I recently got my hands on 'The Passion of Pedro Almodóvar: A Self-Portrait in Seven Films' by James Miller, a book that, as the title suggests, explores the real life story of the Spanish director and the mark he has left on European and global cinema by drawing parallels with the themes he has chosen to explore in 7 of his most well-known films, or as Miller puts it, 7 of his most personal works. From 'Volver' to 'Pain And Glory' and 'Bad Education', the book is divided into sections dedicated to each film separately, both exploring Almodóvar's inspirations and arguing the autobiographical nature of these works, as discerned by the author.
Miller does a great job in structuring the book, and sharing enough information to create a big picture by exploring both Spanish and cinematic history in a way that allows the reader to have a clear understanding of Almodóvar's formative experiences, and thus his perspective as a creator. It is worth keeping in mind that although the book is undeniably a thorough and engaging exploration of the auteur's work through a deeply thoughtful and analytical lens, and does often back its points using Pedro Almodóvar's own public statements, it is in the end of the day solely based on the author's personal interpretation of Almodóvar's approach to film making.
Of course cinema, like any other art form, is experienced differently by different people, so naturally every time someone attempts to analyse a film, or in this case an entire filmography, they are unavoidably impacted by the ways it spoke to them personally. It becomes evident from the start that the author has both a vast knowledge of Almodóvar's work and a very deep appreciation of him as a film-maker. This is of course necessary, if one intends to write such a deep analysis of how a creator's life experiences are interwoven into their art, but at the same time the book at points puts Almodóvar on an impenetrable pedestal that leaves no room for critique.
And even though the book definitely addresses the several times the auteur has been challenged for certain artistic choices, specifically about the ways he used themes of trauma and sexual abuse in his works, I would have appreciated a more critical and rounded approach to the matter, especially given the sensitive subjects in question.
There is a balanced middle ground between unquestioning praise and absolute condemnation, that allows for art to be discussed both as a form of expression that is free to touch upon taboos and use uncomfortable subjects to provoke the status quo and invoke certain thoughts and feelings, and also as something deeply human, and thus imperfect, that isn't perceived and experienced the same way by everyone, and therefore cannot be exempt from scrutiny. Unfortunately, the book did not always succeed in finding that balance for me.
'The Passion of Pedro Almodóvar' is first and foremost aimed at someone who is already a fan, but can also be read by anyone curious to learn more about the film-maker and gain a deeper knowledge of his works. The author provides enough information for each film so it's not necessary for someone to have watched all 7 of them before reading, but this also means that spoilers about every important plot point cannot be avoided.
A sincere thank you to Columbia University Press for providing me with a review copy of the book.
