The first few minutes of a film orient the viewer, offering cues for a richer, more nuanced reading. Working with this premise, this book provides insight into the history of Spanish language film and an enhanced understanding of the Spanish/Hispanic canon commonly taught in film courses. The author explores El espiritu de la colmena (1973), La historia oficial (1985), Fresa y chocolate (1994), El crimen del padre Amaro (2002), Abre los ojos (1997), Te doy mis ojos (2003) and Carlos Saura's flamenco trilogy-Bodas de sangre (1981), Carmen (1983) and El amor bruno (1986), among others.