A kinder,

A kinder,

gentler

Almodóvar

After great controversy, greater success, and a collection of
bold and stylish films, Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar tells
an emotional story in ‘The Flower of My Secret’

By Lael Loewenstein

Daily Bruin Contributor

alking into Pedro Almodóvar’s hotel suite, one immediately
notices that the room seems too austere for its inhabitant.

Not that the Beverly Hills hotel room isn’t cheery and well lit,
but its muted hues have little in common with the director’s bold
cinematic palette. Nowhere are the splashes of crimson that
permeated "Matador," the bursts of yellow and pink that swept
through "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" or the shocking
neon tones that dominated "Kika."

"I like brilliant, sparkling colors – sometimes fake colors,"
says Almodóvar. "My mother wore black throughout her entire
life, so maybe the reason I frequently use bright colors in the art
direction and the clothing in my movies is a reaction against
that."

Much as there seems to be a recognizable Almodóvar "look,"
he insists that the films’ art direction, sets and costumes can
vary significantly with the nature of the story.

"Depending on the genre, the colors change," he says. "I see
them as a reflection of the characters, the stories and the
aesthetic tone. It’s something I do by instinct."

A case in point is his latest film, "The Flower of My Secret,"
opening Wednesday. In ‘Flower,’ a romance writer named Leo (Marisa
Paredes) battles severe depression after her husband leaves her.
Following a suicide attempt, she overcomes her pain and begins to
rebuild her life.

"With this movie I was dealing with themes of pain, loneliness
and separation, so I decided to make a more realistic, more
recognizable world," he explains. "We shot on locations, not in
studios, and we used colors that are softer and more dark."

‘Flower’ has bursts of Almodóvar’s trademark outrageous
humor, but the film is a departure for the director. Where "Women
on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," his most celebrated film,
explored the female reaction to abandonment with bold, stylized
comedic strokes, ‘Flower’ takes a more somber approach to the same
theme. This time, the woman on the verge very nearly goes over the
edge.

"I didn’t want her to commit suicide, of course," he says. "But
I wanted to show a strong woman in the weakest, most fragile moment
of her life. It’s very human. When a feeling is gone it is as
painful as if someone has died. Love is a kind of addiction, and
Leo knows that she has to kill the sentiment – to destroy the
feeling inside her in order to have peace. It’s the only healthy
way to survive."

Many critics have seen links between passion and psychological
violence in Almodóvar’s films. In "Matador," violence and
sexuality are linked as obsession leads to murder and eventually a
double suicide. In "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down," a former mental
patient, played by Antonio Banderas, obsessed with an actress,
(Victoria Abril), ties her up until she falls in love with him.
Criticized by feminist groups for the latter film, he is eager to
clarify his position.

"I think that passion is related closely to intensity in my
films, but not to violence. Of course, violence is present in life
and in relationships. I’m not talking about street violence. I’m
talking about what you find in films like ‘Another Woman’ by Woody
Allen or ‘Scenes from a Marriage’ by Ingmar Bergman. These are very
civilized people who don’t physically fight, but they can be very
violent. I think violence is in our nature, however civilized we
may be. In any case, I’m not a violent person."

In the case of "Tie Me Up!" he felt "completely misunderstood."
The film was initially given an X rating by the Motion Picture
Association of America, but Almodóvar appealed the decision
and the association changed the rating to NC-17. The board found
two sexual scenes offensive, though neither is pornographic, only
playfully suggestive.

"If the lovemaking scene becomes real, it’s because Antonio and
Victoria are such good actors," he says. "I shot it in continuous
close-ups of their faces and you don’t see anything, but if you
want to see something you can imagine it."

For those feminists and critics who decried "Tie Me Up!" as
sadomasochistic, he insists this was never his intent.

"This scene was very important in the film because this couple
is miserable and they don’t have anything except their bodies and
their passion – their nature. This is something to be enjoyed and
celebrated. And they fall in love with each other. I don’t see it
as pornographic at all. It’s a very romantic story."

Because "Tie Me Up!" followed "Women on the Verge," – one of the
most successful foreign films ever released in the United States –
Almodóvar insists he was ripe for criticism.

"After you have a big success, then with the next film everyone
is against you and they look at you with different eyes. I’m sure
it will be the same with Tarantino; the next full film he directs
everyone will be against him because he was too successful with
‘Pulp Fiction.’"

Having overcome the obstacles posed by that early gargantuan
success, Almodóvar feels comfortable with the different facets
of his career represented in the 11 films he’s made so far.

"There’s a facet to my personality represented by a bratty, ‘bad
boy’ quality evident in films like ‘Labyrinth of Passions’ and
‘Kika.’ And then there’s a facet that is romantic, even a little
suicidal in the way that I conceive love as an extreme,
extraordinary thing – a category that includes ‘Law of Desire,’
‘Matador’ or ‘Tie Me Up!’"

And finally, there’s a facet of his personality that is "the
more sensitive, more emotional side," which applies to "The Flower
of My Secret."

Even if his films may not appeal to all tastes, the director has
one piece of advice: "It’s important not to take my films
literally. They work on many different levels. Above all, it’s
important to have a sense of humor."

FILM: "The Flower of My Secret." Written and directed by Pedro
Almodóvar. Starring Marisa Paredes and Juan Echanove. Starts
Wednesday.

Marisa Paredes (left) and Chus Lampreave star in
Almodóvar’s "Flower."

Marisa Paredes (left) and Imanol Arias in "The Flower of My
Secret," a film that reveals a new facet of Almodóvar’s
directorial style.

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