Volver

The main character of the film Volver proved to be an extremely strong and resiliant woman. She persued and survived through some of life's most difficult situations. I felt like she was constantly being thrown into hard, problems but she took them in stride and made the best of it. She had to deal with abuse, loss of her marriage and the death of a loved one. The dynamics of the film were interesting. It seems unimaginable to think that Raimandi could survive the life she had been dealt, yet she does it with strength and fortitude. I found it interesting that her daughter learns from the difficulties that her mother goes through. Their relationship grows stronger as they endure the death of Paco and having to make it on their own. Raimandi's turning point was when she took over the resteraunt and made her own living by cooking for the film crew. She was even able to enjoy singing again which is one thing she enjoyed as a child. The impact of her singing in the film reminded me how much music is part of the Latin American culture. Most all of the women in the film were portrayed with possessing strength and character when dealing with life's most difficult challenges.
When examining the superstitious beliefs in the film, it was evident that the Spanish culture holds to many of these ideas. It was striking to see the women in the opening scene cleaning off the graves of the family, "to keep the spirits happy." I found it interesting how the older women were teaching the younger to do this without questioning the belief and practice. Another example of superstition was how the "east wind" caused people to become crazy. It appeared that the characters in the film used the wind as an excuse for problems they encountered. There were several episodes when they blamed illogical things on the "wind."
Overall I found this film intriguing to follow. It showed once again that Spanish women are strong and industrious even when faced with inexcusable circumstances in life.
Becky Bittinger