Volver (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Volver
Introduction to the film
Volver is a 2006 Spanish film directed by Pedro Almodóvar, one of Spain's most celebrated directors. The title literally means "to return" and specifically refers to "returning to the past" (volver al pasado). This emotionally powerful film stars Penélope Cruz as Raimunda and Carmen Maura as her mother, and it explores themes of family, death, rural traditions, and female relationships. The story takes place both in Madrid and in a small pueblo manchego (village in La Mancha region), blending urban and rural Spanish life.
The film examines how the past continues to influence the present, particularly through the lens of women's experiences. Almodóvar himself described the central theme by stating: "Volver es un homenaje a las gentes de mi pueblo en relación con la muerte y con los muertos. Los muertos no mueren nunca" (Volver is a tribute to the people of my village in relation to death and the dead. The dead never die).
Almodóvar is known for his distinctive visual style featuring vibrant colours, complex female characters, and stories that blend melodrama with dark comedy. Volver is considered one of his most personal works, drawing on his own childhood memories of La Mancha and its traditions surrounding death.
Plot summary
The film follows two sisters, Raimunda and Sole, who live in Madrid but maintain connections to their rural hometown in La Mancha. The story begins with a significant event from their past: their parents died in a fire four years earlier. This tragedy continues to cast a shadow over both sisters' lives.
Raimunda is the more fearful and cautious of the two sisters. She struggles to earn a living and has a teenage daughter. Meanwhile, Sole is described as attractive and strong (fuerte y luchadora), earning her income through determination and hard work. The sisters' lives are about to be disrupted by mysterious events that force them to confront their past.
A key figure in the plot is their Aunt Paula (Tía Paula), who lives in the rural pueblo manchego where the sisters were born. One spring Sunday, Sole receives a phone call from a neighbour informing her that Aunt Paula has died. Before going to receive the call about her aunt's death, Raimunda returns to her flat and discovers her husband Paco has been murdered. Her teenage daughter confesses that she killed him whilst Paco was attempting to sexually assault her.
The film handles the serious topic of sexual assault with sensitivity whilst maintaining its focus on the women's strength and survival. This reflects Almodóvar's consistent portrayal of female resilience in the face of male violence.
The plot becomes more complex and mysterious when Sole attends the funeral (entierro) in the village. She discovers rumours circulating that their mother has returned as a ghost (fantasma) to care for Aunt Paula during her illness. Upon returning to Madrid, Sole encounters the ghost herself, and her mother begins working in Sole's hairdressing salon (peluquería). This leads to increasingly frantic and comical situations as both sisters attempt to hide the truth about their respective situations - Raimunda trying to hide how to dispose of her husband's body, and Sole trying to hide the ghostly presence of their mother.
Eventually, the mother reveals to Sole that she must urgently speak with Raimunda about a secret from the past concerning her younger daughter. Raimunda, who doesn't believe in ghosts, finally encounters her mother and discovers the shocking secret that has been hidden for years.
Key characters
Raimunda
The protagonist and elder sister, Raimunda is portrayed as more timid and fearful (miedosa) than Sole. She lives alone because her husband abandoned her, and she struggles to support herself and her adolescent daughter. She works as a cleaner and must deal with extraordinary circumstances, including covering up her husband's death. Her character represents resilience and maternal protection.
Sole
Raimunda's younger sister, Sole is characterised as attractive (atractiva) and determined (luchadora). She knows how to fight for what she wants and runs her own hairdressing business in Madrid. Despite her strength, she becomes caught up in the supernatural events surrounding their mother's return.
Paula (the daughter)
Raimunda's teenage daughter who commits a desperate act to protect herself from her stepfather's assault. Her actions set the main plot in motion.
Paula (the aunt - Tía Paula)
The sisters' aunt who lives in their hometown village. Her death and funeral bring the sisters back to their roots and trigger the revelation of family secrets.
The mother/ghost
The sisters' mother, who supposedly died in a fire four years earlier but returns as a ghost to care for Aunt Paula and later works in Sole's salon. Her return forces the family to confront buried secrets.
Paco
Raimunda's husband, described as an assassin (asesino) in the context of the plot. His death at the beginning of the film creates one of the central conflicts.
Vocabulary: character descriptions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| atractiva | attractive |
| fuerte | strong |
| luchadora | fighter, determined person |
| miedosa | fearful, scared |
| adolescente | adolescent, teenager |
| la hermana mayor | the older sister |
| la hermana menor | the younger sister |
| la peluquera | the hairdresser (female) |
| el fantasma | the ghost |
| la tía | the aunt |
| el marido | the husband |
| el asesino | the murderer, killer |
| valiente | brave |
| desesperada | desperate |
| protectora | protective |
Example sentences:
- A diferencia de su hermana, Raimunda es más miedosa y necesita apoyo. (Unlike her sister, Raimunda is more fearful and needs support.)
- Sole es una mujer luchadora que sabe cómo ganar dinero con su peluquería. (Sole is a determined woman who knows how to earn money with her hairdressing salon.)
- La hija adolescente de Raimunda confesó que había matado a su padrastro. (Raimunda's teenage daughter confessed that she had killed her stepfather.)
- El fantasma de la madre apareció en el pueblo para cuidar a Paula durante su enfermedad. (The ghost of the mother appeared in the village to look after Paula during her illness.)
Pronunciation tip: Remember that "peluquera" is pronounced [pe-lu-KE-ra] with stress on the penultimate syllable. The "ll" in "luchadora" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes" in most of Spain.
Vocabulary: film and setting
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la película | the film |
| el director | the director |
| rodar una película | to shoot/film a movie |
| el pueblo manchego | La Mancha village |
| el entierro | the funeral, burial |
| la peluquería | the hairdresser's, salon |
| el vecino/la vecina | the neighbour |
| la vida rural | rural life |
| la vida urbana | urban life |
| las tradiciones campestres | rural/country traditions |
| el pasado | the past |
| el incendio | the fire |
| el secreto | the secret |
| la llamada | the phone call |
| la escena | the scene |
Example sentences:
- Pedro Almodóvar rodó esta película en Madrid y en un pueblo manchego. (Pedro Almodóvar filmed this movie in Madrid and in a La Mancha village.)
- Las tradiciones campestres son muy importantes en la película. (Rural traditions are very important in the film.)
- Un domingo de primavera, una vecina llamó a Sole para decirle que su tía había muerto. (One spring Sunday, a neighbour phoned Sole to tell her that her aunt had died.)
- Los padres de las hermanas murieron en un incendio hace cuatro años. (The sisters' parents died in a fire four years ago.)
- El entierro en el pueblo reveló muchos secretos del pasado. (The funeral in the village revealed many secrets from the past.)
Vocabulary: actions and plot verbs
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| volver | to return, to come back |
| morir/murieron | to die/they died |
| matar | to kill |
| asesinar | to murder |
| esconder | to hide |
| revelar | to reveal |
| confesar | to confess |
| descubrir | to discover |
| cuidar | to look after, to care for |
| ganarse la vida | to earn a living |
| abandonar | to abandon |
| encontrar | to find, to encounter |
| acosar | to harass, to assault |
| deshacerse de | to get rid of, to dispose of |
Example sentences:
- La madre de las hermanas volvió como fantasma para revelar un secreto importante. (The sisters' mother returned as a ghost to reveal an important secret.)
- La hija de Raimunda le confesó que ella lo mató mientras Paco la estaba acosando. (Raimunda's daughter confessed to her that she killed him whilst Paco was assaulting her.)
- Sole descubrió que había rumores en el pueblo de que su madre había vuelto. (Sole discovered that there were rumours in the village that her mother had returned.)
- Raimunda intentó esconder la verdad sobre su marido muerto. (Raimunda tried to hide the truth about her dead husband.)
- Las hermanas perdieron a sus padres en un incendio hace cuatro años. (The sisters lost their parents in a fire four years ago.)
- Es difícil ganarse la vida como peluquera en Madrid. (It's difficult to earn a living as a hairdresser in Madrid.)
Pronunciation tip: "Esconder" is stressed on the second syllable: [es-kon-DER]. Don't confuse "morir" (to die) with "morder" (to bite) - they sound similar but have very different meanings!
Themes and significance
The film explores several interconnected themes that are central to Spanish culture and Almodóvar's artistic vision:
Death and the dead: The director presents death not as an ending but as a continuation. The belief that "los muertos no mueren nunca" (the dead never die) reflects rural Spanish attitudes towards death, where the deceased remain present in the lives and memories of the living. The ghost of the mother embodies this philosophy literally.
Rural versus urban life: The contrast between the pueblo manchego and Madrid represents different value systems. The rural setting preserves older traditions and beliefs (like ghosts and communal funeral rites), whilst Madrid represents modern, pragmatic living. The sisters navigate between these two worlds.
La Mancha, the rural region featured in the film, is historically significant in Spanish culture. It's the setting of Cervantes' Don Quixote and is known for its strong winds, flat landscapes, and traditional way of life. Almodóvar grew up in this region, making Volver a deeply personal work.
Female relationships and solidarity: The film focuses almost entirely on women - sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts, and neighbours. The men in the story are largely absent, dead, or problematic. This highlights female resilience and the support networks women create amongst themselves.
Secrets and truth: Multiple characters hide secrets throughout the film. Raimunda hides her husband's murder, Sole hides her mother's ghost, and the mother hides the truth about Raimunda's daughter's parentage. The film suggests that confronting painful truths, though difficult, is necessary for healing.
Memory and the past: The title "Volver" emphasises how the past continues to shape the present. The characters cannot move forward until they return to and resolve past traumas.
How to write a synopsis (sinopsis)
A synopsis is a summary that captures the main events of a film without giving away too much detail. This is an essential skill for your A-Level Spanish course. Here are the key techniques:
Key principles for writing a synopsis:
Remember that a synopsis summarises the main events of the film. Think of it as answering the basic questions: Who did What, Where/When did it happen? (the WWW technique).
What to include:
- Answer the basic questions: Who are the main characters? What happens to them? Where and when does it take place?
- Focus on the key events that drive the plot forward
- Mention the setting (el marco) - both time and place
- Describe the main characters' actions (las acciones de los personajes principales)
- Keep the information relevant to understanding the overall story
What to avoid:
- Don't include peripheral details that don't contribute to the overview (detalles periféricos)
- Never reveal the ending, especially for thrillers or mysteries - avoid spoilers
- Don't give your personal opinions (no des tus opiniones personales) - a synopsis should be objective
- Avoid making it too complicated - keep your synopsis simple and clear (simple y claro)
- Don't make it difficult to follow - ensure it reads smoothly so a classmate could easily understand it
Structure tips:
- Write in the present tense when describing what happens in the film
- Keep sentences clear and direct
- Organize information logically, usually following the chronological order of events
- Aim for brevity whilst including all essential information
Example opening for Volver:
"Volver es una película de Pedro Almodóvar que trata de dos hermanas, Raimunda y Sole, que viven en Madrid. La película explora sus vidas cuando enfrentan secretos del pasado y eventos misteriosos relacionados con la muerte de sus padres."
(Volver is a film by Pedro Almodóvar about two sisters, Raimunda and Sole, who live in Madrid. The film explores their lives as they face secrets from the past and mysterious events related to their parents' death.)
Common mistakes & tips
Mistake 1: Confusing "volver" with "devolver"
- Volver = to return, to come back (intransitive): "Volvió a Madrid" (She returned to Madrid)
- Devolver = to return something, to give back (transitive): "Devolvió el libro" (She returned the book)
These verbs are not interchangeable - make sure you use the correct one based on whether you're returning somewhere or returning an object!
Mistake 2: Using the wrong article with "fantasma"
- Correct: "el fantasma" (masculine noun)
- Incorrect: "la fantasma"
- Remember: Even though it refers to the mother, "fantasma" is grammatically masculine
Mistake 3: Incorrect past tense formation
- The parents "murieron" (they died - preterite) not "han muerto" when stating it happened four years ago
- Use preterite for completed past actions with specific time references
Mistake 4: Writing synopses with too much opinion
- Avoid: "Es una película increíble que muestra..." (It's an incredible film that shows...)
- Better: "La película muestra..." (The film shows...)
- Keep it objective and factual
Mistake 5: Revealing too much in a synopsis
- Don't explain every twist and secret
- Focus on the main premise and key conflicts, not the resolution
Tip: When watching Spanish films, practise writing brief synopses of 50-75 words. This helps you identify what information is truly essential.
Tip: Use linking words to connect your ideas smoothly: "mientras" (whilst), "cuando" (when), "después de" (after), "antes de" (before), "al final" (in the end - but be careful not to spoil!).
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
-
Volver means "to return to the past" - the film explores how past events continue to affect the present, particularly through the supernatural return of the sisters' mother as a ghost.
-
The film focuses on female relationships and solidarity - sisters, mothers, daughters, and neighbours support each other through difficult situations, highlighting women's resilience in Spanish rural and urban communities.
-
When writing a synopsis, keep it simple and objective: include who, what, where, and when, but avoid personal opinions and don't reveal the ending or major plot twists.
-
Key themes include death and tradition (the belief that "los muertos no mueren nunca"), rural versus urban life (pueblo manchego vs. Madrid), and family secrets that must be confronted for healing to occur.
-
The film showcases Almodóvar's signature style - strong female characters, vibrant colours, melodrama mixed with dark comedy, and deeply emotional storytelling rooted in Spanish culture, particularly the traditions of La Mancha.