How much I enjoy
Pedro Almodóvar’s Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (Átame!) depends upon on how much I
try and intellectualize it. If I take the characters and the screenplay too
seriously, I find myself annoyed at their illogical decisions and the gaps in
narrative within the story. There is a lot which doesn’t make a whole lot of
sense, but instead conveys an almost intentional artifice in the film’s events.
It would feel entirely existent within a fantasy world if it weren’t for the
moments of brutal violence that drive the narrative back into reality. They
become so much a part of the film’s design that the anticlimactic happy ending
is another jolting reminder that we are watching a film. From the film’s
opening sequences and the story behind the film’s conception, this seems to be
Almodóvar’s intention.
Created as a
reason to utilize an expensive set built for the filming of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,
Almodóvar began writing the screenplay in-between filming. This wasn’t
ultimately a film that was made, but the seeds from that inspiration started
the idea for making a love story between a woman held hostage and her captor. Antonio
Banderas stars as a mental patient whose release from the hospital he has spent
much of his life in is followed immediately by the kidnapping of former porn
star turned actress, Marina (Victoria Abril). After sneaking onto the set of
the horror film she is filming, Ricky follows Marina
The darkness of
Almodóvar’s romantic comedy is balanced by the colorful palette of his longtime
cinematographer, José Luis Alcaine. At the time of its release, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! was instrumental
in the creation of the NC-17 rating, after complaints about the dreaded
X-rating it received in “the States.” Although some of the violence towards
women is somewhat disturbing, especially considering the lighthearted ending of
the film, this film is quite tame by today’s standards.
The
director-approved dual-format Blu-ray and DVD special edition release includes
a new 2K digital restoration, supervised by director and producer. There is
also a new making-of documentary, with interviews from key cast and crew
members, and another feature with a new interview by Sony Pictures Classics
co-president Michael Barker about Almodóvar and the film. Also new to this
release is an updated English translation for the subtitles. There is
additionally some archival footage from the film’s 1990 premiere party,
conversations between Almodóvar and Banderas from 2003, and a booklet insert
with an assortment of articles and interviews from Almodóvar and fans.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 9/10
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