Comatose women in El bosque: Sleeping beauty and other literary motifs in Pedro Almodvar's Hable con ella

This article investigates the literary motifs at work in Pedro Almodvar's Hable con ella (2002) and argues that these motifs create an alternative narrative level, one in which the apparently secondary female characters are elevated in narrative status. The article starts by positioning Hable con ella within Almodvar's recent work and then, through the film's female characters, examines recurring themes in his representation of women onscreen. While the film focuses on the two male protagonists, Benigno and Marco, this article will also focus on Alicia, the woman with whom they both interact.