Folkloric traditions, popular stereotypes, and processes of formal signification in Florián Rey’s Andalusia

Abstract

Often accused of presenting a distorted image of the social reality of regions such as Andalusia, Spanish cinema produced during the Second Republic included several films classified as españoladas that were harshly criticized by the specialized press of the time. This situation would eventually give rise to certain historiographical trends that, as occurred in the 1930s, remain rooted in criticism of certain forms of cinematic representation of regional imaginaries which, as in Morena Clara (Florián Rey, 1936), stray from any attempt to use cinema as a tool capable of addressing the material problems of the population. Taking these debates on the españolada as our starting point, this article first reflects on the influence of romantic tropes in shaping the cinematic image of Andalusia. Following these preliminary considerations, the article will focus on the study of the processes of formal signification in Florián Rey’s film, with the aim of unraveling the functioning of the formal mechanisms that enable the articulation of interesting discourses on racism.