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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. I Give My Love remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Should you watch I Give My Love? If you want a breezy weekend flick, absolutely not. Walk away. This one is for the people who like their Sunday afternoons a little bit bleak and deeply uncomfortable.
The story follows a woman who shields her son from the truth about his father's death. It is the kind of setup that feels like it’s going to explode at any second, but instead, it just kind of sits there, simmering. It feels very much like watching a fuse burn down in real time.
The performance at the center of this is intense. You can see the exhaustion in her eyes, like she’s carrying the entire world on her shoulders just to keep the boy from finding out who his dad really was. There’s a specific scene in the kitchen where she just stares at a plate, and it goes on for an uncomfortable amount of time. I kept waiting for her to move, but she didn’t. It felt raw.
It’s funny, because compared to a movie like The Sheik, which is all about spectacle and movement, this film is practically a tomb. It doesn't move. It just stares at you.
There is a lot of silence here. Not the good kind, either. It’s the kind of silence that feels like a threat. It reminds me a bit of how Roses of Grief handles the passage of time—everything feels slow, and every decision feels like a permanent mistake.
Is it perfect? No. It gets a little repetitive, and there are moments where I wanted the characters to just say something already. But maybe that’s the point. It’s about the things we don't say.
It didn't leave me feeling great. I don't think it's supposed to. I Give My Love is a heavy reminder that love can sometimes be just as destructive as hate. Probably not a movie I’ll watch again, but I’m glad I saw it once. 🌑