A sign of the times

This movie as a whole was very intriguing. There were elements in this movie that certainly kept it out of mainstream popularity. The explicit sexual references, masochism, and homosexual themes were incredibly shocking when this film was released, probably more so than today. 1980 didn't approve of these themes, but perhaps this is why Almodovar made this film - to break cultural boundaries. Similar to an idea in Collette's post, I believe Almodovar meant to show a complete foil to the cultural standards at the time; an example being Luci showing independence from her husband. Women at this time (early 80's, late 70's) were regarded below their husbands, meaning, women did the housework, cooking, and cleaning. More men went to college then. One notable quote from the police officer to his wife Luci: "shut up, this is man's business". The "man's buisness" He is referring to is whether they should move out of the house; Luci does not get a say in the important issues. She is under a tight leash by her husband, but she controversially escapes that life. Her husband says "I don't like independent women, go cook me something". That line says it all.

This movie goes everywhere very quickly. from advertisements to making a masochist porno to policeman rape - wow. The film attempts to break down cultural barriers with every scene. One scene when the woman talks to herself about her sleeping husband complains that she is being treated horribly and she doesn't deserve it. This seems to be a common idea in the film, wives being treated poorly and then going off on their own. I think it's curious that at the end of her rant, she concludes that it's her fault for not being a good enough wife. This illustrates the immense pressure under women of that time to be submissive and take care of the husband's needs. I think it's interesting that this movie is very racy and shows themes not common at the time period of the movie, yet the movie itself is very much set in the time period. In the beginning, the bright, wild colors and 80's references such as the shot of superman certainly clue the viewer of the time period, only to distort the representations of the time by the crude content of the film.