Inspired by an earlier documentary piece entitled, Lovers That Kill, Iciar Bollain set out to make this film, released in 2003, which interrogates the nature and motivations of domestic abuse. It tells the story of Pilar and her husband Antonio, his character being implied from the very first moments of the film as Pilar frantically packs her clothes, wakes and dresses her son Juan and desperately tries to hail a taxi on the dark streets outside of their apartment complex. While the couple spends time separated, Pilar works at a local cathedral and Antonio attends an abusive husbands’ therapy group; yet, hope brings them back together, the result of which are entirely worth the $3 rental.
This film is a beautiful, thoughtful and profound look into the gray area of domestic violence. Not only does Bollain carefully avoid stereotypes of victimizer and victimized, but her focus on calculated dialogue is so much more meaningful than the oft-writ scenes of explicit abuse. Take My Eyes also shows not just the couple at risk, but how abuse makes ripples in an entire family and exposes the generational differences within: 4.5/5.
