Characters Flashcards
How can Raimunda be described?
Despite being young, she has suffered a lot and has many secrets
A Mediterranean beauty, with dark hair and large eyes
She is full of life, energetic and strong (a classic strong woman portrayed in 20th century melodramas); a role model for women of any era
She enjoys visiting her family members in La Mancha
She believes that her parents were in love and died in each others arms
Which actress plays Raimunda?
Penelope Cruz
What does “volver” mean to Raimunda?
To start again (volver a empezar), to change jobs and to have a new lust for life
How is Raimunda’s level-headedness represented in the film?
When she storms out of Sole’s house crying upon discovering Irene under the bed, but she quickly reflects on her actions, calms down and decides to go back to face the situation
After arguing with Sole about Tia Paula’s suitcase, she later apologises and regrets her actions
How is Raimunda’s forgiving nature represented in the film?
Through her willingness to rebuild her relationship with her mother after carefully listening to her explanation
She does not appear to have hatred for Paco; she honours him by burying him in a place that was special to him (by the Júcar river)
How did Almodóvar accentuate and emphasise the importance of Raimunda’s femininity?
He dressed her in timeless garments and made her wear a fake bottom
The end credits feature the patterns and colours of Raimunda’s clothes
How can Sole be described?
As Raimunda’s older sister
She has a husband who left her years ago; she is lonely and her mother’s visit really helped her
She has an illegal hair salon in her apartment
She is superstitious and easily frightened
How is Sole’s humorous personality represented?
When she sniffs the exercise bike in Tia Paula’s house and suspects that something odd is going on
How can Paula be described?
Raimunda’s teenage daughter
A typical teenager who is obsessed with her mobile phone
How does Paula’s character develop in the film?
She starts as a typical teenager, obsessed with her phone, reluctant to help out or engage in conversation with her family
However, once she murders Paco, she becomes mature and responsible; stepping into the adult world
How does Agustina represent a typical person from La Mancha?
She kisses people loudly on the cheek, she is caring and attentive, and she works tirelessly on behalf of others to the point where she appears like a saint
How can Agustina be described?
She represents a typical Manchegan villager
She is a supportive, dedicated and selfless woman
She is very superstitious and believes in spirits/ghosts
She helps to looks after Tia Paula
She finds out she has cancer later in the film
She misses her hippie mother who went missing the same day that Raimunda’s parents died
She likes to smoke marijuana
How can Irene be described?
The mother of Raimunda and Sole
According to the story, she died in a fire in the arms of her husband, however we later find out that Irene was the one who set the fire to kill her husband and his lover (Agustina’s mother)
She spent years hiding in Tia Paula’s house which explains how Tia Paula had ready-made food and an exercise bike
She hid in Sole’s car boot, then lived in her apartment pretending to be a Russian immigrant so she wouldn’t look suspicious to her customers
How has Irene lost her role as a matriarch?
Her husband was having an affair and she failed to notice that he had sexually abused their daughter Raimunda, getting her pregnant
How can Tia Paula be described?
As clumsy and kooky
