Discourse and Style: Icíar Bollaín’s Gaze in 'Even the Rain'

Abstract

Icíar Bollaín's filmography has come to constitute a necessary and profound oeuvre in Spanish cinema. Her films fit in various movements: social cinema, feminist cinema, and filmmaking with a personal style. In her directorial discourse, her distinct style and her particular view of the world converge in the filmmaking act. An analysis of Even the Rain (2010) reveals elements present in the discourse in the form of expressive devices that are common in filmmaking, but which are reworked and reconfigured to become features of her own style. The approach taken in this film represents a leap in her filmography. However, an in-depth analysis shows that the artist’s gaze, far from being altered or blurred, is transformed and consolidated into a clear style and a discourse that transcends genres and labels.