow Master of Philosophy Georgina Wardrop MA (Hons) 0404864 Abstract: Redefining Gender in Twenty-First Century Spanish Cinema: The Films of Pedro Almodóvar The aim of this research is the evolving cultural conception of gendered identities in prominent and significant films produced in 21st Century Spanish cinema of filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. This research project will examine how new images of gender representations appear at the turn of the 21st Century in which the focus is characterised by the tensions between subjective experience and the broader social collectivity. A gender-based theoretical framework will be applied, using psychoanalysis as a tool to deconstruct, analyse and gain in-depth insight into strategies applied by Almodóvar in order to challenge patriarchal and repressive stereotypes and practices throughout his 21st Century filmography. This analysis will create a dialogue between psychoanalytic theory and the film narrative, demonstrating how psychoanalytic notions have been portrayed through the medium of film, defining male and female subjectivity in cinema and in wider society. This thesis examines the creation of what could be considered a “New Spanish Cinema” upon which the representation and perceptions of gendered identities can be regarded as having moved towards a sense of sophistication. Given the increasing importance attached to cultural and gender studies, research into 21st Century Spanish cinema is still a new and largely unexplored area. This thesis provides a distinctive contemporary insight into Spanish Cinema and gender politics. The discourse constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed by Pedro Almodóvar will be analysed in order to represent new conceptions of identity, sexuality and the redefinition of gender in 21st Century Spanish Film. Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Chapter I – From Object to Subject in Hable con Ella 17 Chapter II – Crossed Identities and Performance in La Mala Educación 51 Chapter III – Female Agency in the Midst of the Feminine Sphere in Volver 77 Chapter IV – Redefining the Gaze in Los Abrazos Rotos 113 Conclusion 141 Bibliography 149 Acknowledgements I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the following people for their help, support and guidance in the completion of my MPhil by Research: Dr Brígida Pastor, my thesis supervisor, for her continuous support, supervision and enthusiasm in the development of my thesis. I would also like to thank Dr Pastor for instilling the passion of Spanish Cinema into my life during my Honours years as an Undergraduate student at the University of Glasgow. Her broad expertise in Spanish Film and Gender Studies has proved invaluable to the development of my research to date. Staff at the Department of Hispanic Studies at the University of Glasgow for their guidance and excellent standard of teaching throughout my years as a student within the University department. Special mention must go to; Dr Karen Peña, Dr John McCulloch, Miss Esther Tallada, Dr Paul Donnelly and Professor Mike González for their lecturing, tutoring and guidance over the years. On a personal note, my deepest thanks must go to my family and friends who have supported me through my studies and given me the enthusiasm I needed when it seemed like an uphill mountain to climb. I would also like to thank those closest in my life for listening, advising and providing a constant source of understanding. ... - tailieumienphi.vn