Death and La chica Almodóvar

Abstract

The work of director Pedro Almodóvar has often been commented on in terms of passion and identity politics. This article foregrounds two distinct, yet related themes: death and community. Drawing on the work of Jean-Luc Nancy and Judith Butler, this contribution to the ever growing literature on Almodóvar extends the theorising community in his oeuvre, suggesting that it is an essential space for the exploration of identity and passion. Moreover, through an analysis of the representation of death in a number of the director’s works —Hable con ella, Volver, and Matador— this article reveals how this theme threads together a range of the key concerns of Almodóvar’s films, most significantly that of community.