LEO ES PARDO (1976)

next up is an experimental Spanish short by Ivan Zulueta, Leo es Pardo (1976).

(1976, 12mins, 16mm, colour, Spain)

Leo es Pardo {Leo is Dark} can be read as a highly effective et innovative take on the psychodrama*. it is also important to note that the films title; Leo es Pardo is a wordplay that originates from Leopardo, which means leopard. this of course comes to make sense as the film unfolds, the apartment is filled with leopard skin motifs, but most significantly et the end of the film when the main characters double/other enters dressed in a tight fitting designer leopard print dress, effectively representing the leopard of the title. Zulueta cleverly splits the word in two et creates Leo {a female/male name} et Pardo {is brown or dark in colour}, this can be seen to signify the split personality of the main character.

from the outset Zulueta bombards the audioviewer with a jarring et abrasive soundtrack, he then introduces us to the films female protagonist, whom in stark contrast to the audio, is sleeping peacefully. the young woman is woken up by the sound of a door slamming shut {has someone just left?}, she glances over at an unmade bed, the noise dies away. she gets up, locks the door et then opens the window blinds, sunlight bursts into the apartment setting off a rapid volley of gunfire on the soundtrack, simultaneously all the doors in the apartment begin to open et close rapidly in sync with the gunfire. this is one of many sequences where objects in the apartment react et become animated either directly or indirectly of her actions.

curiously she remains emotionally detached from the chaos going on around her, she sits on the bed absently eating a mysteriously skinned peach, maybe she is oblivious, or perhaps she is ignoring it. this could be read as comment on her indifference et/or rejection of the outside world/society, but how long can she remain impassive? as she goes about her daily domestic routines; washing up, making coffee, however, things are not what they seem, there is a deep sense of paralysis creeping in, she can't manage to undress herself, et ultimately she is incapable of leaving the apartment, afraid or traumatized by what is lurking outside.

Zulueta creatively employs any et every in-camera technique he can imagine to express the emotional et psychological state of his lead character. the visuals are intensified by an unrelenting et violent soundtrack that brilliantly puts the audioviewer on edge, it clearly reflects the agitation et anxiety of the female protagonist (played by Maribel Ferrero). he also skillfully utilizes subtle shifts in the films point of view to great effect, furthering the audioviewers disorientation as to what is real et what is imagined.

light takes on great importance throughout Leo es Pardo. Zulueta creatively uses the play of light et shadow to express the vulnerability et anxiety of the lead character. overexposure et underexposure, fades to black et dissolves to white all take on new significance. the sun is a recurring symbol of time passing, at one stage the sun is eclipsed by a modernist high-rise building outside the apartment window, symbolizing capitalist societies indifference et also creating a sense of inevitability, of impending doom for the protagonist, her time is quickly running out.

one astonishing sequence shows the main character staring down at her foot which is basking in a bright patch of afternoon sunlight, she slides her hand over the top of her foot, soon after a shadow hand appears et slowly creeps over her hand/foot, the shadow hand suddenly closes its fingers, making a grabbing gesture, as if taking possession. this sequence is intensified by the brilliant use of a jet plane roaring overhead et the squawking of a vulture. the film cuts to reveal the young woman's face, her head jerks up, she stares in horror out the window as the sun suddenly emerges from behind the top of the apartment building et envelopes her as if it were a light sent from god, she is frozen, mesmerized by the brilliant white light, silence ...

the film then segues into a stunning stop-frame montage sequence, it acts as a kind of interlude, a calm before the storm. we see the main characters hand/fingers slide over several different printed fabrics, among them is a leopard skin print {which references the wordplay in the films title}, tribal drums bang away et wildlife cry out on the soundtrack, it is almost like they can sense the approaching predator/enemy.

Leo es Pardo uses the motif of the double/other {a device Zulueta will expand upon in his next film, Arrebato (1980)}, Maya Deren also used multiple selves to devastating effect in her film Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), here the double/other represents a possible split in the main characters personality, one represents her original/true self, who is hiding et rejecting the outside world, the other, is a dominant et confident 'modern' women, a construction of consumer culture who ultimately replaces et erases the original self.

the appearance et confrontation of the double/other at the end of the film marks the turning point where the main protagonist can no longer repress her subconscious, the doubles return/presence triggers a ghastly self realization, she is no longer necessary, turning away from her double/other she surrenders herself to the void et is subsumed by darkness/nothingness.

finally, in a cyclical fashion mirroring the rising et setting of the sun, the double/other removes her dark mirrored glasses, lies down on the bed where the film began, except now night/darkness has fallen, whereas the film started with the brilliant whiteness/purity of morning sunlight.

* psychodrama is a subgenre often employed by experimental filmmakers, with its origins in German Expressionism et Surrealism. filmmakers in the 1940-50s like Maya Deren, Stan Brakhage et Kenneth Anger among others, adopted the psychodrama as a way of exploring the dark recesses of the subconscious. their films often related a process of self-awareness for the main character, in which the boundaries between dreams et reality dissolve, usually resulting in suicide or insanity. such films are very personal, yet they carry sociopolitical implications, because these subconscious manifestations are being fueled by et reflect the surrounding culture/environment. recurrent themes are doubling, sexual conflict, reality. psychodrama can also be characterized by its direct link with the psyche of the filmmaker. the films 'experimental' structure et logic play out accordingly, it is as if we are experiencing unmediated access to the filmmakers subconsciousness.

good news, you can watch the film below.

i would also recommended tracking down Zulueta's cult classic feature film Arrebato (1980).