"Left Handed" is a very realistic, honest, powerful depiction of "hikikomori". The word translates as "pulling inward" and refers to the estimated 700,000 Japanese people who are, and 1.5 million on the verge of becoming, hikikomori: self-imposed prisoners who lock themselves away from society for years or even decades.
I first heard of this phenomenon in the excellent short film "Shaking Tokyo", the 3rd and best segment of the compilation "Tokyo!" (2008). Whether or not this phenomenon is limited to Japan I don't know, but it touches on the prevailing disconnection from society and family that almost all of us experience at times in our lives. I found it to be almost therapeutic to see that I'm not the only one who has wondered if, with the luxuries of the internet and Fedex and pizza delivery, human beings can theoretically live their entire lives within the confines of their homes, or even 1 room.
This film is so realistic it borders on feeling like a documentary. The acting is like real life without melodramatic outbursts and rehearsed monologues; the characters express themselves like real people, that is, inwardly. The camera shots are strategically placed and totally motionless, no pans, no zooms. This passive style of cinematography, in addition to being black & white, lends a very cold, voyeuristic vibe as if you're snooping on security cameras. You might think it would get boring, but on the contrary the effect pulls you in and piques your curiosity as if you're invading someone's private life. Like the passive camera style, nothing is spelled out for you, no assumptions are made, no conclusions preached, and that is what makes this a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience.
The story begins with a high school aged boy who seems normal enough at first, but then something snaps and without explanation he locks himself in his room. After that, the bulk of the film follows his mother on the outside of the door desperately trying to figure out what went wrong and what to do. The boy's father and his little brother are peripheral characters giving us subtle insight into family & school life as we try to piece together for ourselves what may have happened.
Without tying everything up with a neat Hollywood ending, "Left Handed" gives us enough clues along the way, as well as a satisfying course of events, to really enlighten us about the problem of social withdrawal. Like I said, it was almost therapeutic to watch, and after it was over I definitely wanted to get out of the house and feel the sunlight and possibly say hello to a stranger or two. Oh well, instead I decided to get back on my computer and type a review on a website. And you're sitting there reading it. Angels & ministers of grace defend us!
