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Broken Embraces resource

a man and a woman with sunhats and dark glasses sit on a beach, anxiously reading a copy of El Pais newspaper

Narrative

An impulse for storytelling – as a creative act, as a means of communicating or as an act of catharsis – is a very human instinct and one which is essential to all the characters in the film. Yet not all of the characters are able to tell their own stories. Characters who hold information about the past do not always share it and in places key plot points are revealed through minor characters, flashbacks or convenient coincidences.

Use the following questions as a starting point for exploring the narrative of Broken Embraces:

  1. What enigmas are set up at the beginning of the film? List them, indicating which you found the most intriguing.
  2. How plausible are the devices employed to reveal key points in the narrative? Does the plausibility of a plot device affect your viewing pleasure?
  3. Compare your expectations from the earlier scenes with the final resolution. Did you find any of the outcomes surprising, or unsatisfactory?