Listmania!
My Favorite Spanish-Language Films
By an Amazon.com customer
The Sea InsideThe Sea Inside
Buy new: $14.49 / Used from: $1.37
Academy-award winning film based on a true story. Deals with the issue of assisted suicide.
ButterflyButterfly
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $5.98
Poignant story about the relationship between a young boy and his teacher and how the divisions caused by the Spanish Civil War tear them apart.
CamilaCamila
Buy used from: $22.48
Passionate tale of ill-fated love set in Argentina during Rosa's dictatorship.
I Don't Want to Talk About It (VHS) [VHS]I Don't Want to Talk About It (VHS) [VHS]
Buy used from: $6.27
Wonderful film about a young woman's struggle between self-acceptance and conformity to the ways of a provincial town in Argentina in the 1940's. Funny and unusual, but with an important message.
El Norte [VHS]El Norte [VHS]
Buy used from: $63.85
Tells the hardships of a brother and sister who flee the politcal terror of their country (Guatemala) only to find more hardships on their journey and in their new lives in the U.S.
Cria! [VHS]Cria! [VHS]
Buy used from: $6.18
Story of a dysfunctional family (a microcosmic represenation of Franco's Spain).
Tristana [VHS]Tristana [VHS]
Buy used from: $2.99
Buñuel's somewhat surrealist take on Galdos's famous novel.
Flores De Otro Mundo: Flowers From Another WorldFlores De Otro Mundo: Flowers From Another World
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $3.95
Recent Spanish film that touches on the issues between immigration (from the Dominican Republic and Cuba) and sexual relationships between men and women. Interesting and important.
Manolito GafotasManolito Gafotas
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $4.99
Hilarious portrait of contemporary middle-class Spanish life. For children and adults.
Los Olvidados [VHS]Los Olvidados [VHS]
Buy used from: $31.95
A movie about the plight of poverty-stricken youth in Mexico City. One of Buñuel's best.
I, The Worst of All (Yo, la Peor de Todas)I, The Worst of All (Yo, la Peor de Todas)
Buy new: $22.49 / Used from: $13.99
A must see for those who are familiar with the life and works of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
Land & Freedom [VHS]Land & Freedom [VHS]
Buy used from: $7.78
About a British man who goes to fight with the POUM (allied with the Republic) during the Spanish Civil War. Seems to be loosely based on George Orwell's Homage to Catalonya. Probably only of interest to those who know something about the Spanish Civil War.
El BolaEl Bola
Buy new: $14.98 / Used from: $6.40
Deals with the issue of child abuse in contemporary Spain.
The City And The DogsThe City And The Dogs
Buy used from: $19.99
Critique of the macho, military culture of Peru. Based on the the novel by Mario Vargas LLosa.
The Last Supper [VHS]The Last Supper [VHS]
Buy used from: $34.99
Deals with the issue of slavery in the Caribbean. Very artistically done.
Memories of Underdevelopment [VHS]Memories of Underdevelopment [VHS]
Buy used from: $23.97
Felliniesque portrayal of a sort of mid-life crisis of a man who decides to stay in Cuba after the revolution, not out of political conviction, but out laziness and indifference.
Fresa Y ChocolateFresa Y Chocolate
Buy used from: $19.99
Deals with a homosexual man who opens the eyes of a heterosexual revolutionary to the injustices of the Castro regime (i.e., persecution of homosexuals and lack of freedom of expression).
Women on the Verge of a Nervous BreakdownWomen on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Buy used from: $29.03
I'm not a big Almodovar fan. But, I do like this one. Very funny.
The Official Story (La historia oficial)The Official Story (La historia oficial)
Buy new: $22.49 / Used from: $14.99
One of the best movies ever made. Deals with various aspects of Argentina's "Dirty War," most obviously, with the abduction and adoption of the children of the disappeared.
SolasSolas
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $1.04
Touches on the issues of domestic abuse and the effects of economic stagnation (lack of job opportunites) on Spanish women. However, also has an important message about happiness (a state of mind rather than a product of circumstance). Wonderful, except for the corny ending.
Maria Full of GraceMaria Full of Grace
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $3.71
A young Colombian girl risks her life bringing Cocaine into the U.S. in order to make the money she could not have ever earned in Colombia otherwise.
Viridiana - Criterion CollectionViridiana - Criterion Collection
Buy new: $26.99 / Used from: $18.31
Another classic from Buñuel.
Santos inocentes, LosSantos inocentes, Los
Buy used from: $29.73
Another portrayal of the injustices of Franco's Spain. Based on the novel by Miguel Delibes.
In the City (En la Ciudad) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]In the City (En la Ciudad) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]
Buy used from: $26.99
A group of thirty-somethings looking for meaning in their lives through their relationships. Set in Barcelona.
Y Tu Mama TambienY Tu Mama Tambien
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $2.49
Two young men set out to explore their sexuality only to discover more than they bargained for. May be a bit risqué for some.
Te Doy Mis Ojos (Take My Eyes) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]Te Doy Mis Ojos (Take My Eyes) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]
Fascinating look at domestic abuse. The movie shines in its portrayal of the complexity of emotions involved in such relationships. Great psychological development of characters. The viewer cannot help but be drawn into the drama.
Historias del Kronen (Stories from the Kronen) [NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 IMPORT-SPAIN]Historias del Kronen (Stories from the Kronen) [NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 IMPORT-SPAIN]
A story about young men in Madrid and their search for pleasure and excitement through drugs, violence, sex and overall risky behavior. Disturbing and intriguing. Based on the bestselling novel by the same name. I have not been able to find a copy of this DVD with English subtitles.