La representación de la mujer prostituta en la obra cinematográfica de Pedro Almodóvar

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to provide information about how the Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar represents the character of the prostitute in his filmography. The goal is to analyze how he characterizes prostitutes and to determine if he uses a common pattern with specific characteristics to represent them in his filmography. Three films from three different decades are selected for study, ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? (1984), Todo sobre mi madre (1999) and Volver (2006). Narrative theories and representation theories are applied in the comparative analysis of the three prostitute characters from these movies: Cristal, Agrado and Regina. Almodovar’s characterizations of prostitutes in these films is also compared to how history of cinema has represent prostitutes, especially with the help of Juana Gallego’s book Putas de película (2012). As the results show, Almodóvar’s prostitute characters always appear as a supporting role in the story, and it is represented with a specific pattern. These prostitutes are shown as good friends, trustworthy and reliable people, and humorous personalities. They are also presented in both private and public environments, creating richer more complex characters, showing two faces of the same character.