When
we hear the word ‘transnational’, countries’ boarders, crossing nations and
even continents and the countries within them come to mind. It could be said
that ‘transnational counties’ are those that do not speak the English language
and this therefore, eliminates the USA, UK and Europe from the debate, and
therefore, ‘The Far East’ and Latin America are highly regarded as
transnational nations. For example, Spanish and Portuguese languages dominate
throughout Latin America, however, they are geographically no anywhere near the
national countries. In addition to where the films are geographically set and
shot, we must also take the production, distribution and exhibition of a film
into account, particularly with the study that is about to follow. An current
example of this is, Almodóvar's I'm So Excited (2013). It is a national film, but is not
available for general release, and is only being screened at art cinemas.
However, it is independently funded, it is not attached to a studio, so, is
therefore not a mainstream film, and will not get the attention that English or
American films will receive. As students and theorists try to apply the term
‘transnational’ to film it becomes a little more complicated; the ‘problem with
the use of ‘transnational’ is that it does little to advance our thinking about
important issues’ while it ‘links the concept of transnationalism to different
models of cinematic production’ (2013*).
This short clip from MAMA, Muschietti (2012) is introduced by Guillermo del Toro
While trying to establish the meaning of ‘transnational’ cinema, and in addition to applying a personal definition, through the help of film writers and theorists, this investigation is primarily, going to focus on the differences and challenges between marketing national and transnational genre cinema, and how, being labelled national or transnational effects the reception and the marketing of the film itself.
Guillermo del Toro started out as a director, creating Cronos (1993), Hellboy I (2004), the critically acclaimed Pans Labyrinth (2006) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He has since moved away from the camera into the field of production, often filling the role of executive producer, as he did in 2012 with the global phenomenon of The Hobbit (Jackson, 2012). This study will track del Toro’s move away from directing towards the transnational market of producing (and his success with films in Mexico, Spain and particularly America) , following ‘del Toro presents and his choice to work films of his favourite genre, horror and fantasy.
In contrast to del Toro, Pedro Almodóvar is a national director. All of his films are set it Spain, with the only variation being the communities and Islands in which he shoots the films around. Over the years, unlike del Toro, Almodóvar has chosen to keep all of his films the same genre , often melodramas and thrillers,with philosophical themes of murder and rape, usually involving characters that are either transgender, transsexual or that are struggling to discover their sexuality. His protagonists are often plagued with psychological problems, (Benigno in Talk to Her (2002) and Robert in The Skin I Live In (2011) and it is these problems that form the basis for the narratives of his films.
While trying to establish the meaning of ‘transnational’ cinema, and in addition to applying a personal definition, through the help of film writers and theorists, this investigation is primarily, going to focus on the differences and challenges between marketing national and transnational genre cinema, and how, being labelled national or transnational effects the reception and the marketing of the film itself.
Guillermo del Toro started out as a director, creating Cronos (1993), Hellboy I (2004), the critically acclaimed Pans Labyrinth (2006) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He has since moved away from the camera into the field of production, often filling the role of executive producer, as he did in 2012 with the global phenomenon of The Hobbit (Jackson, 2012). This study will track del Toro’s move away from directing towards the transnational market of producing (and his success with films in Mexico, Spain and particularly America) , following ‘del Toro presents and his choice to work films of his favourite genre, horror and fantasy.
In contrast to del Toro, Pedro Almodóvar is a national director. All of his films are set it Spain, with the only variation being the communities and Islands in which he shoots the films around. Over the years, unlike del Toro, Almodóvar has chosen to keep all of his films the same genre , often melodramas and thrillers,with philosophical themes of murder and rape, usually involving characters that are either transgender, transsexual or that are struggling to discover their sexuality. His protagonists are often plagued with psychological problems, (Benigno in Talk to Her (2002) and Robert in The Skin I Live In (2011) and it is these problems that form the basis for the narratives of his films.