Attack of the B's!

Dans Ma Peau (2002), Marina De Van
In My Skin

Esther badly injures her leg at a party. Astonished by how painless it was, and the way her leg looks now that it has been altered from it's former perfect state, she begins to explore her body further through self-mutilation, cannibalism, and so forth. She continues down her path of self-destruction, much to the dismay of her boyfriend, her friends, and her co-workers, who cannot understand her new obsession.

I watched this movie for the wrong reasons. In the States, it is often mislabeled as a gory horror movie. I watched it because I'm a big fan of the horror movies coming out of France in the past few years. What I got was something much more. In My Skin is a deeply personal film, written, directed, and starring Marina De Van. We Americans are so used to having things spoonfed to us that we get disappointed when a movie actually makes us think. Unfortunately, I must admit that is how I reacted to this film at first. There are so many ways that this film can be interpreted, and the only person who truly has the answers is Ms. De Van herself.

A lot of people see this as some sort of feminist statement, but I really think it has very little to do with that. My personal feeling is that Esther is unable to truly connect with others, and possibly losing her sense of self. Possible mental illness (?) in addition to her feeling of disconnection from herself and others is what draws her to explore her... insides.

The scenes of her self-mutilation are highly eroticized, in the sense that they are filmed in the same way one would film a sex scene. I would even go as far as to compare her compulsive behavior with an illicit affair. It starts off small, then develops into a obsession that is selfish and disregards those who implore one to cease their destructive behavior. I find this aspect of this film the most fascinating.

I would recommend this film to those who enjoy contemporary French films; Cronenberg fans that wonder what his movies would be like if he were a French woman in her 30s; or total pervs that want to see full frontal AT ANY COST. In My Skin is very open to interpretation, and I would be interested to hear what others got out of this film.

Grade: B+