The Role of Women in Pedro Almodvars Films - Todo Sobre Mi Madre and Volver - Movie Review Example

An Analytical and Comparative Study on the Role of Women In Pedro Almodóvar’s Films’ “Todo Sobre Mi Madre” and “Volver” It can be said that the twentieth century is the age wherein the gaps of gender inequality are closing—wherein women are more empowered than ever to become strong, self-reliant, and successful. The feminist movement is a response to the gender issues that pervade women in their workplace, social environments, and even at their homes. It is a movement that aims to liberate women from what history, culture, and society have taught them to be—as the weaker sex. Not only women were involved, but also those men who believe in the positive changes that this movement will bring about.1 Because of the continued success of this movement, although it still cannot be said that gender equality has been completely achieved, women nowadays have more freedom; they have recognized their value and place in society; and they have become largely independent of men. However, with the emergence and pervasiveness of homosexuality—more commonly termed as “the queer phenomenon”—gender issues have again become more complicated. Gay and lesbian movements, much like feminism, have evolved to assert their rights and provide the world with a better understanding of who they are and what they represent. Because of this gray area in gender issues, gays and lesbians have come to embody sexuality, which refers to a person’s sexual orientation. On the other hand, feminism refers to the resolution of the gender issues that women (anatomically female) face. However, it can be said that women, gays, and lesbians all have feminine qualities as gays are said to be women trapped inside men’s bodies and lesbians are women with a masculine disposition and sexual orientation. Furthermore, they are all victims of societal misconceptions and prejudices that often lead to unequal treatment and abuse. Hence, these three groups can empathize with each other’s causes. Because of the rise of these movements, the proponents of mass media, more specifically, those of film and television, has been more or less careful about how they portray women, gays, and lesbians in order not to be targeted and criticized by feminist and gay/lesbian groups and be typecast as bigots. On the one hand, there are also those who believe in the causes of these movements and actively support them through their artistic creations and the use of the mass media to relay their message to the public. Pedro Almodóvar is one of these people. This paper will discuss, analyze and compare the roles of women portrayed in Almodóvar’s two critically acclaimed films: Todo Sobre Mi Madre, which translates to “All About My Mother,” and Volver, which means “to return” or “to come back.” This study hopes to shed light on the films’ depiction of women as an illustration of who women really are and how they feel. This paper also aims to show how Almodóvar contributes to the causes of feminist and gay/lesbian movements through these two films, as quoted in Time Magazine in 2005, he explained humbly that “[his] films haven’t changed society, merely supported the progress it was making.”2 Before further discussing the two films mentioned, it is imperative to take a look at Pedro Almodóvar, both as a filmmaker and as a person. This is to establish where these films are coming from—to place the films in context. Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar is a Spanish filmmaker and writer who likes to transcend gender issues and portray femininity and strength of character, whether these qualities reside in the body of a man or a woman. He grew up in the poor province of La Mancha and at the age of sixteen, he moved to the city of Madrid to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker.3 It was here in this city that he decided to learn the art of filmmaking through the hardships and lessons of reality. Because of this, Almodóvar’s movies always have a realistic touch. His films, most especially Todo Sobre Mi Madre and Volver, portray the lives of the people from Spain. “I grew up, suffered, gained weight and developed myself in Madrid. And I underwent many of these changes in time with the city. My life and films are bound to Madrid, like the heads and tails of the same coin.”4 And today, even though he has already won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film for Todo Sobre Mi Madre, Almodóvar still has not created an English language film. All of his films are in Spanish and is grounded on the modern reality, culture, and traditions of the different provinces and cities of Spain. Aside from his Spanish roots, it is important to take note of Almodóvar’s sexuality as it is where his experiences are contextualized. “Almodóvar grew up gay under the sexual terrorism of Franco’s viciously Catholic Spain. It was hard enough being discreetly gay in 1950s Hollywood, but under Francoism it was a matter of life and death.”5 He really knows what it is like to become discriminated against because of the nature of his sexuality. He lived at a time when homosexuality was detested and viewed like a communicable disease. The discovery of the HIV virus only made matters worse as it was associated with homosexual activity, aside from heterosexual sex. Thus, “Almodóvar used his early films to liberate his soul, creating a kind of gay fantasyland onscreen.”6 It was a fantasy before, but it is a reality now as gays and lesbians have come to assert themselves in order to establish their rightful place in society—in order to be treated as the human beings that they are and not be typecast and discriminated against because of their sexuality. “Almodóvar carefully mocks the absurdity of cultural stereotypes, while reproducing the embodiment of the "new Spanish image.”7 It has been said that these experiences give his movies a “special edge”8 as his films depict reality like no other films have—more specifically the reality of being a woman, gay and lesbian. Apart from this, what differentiates Almodóvar from other filmmakers is the fact that he uses tragic and absurdist comedy to portray events that naturally exhibits this type of humor. Furthermore, he dwells on the strength of the characters and the emotions they portray, instead of perfecting his set, as most filmmakers do in an attempt to make the movie more realistic.9 For Almodóvar, the characters, the storyline, and the emotions the film evokes are as real as it is going to get; never mind the set and effects. By using a very simplistic type of filmmaking, he draws the attention to compelling performances of the actors, the dialogues, and the emotions of the story. “One of the great pleasures of Almodóvar films is watching great actresses given roles worthy of their talent.”10 Now, one can better understand Almodóvar’s films as it has been placed in the context of his experiences and sexuality. It is through these that his films are what they are—glorifying real women and portraying gays and lesbians as the real persons that they are—worthy of the love and respect that everyone needs. Having thus elucidated a brief background of the important factors surrounding Almodóvar’s life, the roles of the women in the films Todo Sobre Mi Madre and Volver will next be analyzed. Todo Sobre Mi Madre This film was released in 1999 and it revolves around the character of Manuela, played by Cecilia Roth. The film is true to its title as it is all about Manuela and her life before and after her son’s death. However, the supporting characters of Rosa, her mother, Huma, Agrado, and Lola were also crucial to the story. The following are the important scenes and events in the film that is essential to its understanding. Other scenes pertaining to the specific characters will be discussed under their individual analyses. The film opened with the scene depicting a part of Manuela’s job as a nurse—informing the department who handles organ donations of possible organ donors when a patient is considered brain dead and has no more hope of awakening from a coma. The next scene shows the close relationship that Manuela has with her only son, Esteban, who she raised on her own. He was always with his notebook as he wanted to become a writer and while watching the movie All About Eve, Esteban thought of writing about his mother. He even wrote on his notebook the title Todo Sobre Mi Madre. It was the night before his seventeenth birthday. The next day, they saw the play A Streetcar Named Desire, where Huma (played by Marisa Paredes) plays the lead role. After the play, they waited in the rain so that Esteban could get an autograph from Huma. He then tells his mother that what he would really like was to know about who his father really was—the father who he believed was already dead. And so, she promised him that she would tell him when they got home. However, it was not to be as Esteban was tragically hit by a car while running after Huma’s cab in an attempt to get her autograph. And so, it was Manuela’s colleague’s turn to call the department for a possible organ donor as Esteban was already brain dead. The next scenes show how brokenhearted Manuela was and how she was lost after her son’s death. She quit her job in Madrid and went to back to Barcelona to tell Esteban, the father of her son, that they had a son and that their son is dead. This was her way of fulfilling her son’s last request of learning all about his father. She would then let him know about their son. The movie is her journey towards finding the father. Upon her arrival, she immediately went to the area where prostitutes go about their business. Here she finds Agrada (played by Antonia San Juan), an old and trusted friend, being manhandled and beaten by a customer. They reunited and together, they resolve to get Agrada out of the streets. Manuela also learned that Lola, Agrada’s housemate and best friend, took everything of value out of her apartment while she was at work and has disappeared ever since. And so, Agrada has to work harder than usual. In their effort to find work other than being a prostitute, they went to see Sister Rosa (played by Penelope Cruz). She was the one who cared for Lola when he quit from taking drugs. Rosa then took Manuela to her mother’s to recommend her as a cook. Now the audience sees Rosa’s mother (played by Rosa Maria Sarda) for the first time as she shows her disapproval of Manuela because she thinks she is a prostitute. After this, Manuela watches the play that she last saw with her son. She then went backstage in search of Huma, maybe to get the autograph that her son wanted. Because of certain events, Huma ended up hiring Manuela as a personal assistant. The film then shows the romantic relationship that Huma has with her costar Nina (played by Candela Peña). Huma later on learned about Esteban after Nina accused Manuela of having an ulterior motive when she volunteered to temporarily replace Nina in the play. It was then found out that Rosa is pregnant, with Lola as the father. She was later on diagnosed as HIV positive. Because of this, Rosa came to live with Manuela. She cared for her while she was bedridden, as the doctor advised complete bed rest. Rosa expressed her desire to name the baby Esteban, after Manuela’s son. Because of this arrangement, Manuela quit being Huma’s assistant. Agrada then replaced her. Rosa died giving birth to baby Esteban. It was during the funeral that Lola first appeared. Finally, the audience knows that Lola is also the father of Esteban (the second). Lola has AIDS and is dying. He came back just to see his baby with Rosa as he always wanted a son. At last, Manuela told him about Esteban (the second). The scenes after the funeral showed Lola holding and kissing Esteban (the third) and Manuela showing Lola a picture of Esteban (the second) and letting him read an excerpt from his notebook. Finally, Manuela had her closure. The end of the film was marked by Manuela’s return to Barcelona. She left to take baby Esteban away from Rosa’s mother as the latter was afraid of the disease (HIV) the baby is carrying. The movie started with her losing Esteban and it ended with her gaining another Esteban in her life. Manuela Manuela is the main character in the story. She embodies the inner strength of a woman and the loving heart of a mother. She was originally from Argentina. Her husband moved to Barcelona to work. In the two years that they were apart, Esteban became Lola. She still accepted him even when he dressed as a woman and had breast implants. She later recounted to Rosa this story and she showed her strength in accepting the fact that she did this because she needed Lola and she was afraid of being alone. Manuela: “Women will do anything to avoid being alone.” Rosa: “Women are more tolerant, but that’s good.” Manuela: “We’re assholes.”11 Through this particular discourse in the film, wherein Manuela is telling the story of “her friend” who stayed with her transvestite husband, Almodóvar shows one of the main weaknesses of women—they are afraid of being alone. Here, the film illustrates how women can be strong, despite their weaknesses. What people sometimes perceive as women’s stupidity for staying with a violent partner or strength for putting up with a man’s errant ways or inability to financially support the family, is sometimes just the simple fact that the woman stays because she is afraid of being alone. This is an aspect of womanhood that most feminist portrayals of women want to disprove. It can be shown in the way Rosa sugar-coated it with her line “Women are more tolerant, but that’s good.” Almodóvar, on the other hand, refuted this with Manuela stating that “We’re assholes.” The Spanish filmmaker stated this without qualms—fear can make assholes of women. This is the reality and there are indeed times when this is true and Almodóvar shows how the fear of being alone is natural to a human being and that it is never too late to do anything about it. It is not something that women should be ashamed of, but it is something that they need to think over if this type of outlook (always avoiding being alone) has become to have a negative effect on their lives. They need to look inside themselves and accept their weaknesses and try to change some of them—only some because it is but natural to have weaknesses. By learning what those weaknesses are, accepting them, and learning from them, women can overcome them and transform themselves—much like what the feminist movement is all about. Almodóvar illustrates the core of feminism through the character of Manuela. Women should first know what the problem is and that is the first step towards the resolution of the problem. This involves making changes in women’s lives, just like what Manuela had done. Where before she was financially and emotionally dependent on her husband, she now became independent and a provider. Although it can also be said that she relied on her son emotionally, it cannot be considered a weakness as a mother’s love is only natural and motherhood is an important aspect of the essence of being a woman. Upon learning that she was pregnant, she knew that she could not let her son grow up in the kind of environment that she was living in with Esteban. And so, she left for Madrid and never looked back. She studied nursing in order to be able to provide for her son. She has done everything for him. It can be said that being a mother saved her. It made her realize who she was and what she really wants. It brought out her inner strength. It has been said that a mother can do anything for her son. This type of strength, brought about by maternal love and instinct, is admirable. It is selfless and pure. Almodóvar showed this throughout the film. It is even verbalized in one of the last scenes wherein Huma is rehearsing for a play. Her lines and the way she said them symbolize the hardships of motherhood and the misconception that motherhood is simple and easy. “There are some people who think that children are made in a day. But it takes a long time—a very long time.”12 Although her son died in the beginning of the film, the story is all about how Manuela, as a mother, can go back to just being a woman. Not all women are good mothers, but Manuela was definitely a good mother. For her, the role of motherhood came naturally, but not effortlessly. Almodóvar showed how mothers suffer for their sons and daughters. With the purest of intentions, they always try to shield their offspring from any type of danger and pain. They think of their needs as second only to their sons and daughters. Almodóvar depicted the role of women as mothers in a very realistic way. He demonstrated how mothers can sometimes be wrong (through Manuela’s decision to lie about Esteban’s father), but they always have the interests of their children in mind. In her quest to learn to live only for herself, Manuela showed great strength and kindness as she helped the people around her, Huma, Rosa and Agrado, during the most painful time of her life. While healing herself, she found that she heals better while she is helping others heal, as well. Aside from avoiding being alone, Manuela epitomizes ever women’s need to feel needed. Through this, Almodóvar shows the selfless and nurturing qualities that are characteristic to women. Women just cannot help but be involved in other people’s lives, especially those that they care about. Sometimes, people see this negatively as meddling, but there are times when it is really just the desire to help that motivates women to “meddle.” This can be seen in the film when Manuela called Rosa’s mother to tell her the truth about Rosa’s condition even after Rosa explicitly stated that she did not want her mother to be in the know. It can also be seen during the scene after Rosa’s checkup wherein Manuela was refusing to get involved in Rosa’s life, telling her that she has a mother to take care of her. When Rosa began to cry, she could not help but give in to Rosa’s request to live with her. People say that men go mushy when women cry, but it is not only them. Women, on the other hand, are more attuned to emotions and they just could not help to see anyone suffer so. Again, this need to nurture is seen throughout the film as a quality that is natural to women. It is a quality that makes women distinct from men and Almodóvar is consistent with this representation. It can therefore be said that through Manuela’s character, Almodóvar gave tribute to both women and mothers. He showed how life is not easy for both and that it takes a lot of strength and sacrifice to be able to become a good mother and a fulfilled woman. Almodóvar also depicts Manuela as a woman who has an open mind about her sexuality. The fact that she was able to stay married to Esteban even after he transformed into Lola hints at her sexuality. One can even go as far as to say that Manuela is a bisexual—she certainly has the possibility of becoming one. She explained that with Esteban, the change was only physical. He was still as masculine as ever and protective of her. “How could anyone act so macho with a pair of tits like that?”13 All in all, Almodóvar has managed to portray a woman who is a devout mother, a good friend, and a real woman who has some confusion about her sexuality. More importantly, Manuela is a woman who is not in denial of this and is open to introspection. Her character epitomizes the role of women as mothers and nurturers, and the external and internal struggle and turmoil that they have to go through in order to feel happy and complete. Rosa Rosa is a nun who becomes pregnant by a transvestite—the same transvestite that used to be Manuela’s husband. This statement in itself that simplistically summarizes Rosa’s character evokes a lot of psycho-sexual analyses. It can be said that maybe she became a nun to fulfill her desire to help other people and that being a nun is a successful cover for coming out as a lesbian. It can be that she does not even know that she is gay or that she somehow knows but is in denial. The author of this paper also had the same impressions while watching the film. Her close relationship with Manuela elicits these types of impressions. However, it is also possible that the gay and lesbian themes of the movie just bring forth these notions. The following exchange between Manuela and Rosa exhibits both the possibilities of Rosa being lesbian and just a platonic friendship that has become deep due to the circumstances of Rosa’s pregnancy. Rosa: “This baby will belong to both of us.” Manuela: “If only he did. If only we were alone in the world without any commitments. You and your baby, just for me.”14 This dialogue illustrates the possible picture of Rosa and Manuela being a lesbian couple. However, it could also allude to a purely platonic friendship empowered by love and gratitude. Their relationship, as depicted in the film can interpreted both ways. Rosa’s character embodies a confused young woman who does a very stupid thing, whether to satisfy her curiosity or to escape from her vocation, it was not made clear. Again, Almodóvar portrays the nurturing quality of women. This role of women in society is priceless and their devotion is pure and does the world a lot of good. This was shown in the film during the times when Rosa was adamant about going to El Salvador even if the country was at war and the nuns she was going to replace were killed because of it. The selfless acts of nuns in various social works and outreach missions can be considered small feats of goodness that give the world hope. Amidst the atrocities that man commits against humanity, these deeds serve as slivers of hope that there is still something and someone good out there. This was manifested through the layers of confusion that Rosa has. Even though she came to leave her vocation due to her condition, there are a lot of woman out there who are truly devoted and who have not strayed from their chosen paths like Rosa did. Rosa’s Mother While Manuela is depicted as a loving mother—the mother any child is lucky to have—Rosa’s mother is portrayed as somewhat the opposite. Although she is not totally a bad mother, her character epitomizes a mother who does not know how to express her love for her child; a mother who seems cold and uncaring, yet loves her child all the same. Here, Almodóvar shows how the role of motherhood does not come naturally to all women. However, this awkwardness that some women have in trying to understand their children does not mean that love is absent. There are just women who have trouble expressing their love due to the traditions and attitudes that they have. What Almodóvar is trying to say is that mothers always want what’s best fpr their children, no matter how differently they show this. Despite this, the character of Rosa’s mother demonstrates the role of women as devoted wives. Rosa’s father is probably suffering from schizophrenia (although the diagnosis was not mentioned in the film). He could not anymore think and understand normally; he does not even recognize his own daughter. Rosa’s mother is the only one, aside from the Sapic the dog, he recognizes and trusts. This shows the love, patience and devotion that Rosa’s mother has when it comes to her husband. This is made manifest even in the scenes where Rosa’s father was not there. Rosa’s mother would always bring up their father, saying “I will not tell this to your father anymore, it will only distress him. And besides, he cannot understand.”15 This illustrates how the father, even though he is mentally incapacitated, is still a part of their family and that the mother always thinks of him, especially during important conversations with her daughter. The role of women as devoted wives is something that Almodóvar gave importance to in the film. Rosa’s mother alludes to the fact that some women are more comfortable and natural in their role as wives than as mother, and vise versa. Huma Almodóvar’s view of lesbianism is shown through the character of Huma. She is an aging yet still successful stage actress who has a romantic relationship with her young costar, Nina. Through her character, Almodóvar shows that lesbians are women—they love like women and care about their partners in a more nurturing and deeply emotional way. Huma embodies the ideal that most gays and lesbians have, that is, to become respected for their skills, talents, and abilities, and not to be discriminated against because of their sexual preference. It can be said that Huma has achieved this ideal in that she is still successful and people still come in throngs to watch her, despite the fact that she is a lesbian. Almodóvar wanted to express the fact that gone were the days when people were placed in a box and cannot get a job just because of their sexual orientation. Or, because it was 1999, Huma’s character acted as a message for people not to discriminate against “queers.” They cannot force you to accept them for who they are, but the least you can do is to respect them as individuals and let them do their jobs and live their lives. Agrado Agrado’s character is a very interesting one. She is a transvestite16 prostitute who exemplifies goodness and a pure heart. Her job as a prostitute was portrayed as just a regular job that she does in order to survive. She is a good and loyal friend that can be trusted. Her character epitomizes a real woman trapped inside a man’s body. This was explicated in her famous monologue on stage as she enumerates all the cosmetic surgery she has undergone in order to look like a woman: “It costs a lot to be authentic. You can’t be stingy with these things. You are more authentic the more you resemble what you’ve dreamed of being.”17 These lines provide a simplistic yet deep explanation of why gays cross-dress and why they undergo cosmetic surgery in order to look like woman. It is because they need to feel like a woman. When they look in the mirror they need to see the woman that they want to become. Almodóvar shows what it takes and how difficult it is to feel like a woman yet have the physical qualities of a man. In the many scenes of Agrado—the one where she gets beaten up by a customer and the ones where she was being indecently proposed to at work—Almodóvar relays the message that transvestites are people, too. They have their own lives and people should respect that. They are placed in difficult positions, like being a prostitute, because society did not give them a chance. They cannot find decent jobs because of the prejudices against them.18 Thus, Almodóvar is somewhat calling for a social reform wherein transvestites are given equal opportunities. Volver Volver is a film about the traditions that the inhabitants of the province of La Mancha have regarding death. The film is “precisely about death... More than about death itself, the screenplay talks about the rich culture that surrounds death in the region of La Mancha, where I was born. It is about the way (not tragic at all) in which various female characters, of different generations, deal with this culture.”19 It is a serious comedy wherein scenes are mundane, funny, or highly emotional—“it’s some achievement that the film is both funnier and more moving on repeated viewing, when its pervasive dramatic ironies emerge.”20 Penelope Cruz plays Raimunda, a mother of a teenager who has an estranged relationship with her late mother, Irene (played by Carmen Maura), while maintaining a strong bond with her sister, Sole (played by Lola Dueñas). The film opens with a graveyard scene showing Sole, Raimunda, and her daughter Paula cleaning the graves of their parents who died in a fire several years ago. The film then continued to depict the character of Raimunda as a devoted mother who has several jobs, but still finds time to visit their old Aunt Paula. The film is pervaded with ghost stories as the neighbor who looks after Aunt Paula, Agustina, recounts stories of how she thinks Irene’s ghost constantly visits Aunt Paula. In fact, during Aunt Paula’s funeral after her subsequent death from old age, Agustina tells Sole that her mother’s ghost alerted her to the old lady’s demise. Meanwhile, Raimunda is attending to a very big problem. Her daughter Paula has accidentally killed Paco, Raimunda’s unemployed husband, because he was trying to rape her. Paula knows Paco is her father, when in fact, he really was not. And so, Raimunda cleaned the blood from the kitchen floor and hid the body in the freezer of a recently closed restaurant that was left in her care. Her press release was that Paco has left them for good. After this, Raimunda got a job as a caterer to a film crew in order to make ends meet. Later on, Raimunda seeks the help of her neighbor to bury Paco at a remote riverbank. In the meantime, Sole was shocked to find the ghost of her mother hiding in the trunk of her car, complete with luggage, as she got home from the funeral. The funny thing is that Sole treats her mother as a ghost even as she dyes her hair and as she later on works as her assistant in the parlor. Irene has returned from the afterlife in order to resolve some issues that she left behind, more specifically her relationship with Raimunda. Towards the latter part of the film, Agustina resurfaces in Madrid. She is in the hospital and she just found out that she has terminal cancer and only has a very short time to live. She then asks Raimunda to seek her mother’s ghost in order to find out what happened to Agustina’s mother. For the first time, it was revealed that Raimunda’s father and Agustina’s mother were having an affair. Incredulous at the thought of her mother’s ghost, Raimunda promptly refuses Agustina’s request. The film later on revealed that the reason why Raimunda hated her mother was because she was raped by her father and Paula is actually her daughter and sister at the same time. Raimunda resented the fact that her mother never noticed. Irene disclosed the truth that she is not really dead (as Raimunda does not believe in ghosts) and that the body they found with their father is actually Agustina’s mother, who has been missing since the day of the fire. Irene also admitted that when she learned about the sexual abuse, she was so mad that she started the fire that killed both her husband and his lover (Agustina’s mother). And so, the mother and daughter reconcile and the family is reunited once again. Towards the end, they, as a family, even visited Paco’s grave. The four women then returned to Aunt Paula’s house in order to decide what to do with the house. Irene has decided to show herself to Agustina—she owes her for killing her mother. Irene then expresses her wish to remain by Agustina’s side until her death, with Agustina believing Irene to be a ghost still. Raimunda Almodóvar presents Raimunda as the ultimate woman—despite her difficult past, which she is reminded of everyday through her daughter Paula, she has become a strong woman and mother who is ready to do anything for the people she loves. Raimunda is versatile, loving, attentive, and is a master at multi-tasking. She is focused on her goal of providing a good future for her daughter. For some, the daughter that is also the sister is hard to accept. But Raimunda loves Paula with all her heart and understands that Paula is not to blame for the crime that has been committed against her by her father. Again, Almodóvar portrays the heroic role of women as mothers. Despite the very unusual circumstances surrounding Paula’s birth, Raimunda still found a way to lover her daughter completely and view her without any resentment. Here, Almodóvar shows the strength of character of women who are able to transcend their checkered past and make a good life for themselves and the people who depend on them. Raimunda as a woman is also glimpsed at in the film with the scenes depicting Raimunda’s flirting looks and attitude towards the man who hired her as a caterer. Almodóvar also showed that Raimunda is also a woman who knows to have fun.21 Aside from being a mother, Raimunda is someone who dresses well whenever appropriate. In this way, she still feels more like a woman. This is also a message that mothers should also take care of themselves, not just their families. Raimunda gratifies her desires as a woman, while at the same time, giving priority to her role as a mother and a provider. Although the situations that she finds herself in are not ideal,22 she does everything in order to give herself and her daughter a good life. Again, Almodóvar provides the audience with a completely unique, yet realistic, way of playing to the strength of women. Sole Sole epitomizes the fusion of conservatism and modernity in women. She is separated from her husband and she lives alone and has converted her home into a makeshift parlor. Her innovative character depicts how women can think of anything in order to earn money and survive. Her conservative attitude is seen through her strong belief in ghosts. Even though it may seem odd that the ghost of her dead mother was in her trunk, instead of just appearing anywhere like a spirit does, she still believed her to be a ghost. All the time that they spent together, with Irene hiding under the bed so as not to be seen by Raimunda when she comes to visit, Sole still remained firm on her belief that her mother’s ghost has come to live with her. The belief in the supernatural is something that they take seriously that even the modern era has left it untouched. The absurdity of it all is where the film’s comedic highlights are based. Here, Almodóvar shows how traditions can make women stupid at times. Irene Through this character, Almodóvar illustrates the violent tendencies of women when they are faced with an unbearable truth. Like a lioness protecting her cub, Irene, through her highly emotional state, became capable of killing her husband, the man who dared to hurt her daughter. Throughout the film, Irene is portrayed as someone who is the most unlikely to result to violent behavior. However, Almodóvar showed that mothers bring out the worst in themselves when confronted with the person who hurt their children. In Irene’s case, a combination of anger, disgust, and incredulity at what her husband did to his own flesh and blood was what triggered her violent tendencies. She was not able to protect Raimunda then and she did the only thing that she could think of—she killed him for what he did and to make sure that he never did it again. Almodóvar presents the audience with a good and meek old woman who was able to commit a terrible crime because of what was done to her daughter. After which she wallowed in despair, but has found a way to come back and reclaim her life as a mother. There is a popular saying that mothers can kill for their children, this film literally shows this. The love of a mother for her child is truly the greatest love ever. Conclusion Pedro Almodóvar is a filmmaker who strives to present the different realistic views of women in his films. He shows the strength of women amidst the trials that they face in life. More specifically, Almodóvar pays tribute to mothers through the protagonists of these two films. While Manuela is portrayed as a single mother who attempts to find the will to live after her son’s death, Raimunda and Irene are depicted as mothers who would do anything for their children. These two movies illustrate mothers in all their realistic glory—throughout all the mistakes and decisions they have made, whether criminal (Volver) or not (Todo Sobre Mi Madre). Although Raimunda and Irene both committed crimes in order to protect their respective daughters, the film did not look at it in that light. Instead, it dwelled upon the reality surrounding the events that lead to the actual crimes. Even though there was no crime committed in Todo Sobre Mi Madre, aside from prostitution in which Manuela did not engage in, Manuela’s life and world are characterized by its utter queerness—one which society has discriminated against. Both these two films depict ordinary mothers who have found themselves in extraordinarily different and delicate situations. Almodóvar represents the inner strength, willfulness, and great love that mothers have for their children. For truly, behind every great men and women are their mothers who raised them so. Almodóvar really paid tribute to mothers, not just Spanish women, but mothers from around the world can relate to these two films. Aside from their role as mothers, Almodóvar portrays women for who they are and the qualities that make them extraordinarily women. The term female is not used because some of these women are males, but Almodóvar proved that it takes more than physical anatomy and genitalia to make a real woman. Todo Sobre Mi Madre portrays the world of the transvestites and homosexuals. Although Manuela is neither, their world is seen through her open and accepting eyes. Agrada’s character is a memorable one as she lives without any bitterness towards the men and women who shun her existence and even take advantage of her. Rather, she has this contagious positive attitude that truly makes the people around her “agreeable.”23 Raimunda, on the other hand, is the epitome of a real woman—beautiful, sexy, alluring, caring, and a good mother. Despite their obvious differences, they have the same quality. They are both strong and willful and have transcended their difficult past. The nurturing and helpful characteristics of women were seen in the friendships that the characters maintain in these two films. Aside from her sister, Raimunda have her neighbors to help her. Here, Almodóvar relays the message that as long as women stick together, they can do almost anything—even transport a huge refrigerator and freezer from one place to another. Manuela, on the other hand, has Rosa and Agrade. Almodóvar shows in these two films that women make good friends and better mothers. Even with all their flaws and weaknesses, Almodóvar was able to depict an empowered woman through the characters from these two movies. References Benjamin, H. (1997). The Transsexual Phenomenon. Germany: Symposion Publishing. ClubCultura.com (n.d.). Pedro Almodóvar: His Life. Retrieved June 12, 2007 from http://www.clubcultura.com/clubcine/clubcineastas/almodovar/eng/engcronologia3.htm ClubCultura.com (n.d.). Shooting journal: “Volver.” Retrieved June 12, 2007 from http://www.clubcultura.com/clubcine/clubcineastas/almodovar/eng/diario01.htm Farouky, J. and Walker, J. (2005). Acceptance—One Reel at a Time. Time Magazine Europe. October 10, 2005 Issue. Foster, D. W. (1999). Spanish Writers on Gay and Lesbian Themes: A Bio-Critical Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Light, B. (2006). Pedro Almodovar: an artist hiding behind celebrity? Socialist Worker. August 26, Issue 2015. McIntyre, L. (2000). Gender Roles. Retrieved June 12, 2007 from http://www.cyberparent.com/gender/femalefeminismwomanwomen.htm Walters, B. (2006). Volver Review. Retrieved June 12, 2007 from http://www.timeout.com/film/83660.html Read More