Open peer review Vol. 23 N.1

Surgical Horror & Melodrama in The Skin I Live in: Beyond the Male/Female Divide

Vicente Rodríguez Ortega

Section:  Videoessay

 

Editorial Report

Both reviewers consider that the video essay presents very interesting ideas and a rich analysis of the film The Skin I live In. However, there are some notes about the video and the text that the reviewers want to notice.

Format aspects of the video:

- Minute 00:16- please review the que quotation marks in the Carrington quote for accuracy.
- Minute 1:19- the subtitle @the sublimation@ appears only for a few seconds.
- Minute 03:39, the “t” in “turns” is not bolded like the rest of the quotation. The first part of this quote also appears slightly rushed on screen.
- Minute 07:20, “Burgeois again” appears, but the reference is unclear—possibly to the altar built by the main character. If so, consider trimming the first few seconds of that scene to focus more directly on the relevant imagery.
- Minute 08:17 - The Barker quote would benefit from remaining on screen a few seconds longer for better readability.
- Minute 9:17 - there is a stutter in the subtitle “to be whom” that doesn’t seem intentional. If that was the effect, the reviewer recommends it be pushed further or softened.

- The visual linking of words through yellow works effectively. However, in the phrase “aimed to achieve heteropatriarchal perfection,” the dissolve technique is not used as in earlier segments. If intentional, it might be worth clarifying this stylistic choice, as the break feels inconsistent with the rest of the sentences appearing on screen.
- The subtitles are slightly offset to the left
- The video essay exceeds the 10-minute limit by 1 minute and 20 seconds. The reviewer recommends condensing certain sequences—perhaps by making the section with Bourgeois and other artworks more dynamic or visually varied—without losing analytical depth.
- While the video maintains an engaging rhythm (also in terms of the use of music), text, and imagery effectively—particularly in the creative linking of concepts through color—it could push its visual analysis further. Greater use of the creative dimension that video essay offers (through image juxtapositions, zoom-ins, color manipulation, dissolves, or variations in speed…) could convey ideas more through visuals and less through explanatory text.

For example:
     - The “identification” of Vera with Bourgeois’ art.

     - The phrase “his old self” at 08:40 is already implied by the imagery and may not need to be spelled out.

      - An effect like zoom-in on Dionysus and Ariadne (09:09) could emphasize meaning through visuals rather than text.

Text comments:

In the summary, the author should consider briefly defining their key term "transgenesis" (as it isn't a commonly understood term for all audiences) and clarifying its metaphorical use in the film, raising concerns about eugenics and the moral limits of bioengineering. While transgenesis might apply to the artificial skin developed by Dr. Ledgard, the transformation of Vicente into Vera does not literally involve genetic modification.

The text mentions patriarchal control over the female body. In the video, the author also addresses the psychological and embodied experience of Vera, through moments such as “does s/he?”, “Yet s/he shall not conform,” and the idea that “a new subject emerges,”—but these insights are not referenced in the written summary. It would strengthen the work to reflect this dimension in the text, clarifying how Vera’s identity is reconfigured and how this links to the references to Louise Bourgeois. Providing context for who Bourgeois is and why her work matters to Vera, as well as how the classical myths (Dionysus and Ariadne, which not all viewers will be familiar with) inform the reading of the film, would help the audience grasp the significance of these artistic and classical references.

This would also avoid potential ambiguity around whether Vera truly “subverts the male fantasy” or remains, in some sense, a “first self” or “true self” reshaped (physically by the doctor; psychologically through reflecting the trauma—and the forms of coping with the trauma—of being forced to live in a body imposed by another’s will, even though the film does not portray a transgender narrative). Clarifying the conclusion—particularly what is meant by “true self” and/or “another mask”—would strengthen the closing argument.

The movies Vertigo and Eyes Without a Face are mentioned in the abstract but not in the video nor the statement. Either they are added to the argument or eliminated from the abstract if not essential to the argument.

Format elements:

Please, add the abstract, title and key terms in Spanish.
Review the citation and bibliography in the video to follow APA (see comments in document)
There are some movies that are mentioned but they don’t appear in the bibliography (Vertigo, Saw). Please, add movies to the bilbiography.

 

Reviewer A: 

If you consider that the video and/or the written statement need corrections, would minor amendment to video or to the written statement make the submission worthy of publication? Please indicate what corrections would be appropriate in your opinion.

Hay dos puntos que podrían mejorarse para que el videoensayo sea más contundente. Alrededor del minuto 1:19, el subtítulo "the sublimation..." aparece en pantalla solo unos segundos. A menos que esto haya sido intencional, no es tiempo suficiente para comprenderlo. Alrededor del minuto 9:17, el subtítulo se tartamudea con "to be whom?" dos veces. Dado que la alineación del subtítulo cambia la segunda vez, esta secuencia de subtítulos no parece intencional, sino que distrae. La secuencia de "to be whom?" y "and where?" debería suavizarse o hacerse más intencionalmente distractora si el "stutter" efecto fue la intención del ensayista.

Please, comment on the most relevant aspects (positive points and areas to improve) of the video essay. (300 words maximum)

"Surgical Horror & Melodrama in The Skin I Live In: Beyond the Male/Female Divide" is a thoughtful video essay that excises the transgenetic narrative of Pedro Almodovar's controversial horror melodrama, The Skin I Live In. The text of this video essay serves as the narrator as key scenes from the film are cut apart, paused, and slowed down to investigate the obfuscated identity of Vicente/Vera. The essayist, in particular, focuses on Vicente/Vera's trans-consciousness as gleaned through the work of Louise Bourgeois and the backdrop of bourgeois works of art that foreshadow the film's dual revenge narrative.

The depth of knowledge and attention to detail exhibited by the essayist is as sharp as the scalpel that transforms Vicente into the jigsawed object of fetish, Vera. However, as the essayist argues, the agency this character exhibits by the end of the film "subverts the male's fantasy that reshaped her/his first self to become their true self." The final question posed by the essayist is the philosophical core of the video essay, questioning the problematic ontology central to the entire film, which has often been the target of controversy.

The essayist provides an incisive and empathetic reading of The Skin I Live In that subverts these notions of the problematic to delve into the humanity of Dr. Ledgard's trans masterpiece, performing essayistic surgery by juxtaposing scholarly readings of the film and the essayist's own impassioned reinterpretations of narrative.

Would you suggest any changes or make any recommendations to improve the quality of the video essay? (300 words maximum)

While I understand the theoretical surgery that is the core of this video essay, I anticipated more experimentation in the form of the video essay to embody the goals of performing "a series of operations." The experimentations with text and juxtaposition are revelatory, but these textual interjections do not seem to interact as precisely with the images themselves. Instead, the video essay feels more explanatory of a complex theoretical reading rather than interacting as viscerally between text and image as the artist statement implied.

Reviewer B:

If you consider that the video and/or the written statement need corrections, would minor amendment to video or to the written statement make the submission worthy of publication? Please indicate what corrections would be appropriate in your opinion.

The text is missing the title and abstract in Spanish/other language. The citation and bibliography format should be reviewed—also in the video; I anonymously provided some examples with the Word track change in the attached reviewed document. And the author has to add to the bibliography the other movies they mention (Vertigo, Saw…).
In the summary, the author should consider briefly defining their key term "transgenesis" (as it isn't a commonly understood term for all audiences) and clarifying its metaphorical use in the film, raising concerns about eugenics and the moral limits of bioengineering. While transgenesis might apply to the artificial skin developed by Dr. Ledgard, the transformation of Vicente into Vera does not literally involve genetic modification.
The text mentions patriarchal control over the female body. In the video, the author also addresses the psychological and embodied experience of Vera, through moments such as “does s/he?”, “Yet s/he shall not conform,” and the idea that “a new subject emerges,”—but these insights are not referenced in the written summary. It would strengthen the work to reflect this dimension in the text, clarifying how Vera’s identity is reconfigured and how this links to the references to Louise Bourgeois. Providing context for who Bourgeois is and why her work matters to Vera, as well as how the classical myths (Dionysus and Ariadne, which not all viewers will be familiar with) inform the reading of the film, would help the audience grasp the significance of these artistic and classical references. This would also avoid potential ambiguity around whether Vera truly “subverts the male fantasy” or remains, in some sense, a “first self” or “true self” reshaped (physically by the doctor; psychologically through reflecting the trauma—and the forms of coping with the trauma—of being forced to live in a body imposed by another’s will, even though the film does not portray a transgender narrative). Clarifying the conclusion—particularly what is meant by “true self” and/or “another mask”—would strengthen the closing argument.
The author mentions some relevant examples of “torture porn,” which help frame the movie within a broader horror tradition. However, the author also references Eyes Without a Face and Hitchcock’s Vertigo in the abstract, but these films are not addressed or developed in the body of the text or the video essay. It might be worth either integrating a brief discussion of these references in the “sumario” or omitting them from the abstract if they are not essential to the argument.

Formal aspects of the video
- Please review the quotation marks in the Carrington quote (00:16) for accuracy.
- The visual linking of words through yellow works effectively. However, in the phrase “aimed to achieve heteropatriarchal perfection,” the dissolve technique is not used as in earlier segments. If intentional, it might be worth clarifying this stylistic choice, as the break feels inconsistent with the rest of the sentences appearing on screen.
- In the quote at 03:39, the “t” in “turns” is not bolded like the rest of the quotation. The first part of this quote also appears slightly rushed on screen.
-The subtitles are slightly offset to the left.
– The Barker quote at 08:17 would benefit from remaining on screen a few seconds longer for better readability.
– At 07:20, “Burgeois again” appears, but the reference is unclear—possibly to the altar built by the main character. If so, consider trimming the first few seconds of that scene to focus more directly on the relevant imagery.
– The video essay exceeds the 10-minute limit by 1 minute and 20 seconds. You might consider condensing certain sequences—perhaps by making the section with Bourgeois and other artworks more dynamic or visually varied—without losing analytical depth.
-While the video maintains an engaging rhythm (also in terms of the use of music), text, and imagery effectively—particularly in the creative linking of concepts through color—it could push its visual analysis further. Greater use of the creative dimension that video essay offers (through image juxtapositions, zoom-ins, color manipulation, dissolves, or variations in speed…) could convey ideas more through visuals and less through explanatory text. For example:
- The “identification” of Vera with Bourgeois’ art.
- The phrase “his old self” at 08:40 is already implied by the imagery and may not need to be spelled out.
- An effect like zoom-in on Dionysus and Ariadne (09:09) could emphasize meaning through visuals rather than text.

Please, comment on the most relevant aspects (positive points and areas to improve) of the video essay. (300 words maximum)

This is a solid and engaging video essay that combines scholarly insight with a strong visual rhythm and structure. The use of color to link concepts is a creative choice that gives cohesion to the piece. The framing of The Skin I Live In within broader cinematic traditions, such as “torture porn” or other examples of classical horror, alongside the exploration of its references to art and classical mythology, brings depth to the reading of the film. The interplay between text, sound, and image is dynamic, with some moments where the imagery speaks for itself, creating space for the viewer to reflect. While some artistic and mythological references could be developed further through more inventive and creative use of images and audio, the video offers a thoughtful and visually polished analysis that will interest audiences engaged with gender, horror cinema, and the dialogue between film and visual art, including how art can function as a site of healing and transformation within cinematic narratives.

Would you suggest any changes or make any recommendations to improve the quality of the video essay? (300 words maximum)

Offering brief context for key references could help viewers unfamiliar with them fully appreciate their relevance. The visual approach, already effective in its use of color-linking, might also experiment with additional audiovisual techniques to convey meaning in more implicit ways.