A lot of reviews here assert that the sex scenes in this film are gratuitous and unnecessary, and I think those individuals may have missed the point of the film.
Arriaga intended this story to be a conviction of sorts of the younger generation, who he sees as eschewing emotional and intellectual intimacy and using sex to fill the void. Sex is the primary language these characters speak, and it is also the evidence for which they are charged.
Manuel does not have a very high regard for women. In the film, we see him use women for lust, for comfort, for anger, and for a bastardized form of love which I'll get to.
After Gregorio is driven to suicide, he leaves a box for Manuel, who has been engaged in a years-long affair with Gregorio's girlfriend, Tania. In flashbacks, he shows little guilt, but when he receives the box, his guilt manifests as Gregorio's madness; he sees earwigs crawling on him, but they always disappear.
The box contains notes and photos depicting things Gregorio could not possibly know: omens of Manuel's tryst with Gregorio's sister, Margarita, and things Manuel and Tania said to each other behind closed doors. More notes are delivered by Gregorio's friend Jacinto, who becomes the proxy by which Gregorio haunts Manuel from beyond the grave and protects Tania from being pulled down into Manuel's madness.
As Manuel becomes further and further unhinged, we see that his love for Tania is hardly love at all, but is contingent upon her love for him. He loves her only because she loves him, and whenever he doubts her love, he becomes angry, violent, or distant with her.
Their relationship culminates in a bizarre sex scene, the symbolism of which I'm still unsure about. After that, Manuel's life falls apart completely. Everyone leaves him, including Tania, but her parting words of love leave Manuel something to cling to in his coming solitude.
If you like erotic dramas, this film does not disappoint. Apart from the scene described earlier, it isn't very difficult to understand, which is why some of the other reviews here confuse me a bit. It isn't an instant favorite of mine, but it is quite good, and I'd recommend a watch for any lovers of the genre.
Arriaga intended this story to be a conviction of sorts of the younger generation, who he sees as eschewing emotional and intellectual intimacy and using sex to fill the void. Sex is the primary language these characters speak, and it is also the evidence for which they are charged.
Manuel does not have a very high regard for women. In the film, we see him use women for lust, for comfort, for anger, and for a bastardized form of love which I'll get to.
After Gregorio is driven to suicide, he leaves a box for Manuel, who has been engaged in a years-long affair with Gregorio's girlfriend, Tania. In flashbacks, he shows little guilt, but when he receives the box, his guilt manifests as Gregorio's madness; he sees earwigs crawling on him, but they always disappear.
The box contains notes and photos depicting things Gregorio could not possibly know: omens of Manuel's tryst with Gregorio's sister, Margarita, and things Manuel and Tania said to each other behind closed doors. More notes are delivered by Gregorio's friend Jacinto, who becomes the proxy by which Gregorio haunts Manuel from beyond the grave and protects Tania from being pulled down into Manuel's madness.
As Manuel becomes further and further unhinged, we see that his love for Tania is hardly love at all, but is contingent upon her love for him. He loves her only because she loves him, and whenever he doubts her love, he becomes angry, violent, or distant with her.
Their relationship culminates in a bizarre sex scene, the symbolism of which I'm still unsure about. After that, Manuel's life falls apart completely. Everyone leaves him, including Tania, but her parting words of love leave Manuel something to cling to in his coming solitude.
If you like erotic dramas, this film does not disappoint. Apart from the scene described earlier, it isn't very difficult to understand, which is why some of the other reviews here confuse me a bit. It isn't an instant favorite of mine, but it is quite good, and I'd recommend a watch for any lovers of the genre.