La mala educación (2004, Spain)

A dark Pedro Almodóvar film in which Gael García Bernal plays one of his four roles in this film as a transvestite, Ignácio. In the picture Ignácio is on his way to see Father Manolo.

We are in Madrid, in 1980. Enrique Goded and his manager and assistant are at home, trying to generate an idea for a film. Goded is a successful 27 year old film director. He is looking through the tabloid newspapers for a news item that would inspire a theme for a new screenplay. A strange item catches his eye, about a motorcyclist who froze to death and nonetheless rode on for 90 km. He is cutting the item out of the paper when the doorbell rings.

The visitor says he is Ignácio Rodriguez, now using Angel as his professional name. He was, he says, at school with Enrique, sixteen years ago. Enrique isn't sure he recognises him. The visitor hopes Enrique could give him some work, but when this isn't forthcoming, he leaves a film script, called The Visit with Enrique.

As he goes, he tells Enrique that the story covers their time together at school, followed by a fictional part relating to later times. He offers the script to Enrique.

The plot now gets complicated, with intertwining of the present, factual flashbacks, and a few moments of unreal imagination. The common themes are the two boys' time at school, with pre-adolescent passion between them; an abusive senior priest at the school, Father Manolo, who arranges for the young Ignácio to be sent away as he is competition for the affection of Enrique; and the later development that Ignácio became a transvestite stage performer, and a drug addict and drag queen in real life.

Slowly the true thread of the events emerges, and we discover that the young man who called isn't Ignácio at all, but Juan, his brother; and that Ignácio died mysteriously three years ago. As the film reaches its climax, we find out that Father Manolo has evidently left the priesthood and now works as a publisher; he has been involved with Ignácio and Juan in a triangle of gay love and blackmail.

A powerful film, but not an easy one to follow. And just to keep us on our toes, Ignácio wears the same green shift dress for filming in Enrique's studio, as we saw him wearing in what we thought was real life, at Fr Manolo's study.

Following the tradition of Hitchcock, Almodóvar plays a bit part as a pool cleaner.

The English title is Bad Education.

HF March 2005

This Page: La Mala Educaci´n Return to Alphabetical Index Page Return to Home Page

Hazel Freeman's International Transgender Film Guide is maintained by

Jenni Olson

and hosted at

Visitors from the US and Canada can help support this site by shopping for LGBT DVDs using this WolfeVideo.com affiliate link. The commission we earn from your purchases will directly support the continued existence of this website. Thank you!