Matador

film by Almodóvar [1986]

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July 17, 2026

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Pedro Almodóvar's 1986 film Matador explores the intersection of violence and sexual desire. The film was criticized in Spain for its negative portrayal of bullfighting.12

Bullfighting itself has a long history in art and culture, with depictions dating back to ancient times. It has been a recurring theme in literature, painting, sculpture, and film, often symbolizing a "dance with death".2

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bullfighting
Bullfighting and the arts
…made films involving bullfighting, including Matador (1986), which was roundly criticized in Spain for its negative portrayal of the corrida, and Hable con ella (2002; Talk to Her), which deals with, among other things, the relationship between a female bullfighter and her lover. In art as in society, bullfighting’s “dance…
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…made films involving bullfighting, including Matador (1986), which was roundly criticized in Spain for its negative portrayal of the corrida, and Hable con ella (2002; Talk to Her), which deals with, among other things, the relationship between a female bullfighter and her lover. In art as in society, bullfighting’s “dance…
Read More

Pedro Almodóvar
Films
The first two films, Matador (1986) and La ley del deseo (1987; Law of Desire), deal with the intersection between violence and sexual desire. A dizzying farce titled Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) won international acclaim, including…
Read More
The first two films, Matador (1986) and La ley del deseo (1987; Law of Desire), deal with the intersection between violence and sexual desire. A dizzying farce titled Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) won international acclaim, including…
Read More