**4. Results**

This section is structured into four subsections, one for each movie. Each section presents the plot and the cinematic discourse analysis based on a selection of categories indicated by T. Van Leeuwen [80] and explained in Appendix A. Tables 2–5 and A1 refer to the cinematic discourse analysis of each movie according to T. Van Leeuwen [80] and present two main di fferent social conditions: exclusion and inclusion. In the case of exclusion, only one technique is indicated; in the case of inclusion, a set of possible techniques conveys a di fferent form of participation in the plot. To achieve this level of participation and involvement, attention was paid to reveal a di fferent form of consideration. Here, the structuring of the cinematic discourse can be appreciated and evaluated. The quantitative information introduced in the table refers to those actors who are reproduced in the foreground (actors in panoramic and big collective scenes were not counted).

#### *4.1. Movie 1: Saint Jacques* ... *La Mecque*

In *Saint Jacques* ... *La Mecque*, the pilgrims' group is formed by nine pilgrims: the male guide and four male and four female pilgrims. They represent the French society through their di fferent social statuses and religious professions. Clara is a teacher, who is obliged to walk the Camino with her two brothers (Pierre and Claude) to receive the inheritance from their mother, who faked her death in order to convince her children to go on the pilgrimage.

Following the Van Leeuwen [80] methodology, the social actors' representations can be classified as shown (Table 2):



**Table 2.** Cinematic discourse analysis of *Saint Jacques* ... *La Mecque* according to Van Leeuwen [80].

> Source: own elaboration.

In the movie *Saint Jacques* ... *La Mecque* (Figure 2; Figure 3), the societal roles of female characters are mothers, wives, and daughters. From the professional point of view, they are teachers and hosts. For instance, Clara, the main female character, is a daughter, mother, and sister and, from the functional point of view, a teacher, which is a traditionally female profession. If we reflect on her character, we can appreciate the combination of multiple functions and representations. Behind her rude face, she is considerate and shows a strong sense of responsibility. She is worried about her brothers and Ramzi, who she finally adopts after his mother's death.

**Figure 2.** Rural Moviescape of the Camino.

**Figure 3.** Clara and Camille discussing.

Figures 2 and 3 depict moviescapes representing the group pilgrimage. Figure 2 provides a view of the rural space of the Camino, whose snaking mark on the territory can be easily recognized. In Figure 2, the rural landscape of the Camino seems to be the main character, presenting the pilgrims with its essence and its challenges, aspects that pilgrims accept and seek [13,87]. A more detailed perspective is provided in Figure 3, where we see Clara (left) and Camille (right), who are pilgrims wearing comfortable clothing and carry their rucksacks. These female characters represent two age groups (adult vs. young), two social classes (middle class vs. rich), and two different perspectives and experiences that will determine their Camino.

#### *4.2. Movie 2: Al Final del Camino*

In *Al final del Camino*, Pilar (the female protagonist) is a journalist for a magazine. She has just broken up with her boyfriend, and her boss (Imma) orders her to write a report on the Camino. This is why she walks with Nacho, a photographer. As soon as they meet each other, they hate each other deeply. They will have to create a journalistic piece and approach the famous guru Olmo, who (to solve the couple's crises) proposes they walk Camino. This is an interesting aspect of the plot as it points out the multi-motivational aspect of the Camino and its emergence in new spiritual and therapeutic practices produced and reinforced by its rural landscapes [88]. Far from religious motivation, we witness a dynamic representation of the Camino, which provides spiritual renovation enhanced by the enjoyment of the landscape [23,88]. Far from their daily routines and in a completely different environment, the pilgrims challenge themselves. Pilar and Nacho have no choice but to accept the work and continue the pilgrimage together, pretending to be engaged. It is a sort of meta-relationship that is created in terms of couple dependence, as their professional roles will depend on their relational tasks [71].

Following Van Leeuwen's [80] methodology, social actors' representations can be classified as follows (Table 3):




Source: own elaboration.

Concerning this social status, the content analysis and the visual code show how the female social actors are represented as passive actors, especially in the sexual relationships, where they are the weakest partner. They are abandoned; they are harassed and used. As the female protagonist says: "You cannot use me all lifelong". Generally, they are represented as hysterical, confused, unsatisfied, liars, and unable to understand the situation (language, etc.). In Figure 4, Pilar (on the left) and Olmo (on the right) are talking; in the background, we see other pilgrims arriving. In Figure 5, the two pilgrims are brushing their teeth in a bathroom of a hostel along the route. Although it is a normal-seeming image, if analyzed deeper, the female pilgrim is younger than the male. Looking at the entire scene, this passage contains sexual allusion; once again the female pilgrim is the prey of the male pilgrim.

**Figure 4.** Imma and Olmo talking.

**Figure 5.** Pilgrims brushing their teeth.

#### *4.3. Movie 3: The Way*

In The Way, the protagonist is Thomas. He is an American ophthalmologist who travels to France due to the death of his son, Daniel. Daniel died while walking the Camino, when he had just began the journey. Although at the beginning Tom only intends to retrieve his son's body, he later decides to complete the pilgrimage to allow him to accomplish his son's goal. During his journey, he meets several pilgrims, and three of them become his companions.

Following Van Leeuwen's [80] methodology, the social actors' representations can be classified as follows (Table 4):



**Table 4.** Cinematic discourse analysis in *The Way* according to Van Leeuwen [80].

> Source: own elaboration.

From a gendered point of view, the male social actors dominate (Figure 6). However, Sarah, the main female character, is initially mysterious and rude, although her other companions define her as "sexy", and do not reveal the real reason why Tom is walking the Camino. Her statement "European guys are too confident, so I prefer to leave" (minute 38) envisions a typical relationship between a man and woman, predator and prey. This stereotype is reinforced when she reveals that in her life before the Camino, she was married to an abusive husband. For her, the pilgrimage is an emotional chance to overcome her choice to have an abortion due to the husband who mistreated her. Thus, we are presented with a traditional image of a woman who is rather weak and cries when overcome by her problems (Figure 7). Figures 6 and 7 represent two different landscapes of the Camino: there is an outdoor cinematic landscape that serves the aesthetic principles of cinema due to its territorial richness and the magic atmosphere of faraway places [26,59], and the inner landscape that pilgrims access due to the cathartic experience that they are living (Figure 7) [23,24].

**Figure 6.** Pilgrims walking.

**Figure 7.** Sarah crying.

#### *4.4. Movie 4: Onde Eestá a Felicidade?*

In *Onde está a Felicidade?* the female protagonist, Theodora, learns that her husband (Nando) was maintaining a virtual relationship and is in crisis, resulting in the loss of her job as presenter of a culinary program (cooking competences are connoted as female). Disillusioned, she decides to walk the Camino, considered a journey of self-discovery. Her former boss suggests to her to make a reality show during the pilgrimage. Theodora makes a new friend, Milena, a Galician pilgrim who has been left by her Brazilian boyfriend; she decided to walk the Camino because she wants to become rich. During the pilgrimage, Theodora has a fun adventure, while Nando plans to win back her love.

Following Van Leeuwen's [80] methodology, social actors' representations can be classified as follows (Table 5):



**Table 5.** Cinematic discourse analysis in *Onde Está a Felicidade?* according to Van Leeuwen [80].

Source: own elaboration.

The visual analysis is centered on Theodora and Milena, who are usually accompanied by Zeca, a male guide (Figure 8; Figure 9). As shown by the moviescapes, their clothing differs from that of typical pilgrims and that used in the other movies. This shocking difference corresponds to the movie plot, which was constructed on a pilgrimage undertaken for a reality show, which is finally revealed as being a false pilgrimage. Thus, uncomfortable shoes, boots, pants, skirts, and heavy suitcases (full of useful objects typically used by women) reinforce the fictional dimension of the production. Clothes are communication tools that can be exploited to investigate how certain groups are categorized [89]. For this reason, these pilgrims become ridiculous and superficial, as is revealed in the final part of the movie. As shown in Figure 8; Figure 9, either from a semantic or an aesthetic interpretation, the contrasts between the rural landscapes of the Camino and the main characters are visible. Parts of the Camino, with its different natural and cultural aspects, are easier to walk than others, but the pilgrim-actors find themselves inadequate for the challenge of the Camino. Evidently, all of the technical choices correspond to the producer's intentions, which culminate in considering the Camino a serious experience that is not to be undertaken lightly.

**Figure 8.** Zeca carrying the bags.

**Figure 9.** Pilgrims lost on the Camino.
