We witness this in the strong sibling bond shared by Raimunda and Sole, who have been each other’s support system since their father ‘s death. Almodóvar’s women have each other’s backs and stand by each other through thick and thin. The predominant theme running through the film is of female kinship and solidarity. Even Raimunda’s sister Sole (Lola Duenas) is portrayed as a strong independent woman who is divorced and sustains herself by running a beauty parlour at home.Īlso read: Baradwaj Rangan reviews Pain and Glory. Raimunda’s mother Irene (Carmen Maura), on learning about her husband’s affair with Agustina’s (Blanca Portillo) mother, burned down the hut in which they both were having sex. In Volver, women don’t allow themselves to be disrespected by anyone. Almodóvar establishes the strength of his female characters in this initial scene by displaying their composure and presence of mind in the face of such adversity. What follows is Raimunda cleaning the blood-drenched kitchen floor and packing off Paco’s dead body with Paula’s help. When Raimunda’s (Penelope Cruz) jobless and irresponsible husband Paco (Antonio de la Torre) attempts to rape their 14-year-old daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo), he is stabbed to death by Paula in self-defence. But above all, it is a tale of female solidarity, strength, love, kindness and grace.Īlso read: 8 Pedro Almodóvar movies on Disney+ Hotstar. Toggling between the city of Madrid and the small town of Alcanfor de las Infantas in La Mancha, Spain, the film tackles many complex themes such as parental sexual abuse, murder, superstition, death, grief, and redemption. Although the one song (a rendition of the Argentinian tango song “Volver “) in the film captures its essence, I can’t help but be reminded of Shaggy’s “Strength of a Woman “, which is an apt tribute to its female cast.
It is the womenfolk who are in charge of their lives and even their household. In the oestrogen-laden world of Volver, men occupy very little screen space. An ode to female resilience, Almodóvar’s film explores the inner and outer conflicts of its female protagonists, who are fiercely independent and can lead a fulfilling life without a dose of testosterone. In no other film of his is this reverence for the female gender more evident than in Volver (2006).