Unashamed: A Romance

"The Unashamed" is unique among nudist exploitation films. Films set in nudist environments were popular from the early 1930s to the mid 1960s. A characteristic of virtually all nudist exploitation films is that they "preach" the benefits of non-lewd social nudity. Physical, emotional, social and spiritual health are all touted as a nearly guaranteed result of sunbathing with others in the nude. In "The Unashamed" one character actually experiences deep human sorrow. Issues of adultery, racism and suicide all make this a prime example of an exploitation film, but they also make the film stand out as the only nudist "volleyball epic" to address human experience in anything like realistic terms. Amazingly, nudism still comes across as pure and life-affirming. The social nudity clearly is not the cause of the problems the heroine faces. After watching dozens (or hundreds) of later nudist movies in which everyone is healthy and happy, "The Unashamed" provides a pleasant, although limited, dose of reality.