Unveiling “The Skin I Live In (2011)”: A Cinematic Exploration of Identity and Morality

Directed by renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, this Movie is a thriller that dives deep into the concept of gender dysphoria.

It has a very interesting plot, with some dark turns and wholesome moments.

How it deals with gender issues may shock the audience, but that’s what Almodóvar intended.

It’s acclaimed by critics and considered a classic from the last decade.

Watching this Movie is an interesting experience for trans people to have.

It is intense and brings up a lot of things for us to consider. I may change your point of view regarding certain issues, even if you don’t know much about them.

Are you wondering what this film is about? Then keep reading, as I’ll explain the plot in this article.

1- Plot summary

The Movie introduces us to Robert Ledgard, a plastic surgeon and scientist.

He’s developing a special synthetic skin resistant to burn damage.

But his research is shut down after his colleagues discover he’s been performing tests on humans.

Meanwhile, his only daughter, who suffers from paranoia, passes out at a party.

Just as she was about to have sex with Vincente, a guy she had just met.

When she wakes up, she sees her father, Ledgard. But because of her condition, she becomes paranoid, believing she was raped.

It causes her to commit suicide by jumping out a window, similar to her mother, Gal, a few years prior.

Ledgard is traumatized by her death, and believing Vincente to be responsible, he kidnaps him.

The surgeon then performs a series of feminization surgeries on Vincente, using the synthetic skin he developed.

Vincente becomes not only a woman but also an almost identical copy of Gal, Ledgardr’s former wife.

Now given the name “Vera” by Ledgard, Vincente is kept as a prisoner by the surgeon, as he keeps experimenting on “Her.”

These experiments aim to test the application of Ledgard’s synthetic skin (Which he names “GAL” after his wife) on humans.

The tests are successful, and the surgeon is admitted back into the scientific community.

It seems that Ledgard and “Vera” are starting to develop feelings for each other.

Things are interrupted by Zeca, Ledgard’s criminal half-brother, who rapes “Vera” but is killed by the surgeon.

Sometime later, a medical colleague learns about Vincente going missing and recognizes him as the patient who became Vera.

He accuses Ledgard of experimenting on Vincente without consent.

But Vincente, as Vera, defends Ledgard and says he agreed to the surgery.

Still, after noticing an old picture of Vincente in the newspaper, Vera has an identity crisis but doesn’t tell anyone.

That night, “she” and Ledgard try to have sex, but she says it’s still painful because of Zeca’s Rape.

They stop for a while, and “She” goes downstairs to fetch some lubricant.

However, after noticing Ledgard’s Handgun, Vincente has second thoughts.

He uses the gun to kill the surgeon and escape his house, as he is still a prisoner.

The film ends with Vincente, still looking like Gal, returning to his former house and explaining things to his mom and a close friend.

It’s unclear if Vincente wants to undo the changes, as he now may be able to date a lesbian girl he liked.

But his identity is now clear, as he states, “I am Vincente.”

2- Why is it impactful?

This Movie is impactful In many ways. It discusses many issues regarding medical ethics, gender identity, forced feminization, and trauma.

Many trans people I know saw this Movie, which made them think a lot.

Some could relate to Vincente’s identity crises, while others were more concerned about the surgeries.

Nonetheless, it raises some relevant questions for people figuring out their gender identity.

Non-LGBTQ+ people may also enjoy this Movie due to its unique plot. But they should also consider how the Movie approaches abuse and trauma themes.

Everyone is a possible victim of abuse or a subject to trauma.

But what matters is how we deal with those experiences and recover from them.

Vincente was quite strong, psychologically speaking, so he overcame it.

But the Movie still makes us think: Was vengeance the right thing to do?

Did Vincente have to kill Ledgard? Couldn’t he escape by telling his colleague what he did?

The audience is relieved by his escape, but these things make it difficult to watch.

But this film’s approach to identity crisis caught my eye.

For some time, we see Vincente and Vera as different people.

They appear to be separate individuals when they are introduced.

It’s only near the end that they seem to merge into a single cohesive character.

Ledgard tried to break Vincente’s will and turn him into a woman.

He wanted to make him feel what his daughter felt. But Vincente wasn’t even guilty.

Since he was desperate, he fled the scene but didn’t Rape the surgeon’s daughter. He never intended to do her any harm.

But that is not how Ledgard thinks the events played out, so he makes Vincente pay.

However, since he gave Vincente his wife’s face, he falls for him, and the tables turn.

To escape, Vincente embraces his Vera identity to seduce the surgeon and escape captivity.

It was never something Vincente would do willingly. He was forced into it. But in doing so, he risks losing track of who he is.

He struggles to embrace “Vera” as his identity. But after he does, he must remember that he’s still Vincente.

In the end, he’s still tormented by these changes. He knows he’s Vincent, but his body is still Vera’s.

Is he going to revert these changes? Is that even possible? Or is he staying like that to be with Cristina, his lesbian crush?

The Movie leaves us without a definitive answer.

As such, we start to think about what we would do in that situation.

What was once Vincente’s problem is now something personal.

And there’s no such thing as a “right” answer to that.

Trans people may find Vincente’s struggles to be somewhat relatable.

His body no longer reflects how he feels on the inside. He may not even be able to revert the changes.

The ending is ambiguous but makes one thing clear.

He’s not letting those circumstances erase who he is on the inside.

Ledgard’s pressure on Vincent was to make him accept an identity that wasn’t his own.

And this is similar to society’s pressure on trans people.

They want us to embrace an identity based on the gender assigned to us at birth.

But it doesn’t mean that we should let them do it. Vincente overcame this challenge, and if he did, so can we.

3- Who should watch it?

This Movie is not easy to watch, but the experience can be rewarding.

It approaches some philosophical questions that trans people try to answer.

But it grimly does that, reflecting the cruelty of the real world.

However, the Movie ends on a positive note, despite its ambiguity.

It gives us hope to overcome trauma and abuse, two things trans people often experience.

As such, I recommend it to our sisters who may be suffering from it so that they can cope.

It’s more of a mental exercise, if you will. As such, it requires some preparation.

It is a tense film, not suited for every person. Make sure you check the classification before watching.

To summarize, be prepared for it as for any psychological thriller or suspense movie.

It may also be a good film for those figuring out their identity.

As I said, it delves deep into this subject, encouraging us to think about it.

After watching it, I figured that who I was on the inside didn’t match my appearance.

And that’s how Vincente felt about his new exterior. But the Movie goes beyond that.

Cristina, Vincente’s lesbian crush, makes us question sexual orientation in queer identities.

Is it worth changing who you are to be with someone you like?

Will Cristina see Vincente as a woman just because he looks like one?

Is a feminine exterior enough for her to like him since his identity is still masculine?

These questions are left unanswered, but they are enough to make us think.

As such, this Movie suits people questioning their gender identities and sexual orientations.

Summary

This Movie is acclaimed by critics, as is Almodovar, the director.

The plot is unique, making it an excellent experience for our sisters.

Besides that, the storytelling makes it engaging and exciting for the general public.

It approaches some complex themes, such as abuse and trauma, realistically.

It doesn’t try to romanticize what’s going on on-screen. Nor does it try to soften things up, as it doesn’t need to.

Everything is quite relatable. We feel empathy for the characters.

Not only for Vincente but for Ledgard as well. After all, he lost his family.

But the Movie doesn’t try to justify his actions.

What he does with Vincente is unfair, and we feel his despair.

This is my recommendation today, and I would love to hear your impressions.

How would you answer the questions it leaves for the viewers? Tell us in the comments!