Essay Questions

What is the irony of Lydia being afraid of a snake?

Lydia is taken home by Marco, but after being dropped off she runs from her home screaming as there is a snake inside and she is terrified of them. The irony is that Lydia is a bullfighter. She faces two-ton beasts head-on and for anyone to find out her fear of a snake it would be bad for her reputation.

What do Marco's tears symbolize?

We watch as Marco weeps many times throughout the film. The symbolism in them is that he is touched by something beautiful, and the beauty breaks his heart because he is unable to share it with his love as they have been separated. The thought of never being able to share something beautiful with her again terrifies him and cracks him open emotionally.

How does naming each section of the film add value to the story?

Almodóvar uses text over images in order to let the audience know they are in a specific period of time. What this allows the director to do is cut out any unnecessary exposition that could potentially keep the story from moving forward and slowing it down. It also allows the audience to piece together the necessary information in order to get them from the previous segment to the new one thus, it enhances the imagination of the viewers and gets them involved as participants and not merely people screening the film.