Boys will be Men: Teen Masculinities in Recent Spanish Cinema

Abstract

"Youth Culture in Global Cinema" offers the first comprehensive investigation of how young people are portrayed in film around the world. Eighteen established film scholars from eleven different national backgrounds discuss a wide range of films that illuminate the varied conditions in which youth live. The essays are grouped thematically around the issues of youthful resistance and rebellion; cultural and national identity, including religion and politics; and sexual maturation, including gender distinctions and coming-of-age queer. Some essays engage in close readings of films, while others examine the advertising and reception of films or investigate psychological issues. The volume concludes with filmographies of over 700 youth-related titles arranged by nation and theme. This chapter* analyses the representation of youth in three recent and highly successful Spanish films: Barrio (Neighbourhood, León, 1998), Krámpack (Dani and Nico, Cesc Gay, 2000) and El Bola (Pellet, Mañas, 2000). Focusing on the male protagonists of these narratives, all of whom are in their early teens, the chapter investigates those issues most closely related to the formation of their gender and sexual identities, such as family backgrounds, domestic violence, sexual fantasy, friendship and peer pressure.