Blood Cinema: The Reconstruction of National Identity in Spain

From the films of such towering directors as Luis Bunuel, Carlos Saura, Victor Erice, and Pedro Almodovar, Kinder traces influences to the paintings of Goya and Ribera and the writings of Lorca and Galdos and to the political events in Spain's turbulent history. Most original are her explanations of what makes the melodrama and violence in these films specifically Spanish. It argues convincingly that in order to understand world cinema, one has to know the history of Spanish film. Illuminating and engaging, it is a highly readable, and well written exploration of Spanish art, history, and culture.