The Auteur Theory

Film Director Pedro Amodovar

Biography Born September 25 th 1949 the village of Calazada in La Mancha Spain Moved to Province of Extremadura When he was 8 In 1968 he moved to Madrid age 16 Franco dictatorship

Almodovar’s Profile Life in Madrid! Street artist, jewellery maker Telephone company as a clerk Musician, writer, comic strip artist, magazine columnist, avant garde theatre actor, Los Golidardos – Carmen Maura Antonio Banderes screenplay writer, filmaker

Filmography Bought a super 8mm camera From 1972 – 78 began experimenting with short films made a feature length film ‘Salome’ in st commercial feature in 1980 –Pepi, luci bom which was funded by friends

Filmography Early 80’s began making Low budget features with government funding 1981 feature ‘Labrinth of Passion’ –he composed and performed the score His 3 rd feature in 1983 got him noticed internationally ‘Dark Habits’ 1984 first international success with ‘Law of Desire’ In 1985 he set up his own Production Company with his brother

Film genres Melodrama’s, comedy, romantic comedy, black comedy/satire, thriller, drama, elements of film noir Fascist dictator Franco died in 1975 Reconized as the leader of New Spanish Cinema A lot of his films were a reaction against Franco’s repressive culture

Film Form Almost always autobiographical in content Colourful sense of drama, characters and settings Beautiful and startling imagery Uses light amazingly Artistic perspective; uses dance, music and art to flesh out the symbols in his films

Film form Intermingles different film genres together Uses circular narratives Includes aspects of television and theatre within his movies Pop culture art forms –Andy Warhol type Loves the colour Red on his female characters especially red shoes

Almodovar and production Writes his own screenplays Produces his own films Uses the same production team for all his films Unique methods for a film director Ever growing fanbase

Ideological perspective Deconstructs the depiction of middle class values in Spanish cinema Deals with urban classes living on the fringe of society Explores gender and sexuality openly Engages the humanness in humanity Explores the female psyche

critique Labelled as; A woman’s director A gay director

Labelled as a “conscious fantasist” “He reactivates the cliches of film noir and brings them into the land of punk. He has an obsessive angle on everything!”. …………..Pauline Kael 1988

critique For portrayal of a comic rape scene in his film Kika Depecting unprotected gay sex in his film Law of Desire Came under fire over the death of 4 bulls during the making of Talk to Her.

Review quotes “Drama’s you won’t believe, and plots you can never predict” “If the art of a great filmaker is to make a ‘monster’ sympathetic, then Almodovar has it in spades ! ” ….ABC.net/film reviews USA today

NOT THE END BUT A NEW BEGINNING

All about my mother - 25 separate awards 4 BAFTA’s Talk to me 1 oscar 5 awards BAFTA for best screenplay