HIGH HEELS/ TACOS LEJANOS

Spain, 1991, 112 minutes, Colour.
Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, Miguel Bose, Feodor Arkine, Bibi Andersen..
Directed by Pedro Almodovar.

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar emerged during the 1970s with a number of short eccentric films. During the 80s, he made quite a number of extremely eccentric films, subjects with the touch of taboo, melodramas and soap operas, extreme parodies, sometimes targeting the Catholic Church, as with nuns and priests in Dark Habits and Opus Dei in Matador. By the end of the 1980s, he had achieve not only some notoriety but some fame with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

He had a very successful 1990s, establishing a world reputation, continuing some of the themes and treatments but with more insight and style, culminating in All About My Mother.

In many ways, High Heels is an anticipation of All About all My Mother. It is about the relationship of a mother and daughter, Marisa Paredes and Victoria Abril, the mother a self-centred artiste who has been away for 15 years, her daughter rather timid. But, the daughter has married the former boyfriend of the mother and complications begin. There are also complications in characters from nightclubs, a mysterious drag Queen.

Central to the film is a murder, a mystery, the police investigation, the role of the drag Queen and his many identities. Ultimately, the mother and daughter reconcile – with a complication of who actually did the murder and who is to take the blame.

Almodovar continued this style of these themes during the 1990s – and, from 2000, was highly successful in a range of films for the next 20 years.


1. The films of Pedro Almodovar? His early films, the small budgets, satire on Spain and society? His transition in the 80s and the beginnings of worldwide success, the 90s and his career, reputation, awards? This film in his development?

2. The title, the Spanish meaning “Distant Heels�, and Rebecca’s view of the legs and heels from the basement window? Longing for her mother to come home?

3. Madrid, the past, in the 1990s, the vistas of the contemporary city? The airport? Homes, apartments, the club, police precincts, theatre, the prison? The flashbacks to Mexico and the resort islands?

4. The musical score, the range of songs, the Drag Queen act, Becky’s singing, the routine in the prison?

5. The reference to Autumn Sonata? The mother with achievement, the less talented daughter, the mother intervening?

6. Rebecca waiting at the airport, the flashbacks to Mexico, with her mother and stepfather, the feeling isolated, the buying of the earrings, her moving away and getting lost? Her mother’s reaction? The flashback to home, her mother going to Mexico, with her stepfather and overhearing the conversations – and the later revelation of her switching the tablets and his browsing at the wheel and his death? The mother promising to come back? Her not returning? The effect on Rebecca?

7. Becky and her past, narcissistic, and marriages and relationships, a focus on herself and her career, her singing, the death of her husband? Going away, the encounter with Manuel on the plane, the promise of the interview and the subsequent affair? Coming back after 10 years, her age, working with her assistant?

8. Her illness, not revealing this? Resuming her career, meeting her daughter – and the comment about no press at the airport? Her reaction to her daughter? Her reaction to Manuel and his marrying Rebecca? His not knowing that she was Becky’s daughter at the time?

9. Rebecca, her marriage, the tensions, the absence of the mother in the past, yet a love for her mother, at home, the meal conversation, Manuel and his severity? The fears? The prospect of divorce?

10. Rebecca, her work on television, Manuel as the manager of the station? Announcing the news, getting the giggles thinking of the mother watching – the mother watching later denying? The assistant and her signing? The irony of the assistant, the affair with Manuel? For promotion?

11. The decision to go to the club, Letal and his drag Queen act, Becky’s movements and song? The solemn the style? The gay men in the audience responding to the song and the movements? Rebecca going to the dressing room, his approach, the sexual encounter, the irony that Rebecca will become pregnant? Manuel and his disdain? Becky wanting a souvenir, Becky giving the earrings, Letal, his false breast?

12. A month later, Manuel dead, on the bed, shot? The women going to the judge, his interview with the three women, the timeline of the evening, the assistant and her affair and her leaving? Becky, her affair, the argument with Manuel? Her opening night? Rebecca coming and finding the body?

13. The impact of the judge, his beard, manner, whether audiences realised he was also Letal? Rebecca collecting the photos, the girl there and her work, the druggie boyfriend, audiences recognising the judge or not? The visits, the judge and his suspicions? The truth and his investigation? His talent for impersonations? Loving Rebecca, her pregnancy? Juggling the testimony?

14. Rebecca, on television, with the assistant, announcing that she had killed her husband, the explanations? Reactions? The assistant rushing off screen?

15. The arrest, her going to prison, the woman with the photos, the jacket and the clue, the range of prisoners, the discussions, the routine in the courtyard, song and dance? The judge and his identities, the drug dealer?

16. Rebecca released, Letal and his story, arranging for her to meet her mother?

17. Letal, his real personality, the meetings with his mother, her sickness, the article she kept, the credibility of the variety of his impersonations?

18. Becky, her illness, the concert, her collapse, Rebecca visiting the hospital? Her mother willing to put her fingerprints on the gun? Their talking?

19. The significance of the priest, the confession, repentance needed, Becky and the repentance of her self-centredness and its effect on others?

20. Rebecca, the revelation to her mother about changing the stepfather’s pills, her mother urging her to better ways of solving problems?

21. An Almodovar world, the colourful look, touches of soap opera, melodrama and drama?