Naked of Defenses by Ichii Masahide

he slow yet lengthy and determined zoom-in shot that opens Ichii Masahide’s film makes one thing clear: it goes deep. Indeed, set against rural and very (very) quiet scenery, Naked of Defenses is one of those films with a title that works well as a diagnosis of its main character’s life. She is Ms. Kinoshita, a worker in a plastics factory who finds defective pieces for a living. Soon enough, with the very same meticulous scrutiny that dictates her work, we are shown the distant relationship she has (or rather doesn’t have) with her husband at home. The zoom is now on her, and will stay that way until the end credits.

The film never frees itself of this analytical approach, which is used to closely examine Ms. Kinoshita’s reactions when a lively pregnant woman joins the factory staff, forcing her to deal with her own suppressed feelings and personal history. The restraint the character shows is what holds the film together, driving the narrative and setting the pace. The lead’s physical performance (based on muted and painfully-contained body language) is the star, story and stage in this catharsis-fueled tale of a woman who needs to go back to basics and learn how to allow herself to be happy again. Even if this means eventually becoming a fountain of tears.

Agustin Mango