FANTASIA 2020: Woman of the Photographs
TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of self-harm
FANTASIA
Takeshi Kushida's Women of the Photograph is undoubtedly a film with significant and compelling thematic weight. A seismic and often disturbing – albeit profoundly conscious – discussion on image, beauty and self-harm, Kushida's film is a quaint but a deeply effective weighted drama.
For much of Kushida's feature's running time, silence is the key to expression. Consciously exhibited at all times throughout, the lack of verbality in Women of the Photograph speaks a thousand words. Specifically regarding Hideki Nagai's Kai, of whom for the most part states merely a monologue of dialogue throughout. Never conveyed in cold or disinteresting manner, Nagai's Kai is an introverted character who adores the object of beauty. Due to the lack of dialogue, Nagai's performance is elevated in its visual nuance, such as his delicate or heavy-handed touch. Small, subtle moments that, once again, perfectly depict character traits without overly conscious exposition.
Moreover, the picture's use of silence is an effective allegory for mental illness and the silent suffering on platforms like social media. Said theme is wonderfully and profoundly depicted in restraint and powerful manner. Granted, while profound, the film's depiction of self-harm is unquestionably challenging to bear witness and stomach. Purposefully so, due to the context of its depiction and theme of the feature, but alas, it is undoubtedly troubling at times to sit through.
Again, a conscious decision by director Takeshi Kushida to position the audience in the utmost uncomfortable of circumstances, to feel just an inch of the pain that flows through Itsuki Ōtaki's character Kyoko. Ōtaki's performance is undoubtedly the highlight of the film. Purely from the sheer depiction of this unseen and internal suffering, Ōtaki's role a standout. Yet, it is the internal combustion of depression and destruction that Ōtaki seems to bring to the role so seamlessly it blurs the line between fact or fiction.
Even after its tranquil and immersive cinematography and production design by Yu Oishi and Shunsuke Okutani, respectively, it is Ōtaki's performance that remains the most evocative and profound element within Women of the Photograph. A feature that is wonderfully and delicately told with nuance and a hard, heavy-hitting theme expertly showcased in all its profound touches.
