Melodramatics masculinities in three films starred by Sandro

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the representations of masculinity in three melodramas starred by Sandro: Muchacho (1970); Siempre te amare (1971); and Embrujo de amor (1971). From a genre perspective, our analysis focuses on the melodramatic plots of these films, which can be thought as rites of passage from a not virile youth to the conquest of the manliness linked with heterosexual love. The masculine body is regarded as an object of desire and identification built by the camera, using class and race marks, which are condensed in the musical scenes of these films. The article also examines the lyrics of the songs used in them. It shows that Sandro's performances potentialized meanings and ways of representing the masculine body that tensioned the hegemonic standards of the time.