Te doy mis ojos-Take My Eyes (2003)

Directed by: Iciar Bollain | 109 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Laia Marull, Luis Tosar, Candela Peña, Rosa María Sardà, Nicolás Fernández Luna

‘Te doy mis ojos’ is a movingly simple, yet precise unmasking of the marriage of the defenseless Pilar and the incommunicative Antonio, who indulges his self-loathing on his wife. The hard fact of two people who seem to be condemned to each other is portrayed realistically and without judgment by director Icíar Bollaín; it takes courage to portray domestic violence in this way, because the ambiguous blackness of the data is controversial. In films, the perpetrator usually gets off without a hitch and the victim is often no more than a plaything of the physical relationships between man and woman. Not that his guilt lessens in the least, but Pilar’s submissive adoration for her husband doesn’t make it any easier for her naive infatuation for the awkward giant with a pair of earrings to get back on track. It takes a lot to change her mind and that is an interesting fact in the film. We see the struggle of a woman who has a past, but no future yet. She cannot take life into her own hands and in so doing brings new disaster upon herself.

The suffering is too real and too ugly to transcend reality. Pilar returns to her husband, who seems to be making genuine efforts to change his person. If you look differently, however, you might also see an opportunist without vitality, who throws all good intentions overboard in bringing in the loot. At the same time, we see a vulnerable woman who melts for dominance, making her love dependent on danger.

It is such subtleties that make ‘Te doy mis ojos’ a credible film, because the pitfalls for clichés are great and are barely avoided, especially in the beginning. The acting is outstanding, resulting in actor awards for Laia Marull (Pilar) and Luis Tosar (Antonio) at the recent San Sebastian Film Festival, and in fact a sniff for the young Nicolás Fernández Luna (Juan). Also note the pretty pictures of the city of Toledo (a true winter paradise) and Pilar’s fascinating explanation of famous paintings.