The First Few Minutes of Spanish Language Films

<p> The first few minutes of a film orient the viewer offering cues for a richer more nuanced reading. With this premise the author provides many insights into the history of Spanish language film encouraging an enhanced understanding of the Spanish/Hispanic canon commonly taught in courses on film. The author explores <I>El espiritu de la colmena</I> (1973) <I>La historia oficial</I> (1985) <I>Fresa y chocolate</I> (1994) <I>El crimen del padre Amaro</I> (2002) <I>Abre los ojos</I> (1997) <I>Te doy mis ojos</I> (2003) and Carlos Saura's flamenco trilogy--<I>Bodas de sangre</I> (1981) <I>Carmen</I> (1983) and <I>El amor bruno</I> (1986) among others.</p>