Thoughts about "volver" and symbolism with the title
So I am working on a project and coming up with ideas for my next project. It deals with symbolism especially dealing with the title. If you have seen Volver, I would be interested in your input. If you have not seen it, you might not want to proceed further lest your movie experience be spoiled by spoilers. 
Some thoughts: The main two people in my opinion are the lady Raimunda and her daughter Irene. It is interesting to note that the (aunt? was it Raimundas sister?) was named Sole, short for Soledad. One wonders why anyone would name their child that.
- Title: Volver
- To return / To be again
Since it's about Raimunda and her daughter Irene and the mother (to me) I think:
- Vuelvan a vivir / They return to life, they live again (after some period of false existence)
- Vuelvan a la vida real , they return to reality
- Vuelvan a la vida normal, they return to a normal life style.
- Vuelvan a perder , they forgive again and most importantly
- Los vuelvan a amar (am I saying this right?) they love each other again (the mother and Raimunda)
- The mother returns to not being a ghost and begins to live a regular life again.
- I don't suppose they will ever take responsibility for killing that guy though.....
To me it's about forgiveness for her mother's blind eye to what was happening, and about accepting the harshness of reality and moving forward together instead of staying angry in a sort of trapped world of empty thoughts and empty hatred, the only way to be truly full is to be full of love. Anyone have any thoughts? Gracias.
4 Answers
It's been a few years since I've seen the movie so my thoughts are not fresh, but if I remember the movie right I think it's about death and coping with death, and letting go of hate and grudges, and forgiving in order to move on with your life so you can focus on more important things than hate such as (her daughter) loved ones.
As far as symbolism goes, I'm not very good with that, your ideas sounded nice.
Hey Jeezzle,
I haven't seen Volver for about 6 months, but I loved it and I saw it twice. One of Almodovar's best, poignant and funny, and with Penélope Cruz doing some of her best work ever. I think your list of ways in which return occurs is very insightful, and looking back on my memory of this I don't have any to add at all. I like the wider dimension that volver has over the english 'to return'. And I thought your last paragraph is insightful as well.
I love Almodovar's films. My favorites are "Carne tremolo" (check it out if you haven't), "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down" (currently unavailable through Netflix), and the recent "Broken Embraces". Did you notice, in that last one (assuming you saw it), that in the unfinished movie by the blind writer Almodovar references himself by inserting a version of the gazpacho with sleeping medication scene?
Maybe there should be an on-going discussion about Spanish and Latino films on this site. Fos Spanish film there is Alejandro Almenabar (La mer adentro y otras), Amores perros Alejandro Gonzalez Inaritu, which was much better than Babyl, e "Y tu mama tambien".
J
Hola Jeezzle!
I saw the movie and agree that it was a very good movie. I would like to add, that I also, took from it a return of love and forgiveness. Let's not forget, it was belived that the mother supposedly died in a fire with her husband. However, she did not. She was the one that started the fire because her husband was having an affair with her sister. It's like the movie was about women who were scourned by love/betrayed.
Yet, out of love, they did what they felt necessary to do, which also included hiding/healing. In the end, they returned to what they have learned to be the most precious of love - mother and daughter.
Soledad is not particularly unusual as a woman's name.
