Eloy de La Iglesia - Films of The Transition

Films of The Transition

The dismantling of the Francoist censorship allowed Eloy de la Iglesia to use an increase sexually charge tone in his works. This approach became apparent in his films : Juego de amor prohibido (Games of Forbbiden Love) (1975) and La otra alcoba (The other bedroom) (1976).

In the late 1970s Eloy de la Iglesia, associated with journalist and screen writer Gonzalo Goicoechea, tackled former taboo subjects in Spanish Cinema. Los placeres ocultos (Hidden Pleasures ) (1977) focused on homosexuality. El diputado (Confessions of a Congressman) (1979), follows the story of a politician who is blackmailed due to his secret homosexuality and El sacerdote (The Priest ), also released in 1979, deals with a conservative catholic priest whose sexual obsessions leads him to self-punishment.

With the arrival of the 1980s, de La Iglesia explored the theme of urban insecurity in his film Miedo a salir de noche (Fear to go out at Night) (1980) and he mixed sex, politics and violence in La mujer del ministro (The Minister’s wife) (1981). de la Iglesia's subsequent films were centered in social problems such as juvenile delinquency and drug addiction in films like: Navajeros (Knifers) (1981), Colegas (Pals) (1982), El Pico (The Needle) (1983) and El Pico 2 (The Needle 2) (1984). These films made an effort to connect with a popular audience in a direct and unpretentious style. His formula for success involved nonprofessional actors, topical themes, a modest budget, and usually on location shooting. In the period between the last years of the 1970s and the early 1980s de la Iglesia was one of Spain's most commercial successful film director, by contrast film critics were usually harsh in the appreciation of his work. El Pico became the director's biggest success at the box office.

After the critical and commercial failure of Otra vuelta de tuerca (The turned of the screw) (1985), loosely based on Henry James's eponymous novel, de la Iglesia returned to the subject of juvenile delinquency in La Estanquera de vallecas (The Tobacconist from Vallecas) (1987), this time employing a humorous tone. La Estanquera de vallecas, based on an eponymous play by José Luis Alonso de Santos, continued de la Iglesia's commercial success, but it was not well received by Spanish critics.