Review of Matador (1986) by Al M — 04 Jul 2011
Pedro Almodovar's violent arthouse classic functions upon a simple equation: bull-fighting = sex/violence. It is a sport about the penetrative act whether it be in sexual intercourse or in murder. For Matador, bull-fighting equates the stabbing of the bull with sex and death in way that has been seldom seen outside of slasher films.
But then Matador becomes its own kind of slasher film. Ultimately, Matador is most Freudian of films-- it is about the connections between eros (the drive towards union and procreation) and thanatos (the death drive).
A profoundly disturbing and brutal--yet also funny--exploration of humanity's deepest drives and emotions, Matador's title points to figure that tries to control us all, the ego that attempts to regulate between the rampaging bull of the id and the guild-ridden neurotic of the super-ego (played by a young Antonio Banderas in this film).
An absolutely unforgettable tale of love, lust, desire, and obsession, Almodovar's Matador is film that represents a young director at early, white heat performance.
This review of Matador (1986) was written by Al M on 04 Jul 2011.
Matador has generally received positive reviews.
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