Sunday, December 4, 2011

the obscure object of desire

3
The use of two different actresses for the role of Conchita was probably the best part of the entire movie. The different actresses represented different temperaments of Conchita and how she would react to the current situation. My favorite part which shows a switch in the character is when she arrives at Mateo’s house in Seville and first she acts as a cold icy almost stoic woman, but then changes to the bubblier innocent Conchita. The Conchita with the dead straight hair seems to be more stoic, serious, and emotionally bitter; whereas the woman with the wavy hair is bubblier, playful, mischievous, yet innocent. The quick changes in character seem to drive the plot and reveal the way that Conchita thinks.

4
The mouse seems to have a very interesting symbolism in the movie. While Mateo and Conchita are together in the room for the first time, a mouse trap snaps and catches a mouse. I see this as the exact moment where Mateo falls into the trap of love. He is now a mouse in Conchita’s love trap, a trap that will emotionally and physically drain him and eventually lead to a very stressed and dysfunctional life and relationship.