Hurt by Others, Saved by Others

The protagonist is Shiraiwa, a man in his 40s who has divorced his wife, separated from his child, quit his job at a construction company, and returned alone to his hometown of Hakodate. As if to sever his unplaceable feelings and painful past, he lives a life of aimless, yet melancholic, solitude. With no particular goals, he begins studying residential construction at a vocational school to make a living. There, he encounters various students: a former yakuza, a young man who struggles with social interaction, and an elderly man enjoying his retirement. Some students cannot hide their curiosity about others, but Shiraiwa tries to avoid deep connections. It is then that he meets Satoru, a hostess who imitates bird courtship rituals. Though the two find a certain resonance, Shiraiwa maintains a non-committal attitude, refusing to close the distance with Satoru, who expresses her feelings directly.



Shiraiwa is a quintessential example of a flawed man in his 40s. Having experienced a major setback, he no longer seeks hope in life. Human connection, love, and enjoyable interactions with friends enrich life, but they can also be the source of pain. This fear of getting close causes him to imprison himself within a cage. Then, a woman who wears her emotions on her sleeve appears. For him, she is like an external force, akin to the arrival of the Black Ships. Satoru intrudes into Shiraiwa's personal emotional space, disrupting his carefully constructed defenses. Even if their connection is romantic, their clashes are far from sweet. When one person tries to break down the emotional barriers of another who has shut themselves off, the collision of feelings can be intense. Without someone persistently knocking on the door, he would likely remain trapped within the fence he built for himself forever.

Shiraiwa, forced to change by his encounter with her, who doesn't read the room, cannot simply end things alone now that a relationship has formed and she seeks his company. This is likely what living entails. However, Shiraiwa, who finds this very aspect of life troublesome, sometimes hurts Satoru with his insensitive words and actions. Yet, it is Satoru's resilience, her willingness to face pain without flinching, that helps him find a way out.



Interspersed occasionally are shots of birds soaring gracefully across the sky. These birds, flying freely without regard for borders or fences, symbolize freedom. Satoru, who imitates bird courtship rituals and strives to live unbound by anything, is perhaps similar.

Watching their relationship unfold, one can believe that this is how people are saved by each other. While relationships inevitably bring scars, human connection is so wonderful that it is worth paying that price.

Even in today's online society, where human connections can seem tenuous, people cannot help but reach out to strangers on social media. Shiraiwa's actions also betray a lingering desire for warm human relationships. His breakdown when recalling the past suggests a deep regret for something irreplaceable that he has lost. No matter how much one tries to rationalize it, perhaps humans cannot completely sever the desire to feel someone's warmth. If that's the case, isn't it noble and cool to accept the inescapable human drive to seek others and live with the resolve to bear the wounds? After all, when people emerge from a long, dark tunnel or take flight from their current place, they need someone.

This refreshing film, which captures the moment a man's heart dramatically shifts from believing he can live alone, portrays a fundamental aspect of human nature.



****☆
A sensitive portrayal of human nature, which cannot live alone. ◎

Over the Fence
Directed by YAMASHITA Nobuhiro
Starring: ODAGIRI Joe, AOI Yu, MATSUDA Shota, KITAMURA Yuya, MISHIMA Shin'nosuke, MATSUZAWA Takumi, SUZUKI Tsunekichi, YUKA
Now playing at Theatre Shinjuku and other theaters nationwide
©2016 "Over the Fence" Production Committee

Jun Makiguchi
After working for Kyodo News, a film festival secretariat, and a magazine editorial department, she became an independent writer. She currently writes film columns and interviews for women's and men's magazines, focusing on lifestyle topics such as fashion, food, and music in cinema.

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