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The Making and Unmaking of Francoist Kitsch Cinema
From Raza to Pan's Labyrinth
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Book Presentation:
Examines Francoist and Post-Francoist Spanish cinema through the lens of kitsch aesthetics
In fascist Spain, Francoism – like German and Italian fascism – produced its own particular brand of kitsch. Deploying religious and historical iconography drawn from Spain’s centuries-long struggle against Islam, Francoist ideologues created a kitsch interpretation of Spain’s historical past designed to replace more complex and nuanced accounts, where religious and historical iconography combined with kitsch aesthetics to project a picturesque, clichéd image of Spain. The ultimate goal of this vast production of Francoist kitsch was to produce a submissive subject who, by identifying with Francoist aesthetics, would identify with state ideology.
This book engages with the making and unmaking of Francoist kitsch aesthetics through the analysis of Spanish cinema. It examines five highly influential Francoist films produced from 1938 until 1964 and three later films by critically acclaimed directors Luis Buñuel, Guillermo del Toro, and Alex de la Iglesia that attempt to undermine Francoist aesthetics by re-imagining its visual and narrative clichés.
Key features
• A comprehensive analysis of totalitarian kitsch aesthetics and Spanish fascism
• An exploration of the links between cinema and politics in Franco and Post-Franco Spain
• In-depth film analysis of several Spanish films anchored in historical contexts
• Theoretical approach to Spanish cinema and kitsch aesthetics
• Close analysis of films by critically acclaimed directors Luis Buñuel, Alex de la Iglesia and Guillermo del Toro
About the Author:
Alejandro Yarza is Associate Professor in the Spanish and Portuguese Department and Core Faculty of the Film and Media Studies program at Georgetown University.
Press Reviews:
Yarza’s book presents a journey from the very origins of Francoist kitsch to the subversion of the same. An original perspective, this work considers films through the lens of kitsch and, therefore, departs from dominant academic texts that have perhaps tended to adhere to simplistic, descriptive analysis that focuses only on the political ideology present in the films. [...] Overall, this is an observant and engaging offering to the literature on Spanish film.– Rachel Beaney, Cardiff University, Bulletin of Visual Spanish Studies
Yarza takes us on a scintillating journey, from the grandiose construction of Francoist kitsch as ideology dreamed on the cinema screen to its puncturing, dismantlement and exorcism in key films. Sustained by brilliant, intuitive close readings, the book also offers the opportunity for wider reflections on the phantoms and residues stalking the construction of Spanish cinema images.– Professor Sarah Wright, Royal Holloway, University of London
See the publisher website: Edinburgh University Press
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