Spanish 340PA - Pedro Almodóvar

Spring
2018
01
4.00
Justin Crumbaugh
TTH 11:30AM-12:45PM
Mount Holyoke College
102706
Art 219
jcrumbau@mtholyoke.edu
102706,103001,103025
This course studies the films of Pedro Almodóvar, European cinema's favorite bad boy turned acclaimed auteur. On the one hand, students learn to situate films within the context of contemporary Spanish history (the transition to democracy, the advent of globalization, etc.) in order to consider the local contours of postmodern aesthetics. On the other hand, the films provide a springboard to reflect on larger theoretical and ethical debates. For instance, what can a weeping transvestite teach us about desire? What happens when plastic surgery and organ transplants become metaphors? Under what circumstances, if any, can spectators find child prostitution cute?
Prereq: SPAN-212.
Weekly evening screenings. Taught in English.
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.