Feminine and failed suicides in Spanish cinema

Abstract

This article analyzes how the failed suicides of the female protagonists of the films ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!! (Pedro Almodóvar, 1984) and Costa Brava (Family Album) (199s) are key to understanding the position of these characters with regard to Spain's gender models during the 80s and 90s We argue that suicide is more than an individual decision, because it arises from sociological factors and gender presumptions and expectations. In addition, we consider failed suicide as essential in understanding the question of authorship and the revision of the Oedipal myth in these two films.