Confessions Among Actresses

Yoshishige Yoshida's Confessions Among Actresses (1971) is something of a challenge to follow the narrative. It is the story of three leading ladies who are each in a state of crisis. Kyoko Ichimori (Mariko Okada), Aki Kaido (Ruriko Asaoka), and Makiko Isaku (Ineko Arima) are all famous actresses playing in the same movie. Though they are never seen  together until the very end, we are to understand that the three are connected not just by a film, but by a shared trauma. For Kyoko, it’s a reoccurring dream in which she sees her husband cheating on her with a younger woman. Makiko is haunted by a failed double suicide with a lover, who may or may not have been her father. Aki, like Kyoko also has suspicions about her husband, but her anxiety is brought on by a memory of her friend’s assault. However, it is the visuals in the film that left the strongest impression on me-using a heavy dose of low angels, obscured compositions, and open spaces that enhance the visual experience.