Destiny, theatricality and identity in contemporary European cinema

This article explores ten years of contemporary Spanish cinema (19962006) and investigates how Spanish cinema, in line with European film of this period, manipulates and integrates theatrical components to reinvent itself. As Spanish cinema attempts to compete with Hollywood blockbusters and forge a new status in world cinema, the re-creation of theatrical devices within a cinematic medium contributes to an exploration of identity and destiny on screen. Through analysis of selected films by internationally renowned and lesser-known film directors, including Almdovar, Amenbar and Iborra, varying degrees of theatricality will be explored to reach some understanding of how the theatrical can elucidate themes, balance Hollywood influences and both complement and undermine the cinematic experience. Beginning and ending with adaptations of plays by Lope de Vega to which the Spanish public responded in very different ways, this article will assess whether it is truly possible for one genre to function within another.