On the surface, Self Defense takes the appearance of being an extremely simple film. In reality, it is a dense criticism and is darkly existential. The characters that are the aggressors are postured on the floor, in defense of their bad ...See moreOn the surface, Self Defense takes the appearance of being an extremely simple film. In reality, it is a dense criticism and is darkly existential. The characters that are the aggressors are postured on the floor, in defense of their bad choices. The defending characters end up getting killed, because they fight back. It speaks to the origins of mob mentality and choices driven by getting-the-bad-guy or "defending" the things to which we are attached. The locations hint at what plagues the characters. The house (a symbol of family and self), the cemetery (a symbol of the past, and often denial), the workshop (business and responsibility). Written by
John Kearns Jr.
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