Censorship and the Construction of Homosexual Desire in Mario Camus's Muere una mujer (1965)

The representation of homosexuality and homosexual desire in cinema was strictly banned under Franco's dictatorship. However, a limited number of filmmakers managed to portray homosexual characters in their films. The popular melodramas of the 1960s were a good chance for these novel representations, and filmmakers of younger generations explored new cinematic discourses on sexuality. This article studies Mario Camus's Muere una mujer (1965), an important work in the construction of the film discourses on sexual minorities that would flourish during the transition to democracy. This film can therefore be considered a valuable source for understanding future homosexual narratives. Despite the strict demands of the 'Junta Nacional de Censura' - the Board of Censors - Camus managed to include homosexual characters who, very exceptionally, expressed their desires. The study of the censorship files, which can be found in the Archivo de Alcala (Madrid), contribute to the analysis of the complex processes of narration and deletion of homosexual desire.

Censorship and the Construction of Homosexual Desire in Mario Camus's Muere una mujer (1965) Articles