BAD EDUCATION (LA MALA EDUCACION)

Spain, 2004, 105 minutes, Colour.
Gael Garcia Bernal, Felipe Martinez.
Directed by Pedro Almodovar.

Pedro Almodovar is Spain's leading director, with a strong international reputation and two Oscars (for All About My Mother and Talk to Her). He was initially provocative with his films of the 1980s, especially in his attitude towards the Catholic Church and in his treatment of sexuality, especially of homosexual themes and characters.

In recent years, he has perfected his style, his ability to create intelligent melodramas, channel his flamboyant still into thoughtful and moving explorations of the human experience, often bizarre experiences.

Bad Education has been in planning stages for many years. In 2002, when Almodovar announced that he would move into production, there were immediate claims that the film would be anti-clerical. It would be a film about his own experiences of Catholic education in Spanish schools of the 1960s. However, Almodovar himself has been disclaiming the anti-clerical charge. He has said that had he made the film twenty years earlier, it would have been quite anti-clerical. He says now that he has mellowed and that, although he does not have what he calls 'the luxury' of believing in God, he values much of what he experienced in the Church (especially in liturgies, celebrations and art) during his childhood. He says he asked God to give him faith when he was a boy but God did not give it to him. He also said recently that the priests at school said that watching films was a sin and that he had to choose sin. These themes are incorporated into Bad Education.

The other aspect of the film that hit the headlines before its release was that of sexual abuse. While not experiencing it himself at school, he was aware of it. English-speaking countries have been aware of this widespread problem since the 1990s, culminating in the US crisis in 2002. The issue is beginning to emerge more forthrightly in continental European countries. While the issue is important, Almodovar treats it quite differently from the way it was portrayed, for example, in the Irish Song for a Raggy Boy, where the audience briefly saw the truly abusive side of unscrupulous behaviour and the pain of the victim. Almodovar spends more time showing the emotional behaviour of the abusing priest, his obsession and emotional immaturity, but puts more blame on how the priest handles the situation and jealously exploits his authority and power within the school. This is portrayed in the visualizing of a story written later by the victim. We then see the priest in real life, having left the priesthood and married, but still a sexual predator.

Almodovar's treatment of abuse is more complex and thoughtful than what might have been expected. His judgments are mellowed at times with some compassion for the emotions of the perpetrator. His sympathies are with the victims, although he also raises questions about adolescent attitudes towards sexuality, especially in the context of Catholic upbringing, Church teaching and a sense of sin.

Almodovar is a very clever writer and is able to construct quite intricate plots. For its full impact, the film needs to be seen with as little knowledge about its structure as possible. Audiences will leave with a great deal to think about concerning all the central characters, about what is real, about what is memory, about sexual orientation, about sexual intimacy, about childhood experiences and their effect on adult development or the impeding of development, about moral choices and about God and religion.

To put all this into a proper perspective, it is necessary to acknowledge what Almodovar has said in many interviews. That, perhaps, he should not have called his film Bad Education because the past in the school sequences is only one of about half a dozen plot segments, that he sees the school sequences as a launching place for his interest in his characters as adults and how they interact.

Bad Education offers an opportunity to see something of abuse issues dramatized. For many people, for Catholics, the stories are often sensational headlines, condemnatory articles, court cases where justice must be done and where people in the Church have to accept responsibility. They do not have a sense of the stories, of the human dimension of what victims have experienced, what abusers have done. In this sense Almodovar's film contributes to the Church's continuing examination of conscience, especially in some countries which have not yet faced the crises experienced in the United States and other places.

1. Almodovar and his career, his skill in clever plotting, characters? Issues? Melodrama?

2. The film in the 1980s and the 1960s? Wide screen for the 80s, standard screen for the 60s? 80s - the office and its pastel colours, homes, studio, Valencia, Galicia? The contrast with the 60s, the school, its environment? The return of Zahara to the school? The musical score, orchestrated, melodramatic?

3. The film, the film within the film, the visualising of Ignacio's story, the interconnectedness of the plots, the characters, fictional and real?

4. The portrait of Ignacio, his arrival at Enrique's office, the story about his life, their past friendship, love? Giving him the story? Enrique getting rid of him? The visualising of the story, Father Manolo? The truth, Juan, the real Ignacio and what actually happened? Juan and Manolo, the letter to Enrique as Ignacio died? Ignacio as seen as a young boy, in the visualising of the story, in the film within a film, the effect of his past on his adult life?

5. The school sequences as the launching pad for the later characterisations? Ignacio, his age, innocence, singing "Moon River", the song for Father Manolo's birthday, singing in the choir? Yet his being knowing, his being pursued in the bushes by Father Manolo, his going to the cinema, watching Sara Montiel, within Enrique, fondling each other, the sense of guilt afterwards, the night in the dormitory, hiding in the toilet from Father Manolo? The discussion with Enrique about guilt and hedonism, belief in God? The deal with Father Manolo about Enrique staying at school? Serving Father Manolo's mass - and saying he lost his belief in God? The exercise yard and seeing Enrique leave? Father Jose and the brutality of his dealings with the children? Father Manolo becoming principal?

6. The character of Enrique as young, Ignacio, young adolescents, the theory of hedonism? Zahara and the singing in the club, leading Enrique on, going home with him, the sexual encounter, his falling asleep? Paco and the robbing of the bike, Ignacio changing his mind? The contrast with the real Enrique, the film director, his career, his memories of his relationship with Ignacio?

7. Father Manolo, teaching literature, becoming principal of the school, singing on the picnic, pursuing Ignacio in the bushes, the song for his birthday, the expressions of tenderness and love, the immature and paedophile love? His dealing with Enrique, dealing with Ignacio, breaking his promise? The contrast with the movie Manolo, with the movie Jose and the killing of Zahara? The contrast with the real Manolo?

8. Enrique as director, his office, his posters, searching for stories in the newspaper, discussions with Martin? Ignacio's arrival, the beard, his memories? The cv and Igancio calling himself Angel? His talking, the gift of the story? Enrique reading it, imagining it, his contact with Ignacio? The scenes of Ignacio and Paco, transvestites, the songs in the club, Paco wanting applause, Enrique and the sex encounter, his being asleep? Their going to mass, Paco's devotion in the chapel, stealing the vessels? Zahara and the confronting of Manolo in the chapel, going to the office, locking the door, Father Jose coming in? Manolo and the altar boy? The story, the flashbacks, Jose and his brutality? The continuation of the story in the film? Ignacio and the blackmail of Manolo, Jose killing Zahara? Getting rid of the body? God being on their side?

9. Enrique and his film, Angel and his wanting to play Zahara, trying to persuade him, losing weight? The decision to give the story completely to Enrique? At Enrique's house, the swim, the homoerotic overtones? His moving in, the six months and the sexual liaison with Enrique?

10. Enrique and his going to visit Ignacio's mother, the story of what had happened, Ignacio's death, the picture of Juan? The story of the publisher coming, Juan burning all the books, the letter to Enrique being returned and the mother giving it to him?

11. Manolo, the real Manolo coming on-set, wanting to talk to Enrique, telling him the complete story? Enrique's emotional reaction? Manolo being the publisher, his marriage and child, his not being in love with his wife, lying to her about conferences? Ignacio and the actual blackmail? Juan's presence, Manolo's infatuation with Juan? Bringing the money in instalments, paying for Juan's tuition, the affair with Juan? Juan and his anger with Ignacio? The plan to kill him with the drugs?

12. Ignacio, irresponsible, addiction? His love for Enrique and sending him the letter, it being returned? His devotion to his mother, visiting her? Juan phoning her? His last letter at the typewriter, his death? Juan giving the final letter to Enrique?

13. Manolo in the film and the memoirs, his infatuation with Ignacio, paedophile love, Almodovar's more sympathetic portrait of him as a character? Manolo in real life, his continuing to be a predator, with Juan? Their affair? Juan videoing him? His illness? The murder of Ignacio? His telling Enrique?

14. The glimpse of Ignacio's mother, the cranky aunt on the telephone, her pride in her sons, giving the information and the letter?

15. The finale, Enrique, the film, Juan weeping, Enrique ousting him from the house, explaining that he knew the truth, Juan's response?

16. The school sequences, life in the school, the dormitories, the chapel, exercise yard, playing football with the priests? The priests' dinner, Manolo's birthday, Jose bringing Ignacio to sing? The effect on Manolo?

17. Almodovar's attitude towards Manolo, in the story and the film, love? His behaviour towards the children, manipulation, power?

18. His attitude towards the real Manolo and his use of Ignacio, his leaving the priesthood, the collapsed family life, the relationship with Juan, blackmail and murder?

19. Juan, his deceptions, motivations, attitude towards Ignacio, manipulating Enrique? Hustling Manolo, hustling Enrique? Wanting the part? His studying the transsexual and the singing of Montiel's songs?

20. The film described as anti-clerical, Almodovar saying it wasn't anti-clerical? The church, the examination of conscience about sexual abuse, justice, truth and reparation? Insight via intelligent and emotional melodrama?