Written by Jay Fuller
Alfred Hitchcock created a unique film language that deeply resonates with modern audiences and filmmakers. His influence is evident in the countless remakes, tributes, and dedications that continue to flood the theater every year. On the one hand, it seems Hitchcock tapped into themes so universal and created film devices so fundamental that it is impossible for any director to create a work of art without stepping on his toes. On the other hand, there are specific elements in his films that are unmistakably Hitchcockian: the central blonde beauty, the male gaze, the crisscross murder plot, and the double identity, to name a few (Sloan and Kapsis). Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a beautiful exploration of these various themes. In fact, the film represents such a culmination of Hitchcockian ideas that it is difficult to reference his work without also referencing Vertigo. Enter Pedro Almodóvar’s Bad Education (La Mala Educación,) a film that is unabashedly Hitchcockian in its construction. In many respects, this film is a retelling of Vertigo from a homosexual perspective. However, Bad Education is not so much a queer twist on Vertigo as it is a stand-alone film that borrows heavily from Hitchcockian themes and devices.
The similarities between Bad Education and Vertigo are sometimes striking. Both films open with credit sequences complete with frantic strings and stylized graphics. The score from Bad Education sounds inspired by Bernard Hermann, a composer who collaborated with Hitchcock on Vertigo. The stylized ripping graphics that characterize Bad Education’s opening also evoke the kind of movement and imagery Saul Bellow provided for Vertigo.
The two films are also similar in their exploration of double identities. Juan’s impersonation of his brother Ignacio is akin to Judy’s impersonation of Madeleine. Both characters actively deceive the protagonists about their true identities. Juan and Judy are also linked through their presentations as sexually desirable figures. Judy (as Madeleine) is the stereotypical Hitchcock blonde, highly glamorous and laced with sex appeal. Likewise, Juan’s portrayal of the blonde transsexual Zahara seems to be a direct reference to Judy. The male gaze of Scottie’s watchful eye as he trails Judy and Hitchcock’s sustained and examining close-ups are similarly reproduced in Bad Education. Enrique’s curious stare toward Juan as he undresses by the pool and Almodóvar’s sustained shots, such as Juan’s slow-motion dive into the pool or the shot of Juan doing push-ups, recall the Hitchcockian male gaze. Only now, instead of the male gaze being directed toward a female, it is directed toward another male. Finally, it is probably not a stretch to suggest that Juan and Judy are also linked by their similar four-letter names.
