Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

When considering the subject matter of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, it may seem inappropriate that the director has adopted such a comedic tone. To treat issues such as heartbreak and terrorism so lightly could be interpreted as childish or immature. However, in adopting this tone, the director has given the film a greater degree of believability. Laughter is often the most effective method to cope with a horrible situation. I often find myself laughing at my own misfortune, especially when it is tinted with irony. Through maintaining this comedic tone, the director has made the film more accessible to his audience, who can relate to the dark humor of the horrific reality of everyday life. Life is absurd - all we can do is hope for the best and laugh off the worst.

I thought the final scene was a perfect ending to the story. I turned a few heads in the library laughing at her apparent nonchalance in walking back into her apartment to find drugged police officers, her friend Candela laying with Ivan's son Carlos, a drugged telephone repair man, and Carlos' fiancee just awaking from her drug-induced stupor. Of course, this almost is normal after stopping Ivan's insane ex-lover from shooting him at the airport in the previous scene. This scene embodies many of the themes of the film. Infidelity is almost expected, as Carlos lays with Candela while his drugged fiancee sleeps on the balcony. Pepa seems to have no problem watching the son of the man who cheated on her cheat on his fiancee, and even acts friendly towards the jilted fiancee as she awakes.

I found most of the female characters interesting for their own quirks, but the most interesting was the feminist lawyer. In her office setting, we see her as professional and rational. She refuses to help Candela because her persecution is not related to her sex, but to the fact that she did willingly and knowingly quarter terrorists. She did not stand for arbitrary and spiteful advancement of women, but rather equality. At this point, she appears to be a person worthy of respect. However, she is later made a mockery of at the Airport as she waits in line with Ivan to go to Stockholm. As Pepa and Ivan speak, she demands that the lawyer "go away" and leave the two of them. Ivan remains silent as the lawyer looks to him for a reaction, implying he also wants her to leave them alone. His traveling partner is revealed to be little more than that, as he clearly prefers to speak with the ex-lover he still pines for, asking her to get a drink with him. She is reduced from being a strong, feminist woman to a object of the adulterous and chauvinistic Ivan as she reluctantly, but without protest, leaves him to his ex-lover. Then she gladly accepts his return after he is denied by Pepa.