MovieChat Forums > Todo sobre mi madre (2000) Discussion > All About Eve

All About Eve

posted 21 years ago by devilsavocado
4 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone else who's seen the two movies want to talk about the parallels between them? (This is one of those cases where the director pretty clearly put them there on purpose.)

Huma's character--the aging diva--is somewhat similar to Margo's, making her companion (who's name I've forgotten) kind of like Birdie, only not quite. Esteban appears, like Eve, as a super fan in a dark alley, although after his death it is Manuela who steps in as an assistant and then understudy (although her character is clearly less malicious.)AFter that I lose the train a little bit...

[–] Jewelcrazyblonde 21 years ago

As a Film student, I've had to study Almodovar very closely. In regards to the influence of "All about Eve" on "All About my Mother", there's a few more aspects.

There's of course, the title. But as well, there's the main theme of women putting on "acts". In "All About Eve", Eve puts on the act of being an innocent little fan who only wants to admire her hero. In reality, she's a self-less "wolf in sheep's clothing" wanting to take her spot and hog the spotlight.

In "All About my Mother", the acts are not as extreme, but they are present. Agrado puts on the act of being happy and pleasant. The main character puts on an act of strength when all she really wants it to break down. As well, Rosa puts on the act to her mother, but the truth is that she's pregnant and HIV positive.

So the underlying theme of "All About Eve" is the same as that in "All About My Mother".

An amazing film, in my opinion.

[–] kkingsbu 21 years ago

Almodóvar likes to play with the parallels between his characters and imbedded works - it's worth looking at how much A Streetcar Named Desire is mirrored in this movie, too.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] joaquinbielsa 20 years ago

At the end of the film there is a text: "To Bette Davis, to Gena Rowland, Romy Scheneider... To all the actresses who have played actresses. To all the women who act. To all the men who act and become women. Who all the persons who want to be mothers. To my mother."

Also the scene where the son is run over is taken almost literally from "Opening Night" by Cassavetes, where Gena Rowlands comes out of the theatre and gets in the car, a girl is staring at her through the car window, and when they drive away she sees the girl standing on the middle of the road and hit by a car... In All about my mother we see it from the other side...