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Abstract
BORED TO DISTRACTION: CINEMA OF EXCESS IN THE END-OFTHE-CENTURY MEXICO AND SPAIN by Claudia Schaefer (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003—$59.50/19.95, ISBN 0-7914-5887-3 hard, 07914-5888-1 paper, 201 pp., notes, index, photos) is an attempt to assess the social significance of Mexican and Spanish films in the 1990s. The book begins with a chapter that sketches out the author’s theoretical framework, is followed by five chapters that examine specific film texts in depth, and ends with a brief concluding chapter that recapitulates the book’s main points. The theoretical framework draws on contemporary social theories that examine the notion of “boredom,” its conceptual neighbor “excess,” and their relationship to late capitalism. This chapter also draws on theories of popular culture—ranging from the work of Walter Benjamin to that of John Fiske—as a source for empowerment and resistance among ordinary people. The subsequent five chapters act as the sources of data for the author to explore her conceptual interests through close readings of several film texts. The films selected for analysis include the most critically acclaimed works from Mexico and Spain in the late 20th century, including La tarea, Danzón, Amorres perros, Carne trémula, El día de la bestia, and Tesis. For each film, the author pays close attention to the development of personal relationships and elements of excess, especially as it characterizes the horror genre, which runs through many of these texts. The final chapter summarizes assertions from previous chapters, claiming that late 20th century cinema in Mexico and Spain was marked by dramatic excesses that were both nourishing and destructive for consumers. The author, a professor of Spanish and comparative literature, has published two previous books on Mexican cinema. (Robert Huesca)