"Jamon, jamon" revolves around lust and machismo. It's basically about sex, sex, and more sex! From the very start of the movie, with a bulge shot of Raul (Javier Bardem) to the rape scene of Silvia (Penelope Cruz), the film presents a sordid tale of "love" among twisted minds and perverted people (as each character partners with another throughout the whole film.) You cannot mistake this movie for a wholesome film because sex is literally shoved down your gut every second as it is peppered with symbols of dogs, pigs, a parrot, ham (as the title so gives away), pearls and what have you, which emphasize on the already obvious theme of the movie--sex, while showering you with loads and loads of sex sequences. At one point, I began asking myself what the point of the movie is. The characters are given no dignity and the director doesn't give one any reason to sympathize with them.
A ray of light or salvation for this film comes when Silvia after being forced into sex stands up and fights for her "womanity." She runs to her lover Raul and again, engage in sex. This time though impassioned sex/love making happens which is all too different from the previous ones. But later, Raul backslides and again gives in to money and the flesh leaving Silvia behind. Here, I accepted the fact that this movie is really about nothing. My feeling is validated by more surprises from other characters who aborted the purported salvation of this film. The movie ends with ham clubbing... hence, "Jamon, jamon." (I'd club this film with a ham too! grrr.)
One good thing about the film is its title. The English translation of the film literally is "ham, ham" but my DVD subtitle says, "Of Love and Ham." I believe this is really the essence of the film--the pathos of looking for love in a community so driven by lust, greed, and selfishness. It is literally shown in the symbol of broken pearls and a pearl shoved in a pig's ass! The quest for love in such a forlorn community is like giving pearls to the pigs. Silvia could be anyone; she could be you or me... wanting some real love. Sadly, she risked it all to people who knew nothing more than giving in to the cravings of the flesh. For this I give the film a 4.
A ray of light or salvation for this film comes when Silvia after being forced into sex stands up and fights for her "womanity." She runs to her lover Raul and again, engage in sex. This time though impassioned sex/love making happens which is all too different from the previous ones. But later, Raul backslides and again gives in to money and the flesh leaving Silvia behind. Here, I accepted the fact that this movie is really about nothing. My feeling is validated by more surprises from other characters who aborted the purported salvation of this film. The movie ends with ham clubbing... hence, "Jamon, jamon." (I'd club this film with a ham too! grrr.)
One good thing about the film is its title. The English translation of the film literally is "ham, ham" but my DVD subtitle says, "Of Love and Ham." I believe this is really the essence of the film--the pathos of looking for love in a community so driven by lust, greed, and selfishness. It is literally shown in the symbol of broken pearls and a pearl shoved in a pig's ass! The quest for love in such a forlorn community is like giving pearls to the pigs. Silvia could be anyone; she could be you or me... wanting some real love. Sadly, she risked it all to people who knew nothing more than giving in to the cravings of the flesh. For this I give the film a 4.