Pedro Almodovar's 1988 black comedy-melodrama Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown established its director as one of the most exciting of European film-making talents. An often hilarious study of sexual mores, Women on the Verge has a central character, Pepa (Carmen Maura), as warm and richly drawn as any modern film heroine. Made strong and self-reliant by suffering in a troubled relationship, Pepa is the centre of a network of lovers, friends and family who represent a vivid cross-section of Spanish society. Peter William Evans provides a formidable analysis of Almodovar's insights into gender, sexuality and identity. Evans sees Women on the Verge as concerned with the often tyrannical spell of sexual desire and the anxieties of relationships and families, but also with the possibilities for personal liberation. He discusses the film in the context of the history of Spain and the social revolution that occurred after the death of Franco. In his foreword to this new edition, Evans reflects upon Women on the Verge in the light of Almodovar's subsequent films, and the impact of Carmen Maura's performance as Pepa on the representation of women in Spanish cinema.

A study of Pedro Almodovar's 1988 black comedy-drama, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown in the BFI Film Classics series.

About the Author
Peter William Evans is Emeritus Professor of Film at Queen Mary University of London, UK. He is the author of Written on the Wind (2013), also in the BFI Film Classics series.


Book Information
ISBN 9781839022524
Author Peter William Evans
Format Paperback
Page Count 80
Imprint BFI Publishing
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 134g