For this week’s post, I watched La Casa de Papel, or Money Heist, on Netflix.
The show is based around a group of criminals with their own pasts who join up to rob the Royal Mint of Spain, in Madrid.
Led by the self christened ‘Professor’, the group is composed of 7 other characters, who each give themselves new names after famous cities. The show is spoken in European Spanish and takes place in Madrid and other parts of Spain. Mostly centered on the heist itself, the show does not highlight many specifics about the Spanish culture but does immerse the viewer in the language, energy, and the actors bring the characters and their emotions to life beautifully.
While the show itself does not highlight too much of the Spanish culture it takes place around, the show has become globally popular. The beautiful cinematography and storytelling ability of the writers brings this tale to life. La Casa de Papel is one of Netflix’s most-watched non-English language series.
There are a lot of similarities between the culture shown in this show and that of the United States in my experience. The characters used most of the same technologies, transportations, and food. The weather, though different from the US, was what I expected for Spain. The temperatures there never getting too chill (assuming this from characters not wearing heavy outerwear) and staying more in the 60F-80F degree range, which is normal for that country. The personal character development and relationships between men and women, however, was very much in line with the experiences I fell like many of us have had.
I can see why this show resonates so well with a global community. The characters want to rob the Royal Mint of Spain to get money for themselves and their future families because they do not feel that the ends of paying for an education and working a job their whole lives justify the means. The group’s goal is to only steal from the rich or the government and to not harm anyone in the process. This, I think, can deeply resonate with a lot of people across the world as we look at the socioeconomic struggles of most people in the world today and the global political tensions. Robin Hood was celebrated by the people but hated by the Lords. Taking from the rich and giving to the poor is a sentiment that I believe a lot of the people around the world watching this show can agree within today’s world.
I found more cool info about the series from the BBC here!