Devils and Angels in ‘Talk to her’ Chapter 3

Character functions Benigno – Represents abnormal psychology, rapist (allows audience to contemplate the morality and nature of his rape – can he be entirely blamed/blameless as he is mentally ill?) Lydia – Bull fighter, is she to blame for her own injuries? Marco – Friend of Benigno, eventually begins to ‘turn into’ Benigno Alicia – Victim of rape during coma. Interestingly both Lydia and Alicia put on performances, Marco and Benigno like performances as established by the opening sequence… this creates a link between their characters.

‘Devil’s and Angels’ Within Almodovar’s Talk to her ? Devils = Benigno and Marco Angels = Lydia and Alicia Marco considered a devil because he could have prevented Alicia’s rape, he possibly begins to stalk her at the end of the film... But Benigno might think Alicia is a devil for leaving Benigno while she is in a coma. Lydia is a fearsome woman looking for danger every day in her life. She is put into a coma with a bull fighting injury. More masculine than feminine. Miss-treating of bulls.

Point 8, page 33 The bull fighting scene. In the scene, until Lydia’s injury, the expression used on her face suggests defiance and hubris, such a ‘silent’, but eloquent challenge to seems to be the embodiment of male power – perhaps in male sexuality context. It’s as if she is consuming herself to an inevitable fate. Lydia = means ‘bull-fighting’

Stanley Cavell, The world viewed, ‘Cambridge, MA Harvard University press, 1979’. ‘The ‘dramatic mode of film is the mythological’ and that this mythical dimension is actually ‘the typical.’’ The world of comatose women, a barely sane, largely delusional male nurse, a women bull fighter, and a rape that leads to a ‘rebirth’ in a number of senses. Comatose women are the central figures in ‘Talk to her’. These characters are similar to mythological genre which is closest to us. Fairy tales. Snow white and sleeping beauty are comatose women who endure ‘non-consensually’. ‘a male kiss, male sexual attention.’

Point 10, page 34 Movie could be classed as a growing, awkward friendship between two men, and not so much about the two women and their fate. It is Alicia’s coma which links the two of them together. And this fact is the pivot point on which the audiences ultimate reaction to the film would turn. ‘Marco walks by Alicia’s room once when she is naked and being attended to. Benigno invites him in, and Marco is clearly extremely uncomfortable in the room with Alicia’s body...so visible.’ The audience is not really sure if this uncomfortable because he feels sexually excited by the sight, or because he is quite understandably puzzled that Benigno could treat Alicia’s need for privacy so openly, exposing her so calmly to strangers.