Jamon | Jamon-1992-

If you scroll through a list of 1992 films, you’ll see the heavy hitters: Reservoir Dogs , The Crying Game , Aladdin . But tucked away in that cinematic year is a small, sun-scorched Spanish film that features a man in a Superman cape, a lot of ham, and a very young, very shirtless Javier Bardem.

Stefania Sandrelli’s Conchita represents the aging matriarch, a woman who has internalized the patriarchal systems of power and now enforces them. Her seduction of Raúl is a desperate grasp at her own fading power. The dynamic between Conchita and Silvia creates a generational tension, showing how women in this society are forced to compete for scraps of power within a system designed to oppress them. Jamon Jamon-1992-

The story is set in a small, dusty Spanish town and revolves around Silvia (), a young woman who works in an underwear factory and becomes pregnant by José Luis ( Jordi Mollà ), the son of the factory's wealthy owners. If you scroll through a list of 1992

Jamón Jamón was a major critical success at its release, most notably winning the (Award for Best Director) at the 1992 Venice Film Festival . While Rotten Tomatoes notes that some modern viewers find its "overheated melodrama" a bit much, the consensus remains that it is a high point of 1990s Spanish cinema. Organization Best Director Winner (Silver Lion) Venice Film Festival Best Actor (Javier Bardem) Turia Awards Best Film Goya Awards Best Actress (Penélope Cruz) Goya Awards Her seduction of Raúl is a desperate grasp

, is horrified by the prospect of her son marrying a "lower-class" woman. To break them apart, she hires