Al borde de la liberación: las mujeres de la Movida

In this paper, I analyze the 1988 screwball comedy film, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), directed by the iconic Spanish filmmaker, Pedro Almodóvar. The plot of the movie centers on the erratic behavior of Pepa, a distressed woman who encounters a host of eccentric characters while striving to reconnect with her womanizing ex-boyfriend. I examine the themes of gender, sexuality, revenge, power, and liberation that shape the relationships between the main characters. Additionally, I deconstruct influential visual and audial elements of the movie, including camera angles, the soundtrack, and the physical appearances of the characters. Ultimately, I argue that Pepa’s personal transformation throughout the course of the film reflects the detrimental effects of the patriarchy on the mental well-being of women, and represents the evolution of women’s empowerment and sexual liberation in postmodern Spain.