Mama: An exploration of gender and motherhood in contemporary Spanish horror film

Abstract

Motherhood can be argued to be a central theme in many recent Spanish horror films. From El Orfanato/ The Orphanage or Los Otros/ The Others to, more recently, Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi/ Witching and Bitching or Musarañas/ Shrew’s Nest, to mention but a few, their narratives are based on the figure of the (Good/Bad) mother. Their struggles and choices in mothering move the action forward and bring horror to the story, ultimately depicting them as «the problem to be solved» (Davies, 2011, p. 82). Using Mama (Muschietti, 2013) as a case study, this article seeks to explore how motherhood is constructed in contemporary Spanish horror film and how this might respond to the specificities of the Spanish social and historical context. For this purpose, the research will particularly focus on the journey that the main female character undergoes throughout the narrative, from the reluctant mother and rock star to the «all-nurturing and self-abnegating Angel of the House» (Kaplan, 2000, p. 468). However, the outcome of the research highlights that this transition is strongly based on patriarchal principles that shape the ideal of good motherhood. The problematic narrative also conceives maternity as a woman’s ultimate goal and fulfilment vehicle and assumes maternal instincts exist and are innate to women. Moreover, the study has also uncovered how the confrontation between the good and the bad mother functions as a reinforcement of a very specific maternal style that is highly influenced by Franco’s ideology in relation to family, gender roles and female identity. Thus, although the film depicts the struggles of motherhood from a female point of view, it also portrays the horror and terrible consequences of challenging the patriarchal order, therefore promoting an outdated and patriarchal notion of good mothering.