Pan’s Labyrinth is probably one of the best films of 2006 in any language or genre. Directed by virtuoso Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth is a fairy tale taking place amidst the dreary backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. This is the way fairy tales were meant to be told. Vivid, terrifying, and sometimes gruesome, del Toro brings to life some of the more memorable characters in recent film history, including the well-conceived pale man character. The dvd extras include a fascinating look at the history of the relationship between fairy tales and film and gives an up-close look at much of the symbolism of the film. This is definitely a movie you won’t be able to fully absorb in just one or two viewings, which lends itself well to this learning approach.

Volver is a recent work of one of my favorite Spanish directors, Pedro Almodóvar (of Hable con Ella and La Mala Educación fame). The premise is as interesting as it is hilarious: Penelope Cruz’s character’s husband has been murdered, but tells everybody he skipped town in order to protect her daughter while trying to hide the body. It seems like every character has their own secret, and there’s even a ghost story thrown in for good measure. The dialect is contemporary Castilian Spanish, which means the actors speak with clear, elegant accents that should be easier for beginners to understand than some of their Latin American counterparts. I’d recommend this one even if you aren’t trying to learn Spanish.

I must start by saying Y Tu Mama También is most definitely for adult audiences only. It’s a road trip coming-of-age story of two young boys who fall for the same older woman, played by Spanish actress Maribel Verdú. The premise is admittedly somewhat played out on the surface and for a while the film seems to follow the same predictable pattern but I guarantee you won’t see the twist at the end coming. Not a chance. The film is lighthearted and funny enough to make it good for repeat viewings but has enough heart to satisfy even the harshest critic on a deeper level. One of the better Spanish films I’ve ever seen, definitely.

Other excellent Spanish films you might be interested in are The Motorcycle Diaries and Amores Perros.

Watching Spanish-language television programs and movies is a great way to practice your Spanish listening skills (something I neglected to mention in my Learn Spanish For Under $50 post). Over time, watching Spanish film will train your brain to separate what initially sounds like Spanish-like gibberish into coherent thoughts and eventually individual words. From personal experience (and that of others I’ve talked to), this process tends to go frustratingly slow at first followed by a sudden click where you just “get it.” So don’t be alarmed if, after a few weeks of daily viewing, you’re still having trouble. Keep at it and one day, something will click in your brain and it will be like you could understand it all along.

The Process

In order to get the most benefit from your effort when you’re starting out, you’ll need to watch each movie a number of times. Here’s the general progression.

1. Watch the movie at least 2 or 3 times with English subtitles turned on over a period of a few days until you know the plot by heart before going onto the next step. If you can briefly and accurately tell a friend what the film is about, you’re probably good.
2. Watch the movie 1 or 2 more times with English subtitles turned on, this time paying close attention to what is being said in Spanish and what the translations are. The English subtitles will almost never correspond exactly to what is being said: instead, it will be just enough to give you the gist of what’s being said. Pay attention to patterns. Are some seemingly long and complex utterances being translated by relatively short and simple English phrases? Are there any key words or other sort of markers these utterances tend to have in common? Make a note of them and see if you can figure out what’s going on. By paying careful attention, you should be able to make some headway understanding general speech patterns.
3. Turn the subtitles off. By now, you should know exactly what a scene is about and generally what’s being said even if you can’t understand much of the actual Spanish. After a few viewing, you should be able to synthesize what you know is being said with what you hear and begin to understand the actually Spanish without having to rely on context. It’s a long process but trust me, it works.

In tomorrow’s post, I’ll briefly review three of my favorite Spanish movies that would work well with this technique.