This short essay reflects on the work of the filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar as a screenwriter of his films. In the next paragraphs we will explore Almodóvar’s stories’ themes and genres (Parker, 1999, p. 13) and give a brief description of the plot in his film ‘The Skin I Live In’. Almodóvar is described as ‘one of world cinema's most exciting filmmakers’ (Kakoudaki, 2009). Almodovar is the perfect role model for every marginalised, independent filmmaker.
His stories’ themes often use ‘symbolism and metaphorical
techniques’ and his ‘films often portray strong female characters and
transsexuals (IMDb, 2026). His scripts are original ideas, adaptations and
co-authorships such as ‘The Skin I Live In’, based on the French novel Mygale,
an ‘exploration of the nature of human identity’ (Kent University groups,
2013).
Almodóvar has stated that his ‘first ambition was to be a
writer’ (IMDb, 2026). He is combining the benefits of writing and directing a
film, and he is creating a unique style that starts on the page of the script
and continues forming during the shooting, flexible to shift by the impact of
the elements of ‘screen style’ (Parker, 1999, p. 35).
Almodóvar pays close attention to the details of his film’s style.
He is describing himself and his crew experimenting on many different colour
pallets for the decor and the costumes before they start filming (BFI, 2026).
Thus, he makes sure that the vision he has when he is writing the screenplay
will be reflected in the final aesthetic of the film.
Almodovar’s films can be a blend of genres, such as ‘The
Skin I live in (2011) that is a mix of horror, thriller, and melodrama (IMDb,
2026). His films are more than entertaining. Almodovar’s recurrent themes are a
comment on society and a close-up in the ‘human condition’, into emotions that
unites us – the audience – with the most bizarre people, raising the collective
empathy levels and advocating for marginalised people.
Almodóvar’s films reveal the characters’ emotional truth, in
a way that blurs the differences of the protagonists and the antagonists (Parker,
1999, pp 84, 26). His characters are sometimes murderers, even rapists, yet he
shifts our point of view from dark emotions – such as longing for revenge – to
more noble ones – such as the struggle to overcome any attempts of conversion to
someone we are not (Garzo, 2011, p, 373).
Almodovar, ‘challenges our preconceptions about everyday
life and personal conduct.’ In ‘The Skin I live in’ (2011), the film starts
with middle age Dr. Robert (Antonio Banderas) experimenting on young Vera, whom
he keeps captive. As our empathy for Vera grows and we wish her escape attempts
are successful, the film turns back in time to Vera’s origin story. Six years
ago, Dr. Robert’s daughter was raped by someone named Vicente. That led to her
suicide. Dr. Robert locates Vicente, and we as audience can relate with him and
understand him.
Dr Robert takes his revenge on Vicente by performing a sex
change operation on him. After a few more aesthetic procedures Vicente is
transformed into Vera. At the end, Almodovar achieves empathy from the audience
for the rapist as well. We are wishing Vicente to be successful in his/hers
attempts to escape and we celebrate the power of the human spirit when Vicente/Vera
does escape and returns to his/her mother.
The film critic for The Observer, Philip French, described
the film as ‘a combination of dark thriller, gothic horror story and poetic
myth’, others describe it as ‘gothic melodrama’. ‘The Skin I live in’ was ‘successful
and well received... on its release’, however it did not gain the favour of all
critics, (Kent University groups, 2013). Film Quarterly (2011) wrote: ‘The
Skin I Live In is cold, cruel, detached... the problem of the film is
its “visual un-pleasure,” the fact that the enjoyable Almodóvar
trademarks have gone missing. What kind of Almodóvar movie is this?’
Despite having been raised in Franco's dictatorship and in a
conservative household, Almodovar – like Vicente – resisted conversion and
managed to ‘escape’. In his own words: ‘I was never the son my parents wanted.
I mean, I think that they really loved me. But ... My parents were effectively
living in the 19th century, and they gave birth to a son who was almost like a
21st-century child. So, there was a massive gap between their expectations and
mine... for me it was hell. All I wanted to do was get out, run away.’
Almodóvar’s success is an inspiration for all
not-English-speaking filmmakers, as he is well known internationally. In his
interviews (2015) he has a rare combination of humility and self-confidence
that is captivating. In his own words, his ‘movies have an autobiographical
dimension, but that is indirectly, through the personages’. (IMDb, 2026).
I have chosen Pedro Almodóvar for this essay as his colour
pallet and his aesthetic have a similar kitsch and colourful style with the
ways that I dress and decorate my own personal space (Schmidtke, 2010).
Additionally, he is using autobiographical elements in the way that I use
elements from my personal life to write about fictional characters, blurring
the limits that separate fiction and memory (Varga, 2024).
Furthermore, I have chosen Almodovar because I admire that
‘he has been being “true to himself,” even at the cost of alienating his
audience’, (Film Quarterly, 2011). His recurrent collaborations with actors,
such as with Antonio Banderas (1982-2019), shows Almodóvar’s ability to form
deep and long-lasting creative relationships with his actors as much as with
his devoted audience.
Word count: 919
Bibliography:
BFI Interview: Pedro Almodovar in Conversation (2015) The
director discusses the recurring themes in his films including Women on the
Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Available at: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-pedro-almodovar-in-conversation-2015-online
Accessed 01/04/2026
Film Quarterly, 2011, Escape Artistry: Debating “The Skin I
Live In” Available at: https://filmquarterly.org/2011/10/12/escape-artistry-debating-the-skin-i-live-in/
Accessed 01/04/2026
Gustavo Martin Garzo, 2011, in The Pedro Almodovar Archives,
edited by Paul Duncan & Bárbara Peiró
https://library-search.open.ac.uk/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9952485161002316/44OPN_INST:VU1
IMDb On Pedro Almodóvar Caballero, Available at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000264/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Accessed 01/04/2026
Kakoudaki, D., 2009, All about Almodovar: a passion for
cinema Epps, Bradley S. Available at: https://library-search.open.ac.uk/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9952485161002316/44OPN_INST:VU1
Accessed 01/04/2026
Melodrama Research Group University of Kent, 2013, Summary
of Discussion on ‘The Skin I Live In’ Available at: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/melodramaresearchgroup/tag/pedro-almodovar/
Accessed 01/04/2026
Parker, Ph., 1999, The art & science of screenwriting,
second edition, Intellect Books
Schmidtke, E., All About Almodovar: A Passion for Cinema
(review), 2010, (All about Almodovar: a Passion for Cinema, a recently released
anthology edited by Brad Epps, Professor of Romance Languages and Literature at
Harvard University, and Despina Kakoudaki, Assistant Professor of Literature
and Film at American University.) Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265742080_All_About_Almodovar_A_Passion_for_Cinema_review
Accessed 01/04/2026
Varga, D., 2024, FROM LIFE TO TEXT AND FILM: PEDRO AMODÓVAR
AND AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL DISCOURSE Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387493505_FROM_LIFE_TO_TEXT_AND_FILM_PEDRO_AMODOVAR_AND_AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL_DISCOURSE
Accessed 01/04/2026
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