Simultaneous collapse of the country and the city? The motif of the country house in Las verdes praderas (1979) by José Luis Garci and Surco (2022) by Mikel Gurrea

Abstract

There's an increasing creative focus on rural-urban conflicts in both film and literature. Yet, there's a scarcity of comparative cultural analyses delving into the historical development of the contemporary rural-urban divide. This article aims to address this gap by conducting a comparative examination of the films Las verdes praderas (1979) by José Luis Garci and Suro (2020) by Mikel Gurrea. Through this comparative lens, the article seeks to unpack the historical dynamics underlying the ascendance of the middle class and the evolving rural-urban dynamics. By scrutinizing both films, we aim to argue that the dominance of mesocratic ideals in Spain and the subsequent decline of rural subsistence cultures have sparked a collective yearning for an idealized Arcadia that does not exist.