The Skin of the Wolf

THE SKIN OF THE WOLF is set in a remote mountainous region of Spain, where the nearest village is an overnight trek through treacherous woods. A wolf trapper (Mario Casas) lives alone in what looks to be an abandoned settlement. Empty stone buildings dot the hill. Graves cover a plateau. Where did everyone go? Why is he alone? We don't know. He lives without indoor plumbing or electricity, cooking meat he shot himself over an open fire in his cabin. The events depicted could take place now or a hundred years ago. He loads up wolf skins to sell in the village several days away on foot. There he spies a woman, the widowed daughter of a local, and later visits her, whereupon they have immediate, wordless sex with their clothes on. His next trip to the village he gives skins to the woman's father in exchange for the daughter. They share his hard life briefly, interspersed with more wordless and sentiment-free sex. She becomes sicker, and both she and her baby die in childbirth. He realizes he's been cheated by the father, who sold her off knowing she was sick and pregnant, and takes the man's youngest daughter. Although he seems to have some feelings of tenderness, he doesn't show them to the woman. She becomes pregnant and, aching to escape, starts to slowly poison him. Seeing his weakness, she leaves but is caught in a wolf trap. He nurses her back to health and gives her permission to leave. The film ends as he realizes that she poisoned his tea and that he is dying.