4.2.1 Culture under the dictatorship

In many aspects, under Franco regime culture is under the most complete repression, as many other social aspects. At the same time, the Regime tries to build its own culture without bearing in mind the different national cultures within Spain. But in spite of the strong censorship and the willing to impose the Regime's culture, it fails as it doesn't take into account either history or sensitivity of that time. It can be said that Franco Regime creates a sort of pseudo-culture.

As time goes by, the cultural politics become not so strict. It is so not because of any intelligence or permissive attitude, but due to its own weakness and ideological emptiness concerning cultural proposals in front of a social body that is slowly getting self-conscious, recovering a part of its lost power.

Literature

Most writers are in the exile. As far as novels is concerned. The exile work comes to our country slowly and it has a poor influence in our home literature. We could say that the main aim of the Spanish novel is to describe reality.

Poetry becomes created through fiction even it is framed within a very poor cultural environment.

There is a large number of authors that write a realistic novel where characters are surrounded by a poor atmosphere, without any chance to improve their social status, and where the opression and the absence of freedom become apparent.
Among them we can consider: Camilo José Cela ( Nobel prize on literature)

The most important literary production in Spanish language in this period is located in South America. There is a large number of Spanish writers in exile as well as well-known South American authors such Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa. This kind of literature was very popular in the late franquism period.

Cinema and mass media

Mass media is under a stricter control than literature due to the higher costs of its production as well as its wider audience. Mass media suffered not only similar taboos of narration but also the iconographic taboos, such as politics, sex and religion. As a reaction, this censorship develops in the message receiver just silence or the lack of progress or democratic feelings.

Not with standing these facts, the private leisure time business grows up enormously due to two facts: tourism and the increase of private income. Its aim is to get the best economic profits.
Thus, a culture degradation takes place under the strict control of censorship. Its effects will not only be ideological but negative for the private economy. Meanwhile, the Regime keeps on having its own mass media (Press, radio, news reports, Franco's Trade Unions Newspapers... and the most important one; Television)
As soon as the new video technologies appear, such as the magnetoscope, the Minister of Culture becomes aware of their advantadges and facilities. Therefore, he works out some legal texts in order to control the production and diffusion of videocasettes or any other goods of that kind, in the Spanish market.

Obviously, in the Spanish culture as a whole, these repressive measures set aside many initiatives but, at the same time, they supply interesting materials to show the historical reality.

In spite of the above mentioned culture situation, we have to state that in the 60's, due to the slight outset of Franco Regime, a small recovery in music and literature of the different nationalities took place under private enterprises.

The Spanish cinema of this period reflects the franquism values and tries to lead people away from the country’s real problems. Nevertheless, some directors produce some films that want to ridicule and to satirise the society under Franco regime. For example, the films “Bienvenido Mr. Marshall” (Welcome Mr. Marshall) and “El verdugo” (The hangman) by García Berlanga can be mentioned.
Another director, in exile, Luis Buñuel shows in his films the reality of that society, pointing up some critical aspects: the Catholic Church, sex, the regime’s leading classes and rural Spain.

4.2.2 Culture under democracy

At the end of the 70’s a very important stage began in  Spanish culture. Several factors influenced its development. On the one hand the end of dictartoship allowed to recover some cultural facts which have been banned since 1939. The standardization in the use of Catalan, Galician and Basque languages, both in private life and public areas stands out; the celebration of pagan festivals like Carnival time with a deep tradition in the country. On the other hand, cinema, literature and music developed without restraints or censorship.
The country’s institutions supported the cultural revival which showed a modern and democratic Spain.

The art

In the world of art, the purpose of  different democratic institutions has been to create an ideal setting for the design of new urban spaces and construction. Sculpture has undergone an important change with regard to material and shape, many of these works can be seen in our cities as public expenditure has chosen to improve the aesthetic and artistic  image  of cities.
In the 90’s, the fact of redesigning and building  new museums of contemporary art contributed to the spread of painting and sculpture, in short to creative artistic activity.

Literature, music and cinema

Under the democratic period, there are a large number of writers, who had started their production under the Franco regime, that produce many high quality works. The most well-known are: Camilo José Cela, Miguel Delibes, Antonio Gala, Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Carmen Martín Gaite...Among the younger ones, Antonio Muñez Molina, Julio Llamazares, Manuel Rivas, Montserrat Roig, Soledad Puértolas, Almudena Grandes  can be mentioned.
A wealth of literary works (in different national languages) stands out specially in the novel during the last two decades which added the names of succesful writers to the list of great authors. In the field of music, great figures appeared in the different styles of music, such as rock, in several national languages, and also flamenco which became well-known  national and internationally.

The Spanish cinema got the recognition of international critics and was endorsed by national and international festivals. This is one of the cultural areas that has experienced a bigger change as the quality of Spanish cinema productions during the dictatorship had been very low,  which prevented an international recognition. Nowadays,  creativity and talent are substantial, even though the economic means and resources are still far from the situation in other countries.
The most important directors are: Carlos Saura, Fernando Trueba (“Belle Epoque”, winner of an Oscar in 1994), Pedro Almodóvar, Ricardo Franco...
In the 90’ a new generation of young directors appairs: Gracia Querejeta, Amenábar, Iciar Bollaín...

Science and Technology

The situation is not so hopeful in the fields of Science and Technology as it is in the artistic sphere. There’s still a lack of public and private investment in  research. Most of scientific research is developed in universities. The contribution of private companies in scientific research has always been very low and has tended to decrease in the last few years. The majority of big Spanish companies are branches or they are  subsidiaries of the big multinationals which have the research centre in the headquarters in the country of origin.