By Sonia Pérez Escalante
Spanish Language Intern
Although knowing the grammar is an essential step in learning any language, textbooks are not always able to convey the linguistic and cultural nuances, because it’s actually in the jargon, dialects, emotions, and humor where the soul of languages is… Especially in languages such as Spanish, spoken in over twenty different countries each of them with its own specific characteristics. For this reason, a good way to discover the differences among all the Spanish speaking countries is through movies, which give the viewer an easily understandable cultural and linguistic context through images, body language, and expressions. Here we show a top-five list of Spanish movies (suitable for students from beginner to advanced levels) that will help you with the study of this wonderful language.
TRES METROS SOBRE EL CIELO
(Beginner)
This Spanish movie by Fernando González Molina, based on a novel by the Italian writer Federico Moccia, it’s a romantic drama that tells the story of a young couple who belong to different worlds. Hugo (Mario Casas) is a handsome and rebellious boy who likes speed and extreme living. And on the other hand, Babi (Maria Valverde), is a girl from an upper-middle class family, raised in purity and innocence. The vocabulary is rather simple, making it easy to follow the plot without difficulty. The film also contains good examples of the typical way young people speak in Spain.
EL HIJO DE LA NOVIA
(Beginner/Intermediate)
This film by Rafael Belvedere is an emotional story about love, family, dreams, and learning to get old. “El hijo de la novia” (“The Son of the Bride”) tells the story of a single father trying to take care of his young daughter as he struggles to maintain the family restaurant he inherited from his parents. This movie is not only funny and touching, but it is also a great way to face the Spanish of Argentina and learn the vocabulary and grammatical differences between Latin American Spanish and the “standard” Spanish.
DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA
(Intermediate)
Diarios de Motocicleta (Motorcycle Diaries) is a story based on the real diaries of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the leader of the Cuban and Latin American revolutions. In Diarios de Motocicleta we see a young doctor Guevara traveling from Argentina to Peru to volunteer at a leper colony. His experience on the road and the subsequent exposure to the impressive local indigenous poor tribes shows the development of Guevara who will eventually lead a revolution that radically changed the destiny of Latin America. This movie is a fantastic viewing for students of all levels because it contains examples of slang and dialects throughout South America, essential for any well-formed Spanish speaker, and also important information about Latinos’ history.
MAR ADENTRO
(Intermediated High)
Directed by the acclaimed Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar, Mar Adentro is based on the true story of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro, who fought an almost 30-year campaign in favor of euthanasia and his own right to die. Although this movie requires a more advanced level of Spanish, you will have the chance to recognize the imperative, subjunctive, and past tenses and get used to them in colloquial situations.
AMORES PERROS
(Advanced)
Amores Perros is a 2000 Mexican drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film is constructed from three distinct but overlapping stories linked by a car accident that brings the characters briefly together, showing the viewer the huge gap between social classes which still exists in Mexico DF and helping Spanish students improve their vocabulary and their understanding of some complex forms of Spanish grammar thanks to the explicit images which always accompany them.