The first few minutes of a film orient the viewer, offering cues for a richer, more nuanced reading. With this premise, the author provides many insights into the history of Spanish language film, encouraging an enhanced understanding of the Spanish/Hispanic canon commonly taught in courses on film. The author explores
El espiritu de la colmena
(1973),
La historia oficial
(1985),
Fresa y chocolate
(1994),
El crimen del padre Amaro
(2002),
Abre los ojos
(1997),
Te doy mis ojos
(2003) and Carlos Saura's flamenco trilogy--
Bodas de sangre
(1981),
Carmen
(1983) and
El amor bruno
(1986), among others.