Comparison of three
Spanish films – “Flowers from another world,” “Hi, are you alone?” and “Take my
eyes”
Portrayal of women in
today’s contemporary society is one of the main issues given light in Spanish
films. Regardless if these are positive or negative, the role that women play
in the society is very important for Spanish filmmakers such as Iciar Bollain.
A renowned writer, director and actress, Iciar Bollain has already created a
number of Spanish films which talk about societal issues and these include
“Flowers from another world,” “Hi, are you alone?” and “Take my eyes.” This
paper will compare the three films in terms of how they depict women’s affairs
and behaviors in the Spanish society.
In “Flowers from another
world,” the story revolves around Spanish women moving out of their rural
society hoping to find someone wealthy to marry. This is normal for women who
are living in rural areas, because they want to get out of their poor lives.
But in the story, the tension begins when the women protagonist get married to
their male companions who have deeper secrets – a drug addict, a drunkard and
an abuser. The women try to find ways on how to escape their undesirable fate,
while trying to save their children, as well. This film shows how women could
be changed into objects of desire because of extreme poverty, but it also
depicts how they could become stronger for the sake of their family, most
especially their children.
Just like “Flowers
from another world,” “Take my Eyes” also portrays women in a more complicated
side of life. The film talks about the complex married life Pilar and Antonio.
The main theme of this movie is domestic violence and although the story is
slow-moving, the intense exchange of conversation and acting of Pilar and
Antonio makes audience more involved in the drama of their married life. The
turning point of the movie, however, is not when Pilar realized that she should
leave Antonio, but when Antonio changed his life to win Pilar back in his life.
Apparently, it was just Antonio’s way of getting Pilar back as the object of
his sexual desires and violent tendencies; we also learned that Pilar loves
Antonio so much that she eventually submitted into Antonio’s erratic behavior.
This is an unusual story of domestic violence, but the way a woman is portrayed
in the film shows the different fates women usually suffer from the hands of
their abusive husbands. But unlike “Flowers from Another World,” the
protagonist in this film did not show any signs of empowerment or strength,
because she just submitted to the desires of her husband even if it means
hurting and busing her physically, emotionally and mentally.
Finally, “Hi, are you
alone?” is more of a “feel-good” Spanish movie that revolves around the theme
of friendship. The two women protagonists are young adolescents who are trying
to explore the larger world around them in the hopes of finding their true
mothers, since they are raised by their foster parents. As the story
progresses, they find their male partners and even meet their parents, but they
also lost them, because of some complicated turn of events. In the end, they become
more matures and realized that their friendship has grown stronger and that
there are some things in life that cannot be changed. Compared to the first two
films we have discussed, “Hi, are you alone?” depicts the younger generation of
Spanish women as stronger and more empowered. They never let problems get in
their way and considered them more as life challenges and not as something that
could hinder their capabilities to grow into responsible adults. Overall, this
lighthearted drama film shows how responsible women can be even if there are
complicated things that could jeopardize their dreams.
Works
Cited
“Flowers from another world”
Iciar Bollain. Film.
“Hi, are you alone?” Iciar
Bollain. Film.
“Take my eyes” Iciar
Bollain. (2003). Film.
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