***possible spoilers***
i found this film to be both disturbing and beautiful. Marina de van outdoes herself in her various roles as director, writer, and principal actor. She had complete faith in the story she was telling and as a result so did i. There wasn't one moment where i considered what i was watching to be impossible and fantastical -- it was all extremely, painfully real. I'm sure that people will ascribe various kinds of meaning to the self- mutilation in the film, but to me it spoke of alienation from those things that are central to our lives: our work and our relationships with other people. On the cusp of what, from the outside, seems like success in both of these realms, esther (the central character) badly injures her leg but doesn't even notice for several hours...there's a kind of numbness in her. Through the wound, she becomes fascinated with her flesh and blood and can't resist opening herself up more and more. As a result her seemingly successful life begins to fall apart. But is it self-destruction or self-discovery? Did she really know what she wanted...did she really know herself at all? The film doesn't answer these questions, but most films that have a profound emotional impact never do answer the important questions. They're left up to the audience to answer in whatever way makes the most sense.
i found this film to be both disturbing and beautiful. Marina de van outdoes herself in her various roles as director, writer, and principal actor. She had complete faith in the story she was telling and as a result so did i. There wasn't one moment where i considered what i was watching to be impossible and fantastical -- it was all extremely, painfully real. I'm sure that people will ascribe various kinds of meaning to the self- mutilation in the film, but to me it spoke of alienation from those things that are central to our lives: our work and our relationships with other people. On the cusp of what, from the outside, seems like success in both of these realms, esther (the central character) badly injures her leg but doesn't even notice for several hours...there's a kind of numbness in her. Through the wound, she becomes fascinated with her flesh and blood and can't resist opening herself up more and more. As a result her seemingly successful life begins to fall apart. But is it self-destruction or self-discovery? Did she really know what she wanted...did she really know herself at all? The film doesn't answer these questions, but most films that have a profound emotional impact never do answer the important questions. They're left up to the audience to answer in whatever way makes the most sense.