Split Drama Review

『A Woman’s Gaze on Queer Romance and Self-Discovery』

🎥 Series Overview

🎬 Title: Split (2023)
🌍 Country: 🇫🇷 France
🎞️ Genre: Drama / Romance / Queer Narrative
🗓️ Production & Broadcast: Cinétévé · France.tv Studio, Season 1 (5 episodes)
⏳ Runtime: Around 20 minutes per episode
📢 Director: Iris Brey
🖋️ Screenplay: Iris Brey · Clémence Madeleine-Prédillat
📺 Platform: France.tv Slash (France) · Film Festival Selections

👩‍💼 Cast: Alma Jodorowsky – Anna, Jehnny Beth – Eve

🧩 In-Depth Story Exploration (Spoilers)

🌟 The Politics of the Body and the Redefinition of Desire

《Split》 unfolds on a film set, depicting the desire and confusion of identity that arise between an actress and her body double. Directed and written by Iris Brey, the series deeply contemplates the representation of women’s bodies and the female gaze.

Beyond a simple romance between two women, the series critically examines how women’s bodies are objectified through media and questions how women can redefine their own bodies and desires through self-awareness.

🎭 Division and Substitution (The Split)

The relationship between Anna and Eve begins within the state of “division” that stems from their professional roles — the lead actress and the body double.

• Anna – the Projected Body: Anna perfectly imitates Eve’s body to perform scenes requiring risk or nudity. This symbolizes that Anna’s identity is partly defined by the desires and gaze of others. By delegating parts of her body (exposure, danger) to Eve, she unconsciously experiences the fragmentation of her own self.
• Eve – Shadow and Original: Eve exists as Anna’s “shadow,” yet she is also the “original” that Anna admires. Anna sees in Eve a pure, intense energy untainted by the camera’s gaze and feels irresistibly drawn to her.

This early relationship is charged with tension, framed by both the hierarchical boundary of employment and the sexual boundary between heteronormativity and homosexuality.

🧭 The Transfer of Desire: Discovery of the Repressed Self

Anna’s fascination with Eve becomes a process of uncovering her repressed desires and her authentic self.

• Eve as an Escape: Anna maintains a stable heterosexual relationship with her boyfriend Nathan, which represents the socially expected “comfortable framework.” Her unfamiliar attraction toward Eve urges her to break free from that mold and discover her true self. Eve symbolizes freedom and a self-determined, non-objectified desire.
• Physical Dialogue: The physical contact formed through stunt and double work dissolves emotional boundaries. Their bodily intimacy becomes an unspoken language that leads Anna toward the recognition of her sexual orientation.
• Acquisition of Sexual Subjectivity: The act of intimacy between Anna and Eve is not merely romantic; it signifies Anna’s acceptance of her body and desire through a woman’s gaze rather than the male gaze. This represents a reclamation of agency and a liberating process of embracing long-suppressed desire.

🌹 The Dissolution of Boundaries and Unity

As the series approaches its conclusion, the relationship between Anna and Eve dismantles every binary boundary and converges into a single identity.

• Reversal of Roles: Anna is no longer Eve’s “double” but an individual whom Eve truly loves and desires. Eve patiently waits for Anna to fully embrace her own identity and becomes the decisive catalyst in her self-realization.
• Embodiment of the Female Gaze: Every scene in which they look at or touch each other is infused with director Iris Brey’s notion of the “female gaze.” Their relationship rejects objectification and consumption, portraying female desire and intimacy with respect and emotional depth.

📜 The Politics of the Body

Through Eve, Anna finally realizes who she is and what she wants, freeing herself from her oppressive past and stepping into a life of autonomy and liberation. Their relationship unfolds in both intellectual and sensuous ways, blurring all binaries — art and life, truth and fiction, self and double. By loving a woman who mirrors her own body and soul, Anna achieves the healing of a complete self. 《Split》, through the complex bond between these two characters, presents one of the most refined and daring depictions of female sexual subjectivity and bodily emancipation.

🎯 Personal Rating (Based on Preference)

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥♥♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★★★