Carol had many obstacles to overcome throughout this film. Being raised in America and being accustomed to American culture was a drastic change to what she was about to embark on when she moved with her mother to Spain with her grandfather. Her mother, Aurora, had also become accustomed to the American way of life, she demonstrates this when she is riding with Carol on the train to meet her father and she lights up a cigarette with a priest sitting across from her.
Carol is faced with many struggles while trying to adapt to her new life. As soon as she arrives, she is riding on the carriage with her grandfather and mother only to have a group of boys pick on her. The one boy Tomi takes her hat and keeps it only after he shoots a dead bird onto her. From that point on, the two have a few run ins that make her first few days uncomfortable. Carol fought with the boy, like a boy. Carol also struggles with issues such as how she dresses like a boy, always wearing pants and never a dress. Carol also chooses to keep her hair cut short like a little boy. Carol even makes her First Communion dressed in the same clothes that the boys were wearing instead of the traditional white dress and veil that all the girls were wearing. This was the one condition for which she would even make her First Communion to begin with.
Carol also struggled with the death of her mother. Her mother knew that she was ill and came to Spain just to die. Before her death she confides in her friend Maruja, who is a school teacher that later mentors/ tutors Carol and Tomi.
Carol and Tomi end up striking up a friendship that eventually becomes a young love. Carol sticks up for Tomi when the two police men try to arrest Tomi in the cemetery.Carol's birthday is celebrated with friends and family with a visit from the three boys, including Tomi, dressed nicely in their dress clothes. Carol's father delivers her a birthday present by parachuting it out of a plane. The present is a replica of the plane that flew in to deliver her gift.
Carol's father that is fighting the war shows up at her grandfathers house to see her. He is chased and eventually flee's the country. During the chase Carol's friend Tomi is shot and killed in the cross fire. Carol eventually moves out of the grandfather's house. As a farewell gift, Maruja gives Carol Tomi's sling shot.

Vover

This was a very interesting movie, many twists and turns to each character. I think that each of the women in this film showed their strength by standing up for themselves against the men that abused them in their lives in one way or another.
The daughter Paula shows her strength and resilience by fighting off her attacker which was her own step father, whom she thought was her real father throughout her entire life. Which leads to yet another case of abuse to her mother Raimunda, whom we eventually find out was abused by her father so her daughter is actually her sister. Her father 'tragically' dies in a fire along with the woman he was having an affair with. Raimunda's mother actually allows everyone to believe she was the one killed in the fire along with her cheating husband so she hides and pretends she is dead for years. Regardless of all of the things that these women had dealt with throughout their lives they all managed to go on living and surviving in their own way.
In order to support her daughter, Raimunda took over a friends restaurant in order to make a living. Sole ran an illegal beauty shop out of her home. The women in this movie show how independent they can be and that they are willing and able to support themselves and their children.
This film shows alot of areas of superstition. For example, the girls think that their dead mothers ghost is helping to take care of their aging Aunt that lives alone and can barely get around. In reality their mother is still alive and is living with the aunt and taking care of her. Sole continually thinks that she is seeing her mothers ghost.
This film did a very good job of portraying the resilience that women have when faced with hardships and tragedy in their lives.

The Official Story was a very disturbing film. The basis of the film is about people being kidnapped and tortured, having their children taken away from them and some even being killed. Gaby, is a sweet little innocent child that was taken from her pregnant mother, whom she would never meet because the people that kidnapped her while she was pregnant killed her and her father. Gaby was bought by Alicia's husband that refused to give her details regarding how he actually obtained Gaby in the first place. Roberto, Alicia's husband, is a very cold hearted man that has no regard for human life, he is in the military and silently carried out many of these horrific acts.
Anna is one of Alicia's long time friends that suffered at the hands of the military. She too was captured and tortured for 36 days. She went on to tell Alicia some of the things that happened to her while she was living her horrible nightmare. I think that this became a turning point in the film for Alicia. She became very concerned with where Gaby came from, who her parents were, and began asking Roberto repeatedly how he obtained Gaby.
It is apparent that Gaby too suffered abuse at the hands of the military to some degree. The scene where they were celebrating her birthday and she wonders off to her bedroom, only to be interrupted by boys playing wildly with guns, pretending they were in the military. s for this behavior. Roberto never shows up to Gaby's birthday party. The saddest thing in the movie is that these people seem to accept this way of life. Even when Alicia goes to the priest and confesses how they got Gaby, the priest tells her, basically, to let it go and quit asking questions. The entire film is very disturbing down to when Roberto finally beats Alicia while Gaby is with his parents. Roberto is a disgusting excuse for a human being.
Is there light at the end of Gaby's tunnel? This would all depend on how 'BIG' of a woman Alicia is willing to be as far reuniting Gaby with her real family and setting aside her own feelings. Gaby is unfortunately not in charge of her own fate.

Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate, in my opinion, was a great film that captured Hispanic culture in every aspect. The film reminds me of the American film Cinderella. Tita is used as a servant to her family and is never able to live out her own hopes and dreams. Tita's own mother is much like the evil stepmother by forbidding her to live her life in any other manor than that of a servant to her until she dies. By living out her Hispanic culture Tita obeys her mother and surrenders herself to a life of being alone and working all day, everyday.
Tita falls in love with Pedro at the very beginning and is forbidden to be with him so that she can carry out a family tradition to take care of her mother until the day she dies. Tita then has to sit by as Pedro marries her sister and has his child. Pedro tries to honor the love he has for Tita by postponing the consummation of the marriage for 3 months, however Rosaura finally lets him know that he needs to act like her husband. This relationship is doomed from the very beginning, first of all due to the lack of love and interest that Pedro has for Rosaura. It turns out that her only married her in order to stay close to Tita.
Tita carries out the tradition and puts her own feelings and life aside and puts her heart into making food everyday for her entire family. She puts all of the passion that she would put into her marriage into the food that she makes.
This film demonstrates the loyalty that the hispanic culture has for their family. If Tita was in the United States, as a teenager, she would have revolted against the entire family and ran off with Pedro to start a new life. This poor girl gave up her life and all the happiness that life can bring because she knew that if she did, her dream would eventually come true.