Volver (2006)

Posted: August 29th, 2013

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Volver (2006)

Two sisters Raimunda and Sole, lose their parents in a fire tragedy. They are forced to grow up as orphans but with the help of Aunt Paula. When they grow up, they relocate to Madrid and leave their aunt Paula in Spain. Raimunda gets married to a jobless man who likes idling. Sole takes up a hair dressing job. These two sisters travel to Spain to go and visit the grave of their mother, Irene. Agustina, Paula’s neighbour claims that Irene has started reappearing in Ghost form. She is said to bring comfort to her family and to resolve what she could not, when she was alive.

The family is back to Madrid and within a short while, Paco, Raimunda’s husband dies. He is killed by Tia Paula, their daughter, who claims that he wanted to rape her. As Raimunda conceals Paco’s body, Sole calls. She tells her that Aunt Paula is also dead. When Paula dies, her ghost also starts appearing among the living. This is where the movie gets its title, which means return. These deaths reveal so many secrets of the past, which Irene intends to solve.

The name of the director and writer of this movie is Pedro Almodovar. For him to create the movie successfully, he chose crime, mystery and drama genres. There are several murder cases in the story line. Paco, Raimunda’s husband is murdered and his body is hidden. There are also many mysterious things happening. For instance, Irene’s ghost and that of Paula appear. No one can explain the existence of ghosts. The fire that killed Irene and her husband is mysterious. Its cause is not clearly understood. Almodovar has incorporated drama by including a series of conflicting events. For example, Paco is a lazy husband who likes drinking and lazing around, unlike her wife Raimunda who is industrious.

The main character in this movie is Raimunda who is the elder sister in a family of two children. Unfortunately, her parents die when she is young. The other characters are Sole, Irene, Paula, Agustina, Paco and Tia Paulo. Sole is a sibling to Raimunda; Irene is their dead mother who later appears as a ghost. Paula is a sister to Irene and aunt to Raimunda and Sole. Agustina was a neighbour to Aunt Paula before she died and Paco is Raimunda’s husband. Raimunda had a daughter called Tia Paulo, who killed her father. These characters are the backbone of the movie. All the themes are brought out through these characters. For instance, there is a theme of crime. This theme has been well developed by the help of the characters. The plot is not a real life setting but drama. It is appreciated by the audience because the characters make it interesting.

The narrative perspective is captivating and leaves an imagination to the audience. Due to the many mysterious cases, viewers of this movie are left to make some conclusions through what they imagine. It also shows interaction of people from different social backgrounds. Raimunda and Sole grew up in Spain but they later moved to Madrid. They fit in and both settle down in different ways. Raimunda starts a family whereas Sole becomes a hairdresser. The writer of the scripts exhibits some weaknesses. In all the crimes committed, it would have been wise to include that they were eventually reported to the authority. Scenes that show covering up crimes may encourage it to happen in reality.

The major difference between Hollywood movies and Volver is their origin. Almost all Hollywood movies are made in USA. Volver has originated from Spain and has been released in several other countries. It has even been acted in Spanish language and other languages. Some Hollywood movies are purely based on one genre. For example, comedy movies or action. Volver has been created to have several genres like crime, mystery and drama. Most Hollywood movies do not focus on the mystery; they are more inclined to fiction. Actors and actresses in Hollywood movies are from within the country. The characters in Volver are not American but Spanish. Hollywood movies are characterized by many scenes of romance or the theme of love, regardless of the genre. Volver has very few parts of romance because it is focused on other themes.