love itself is too much sacrificed to present the madness of falling in love, and when putting desire as the counterpart of love, the loss of authenticity unnecessarily reduces the sensation of being with love, regardless this tension is what almodovar's been wanting to visualize.
To me, the "Silence" refers to the vast, encompassing environs - a thick wall surrounding the three, making no room for them to communicate. All three represent the self -- Anna the hedonistic, Esther the Catholic (the guilted, the conscientious), Johan the observant.