Sunday, August 15, 2021

Korou no Chi LEVEL2/ Last of the Wolves - Tori Matsuzaka and Ryohei Suzuki

Q: How is it like to lead this film?

Tori: On 1st day, I felt I wasn't leading the film as leading actor. It was not right for me to think of myself as leader of this team rather we all have to work together make sth better than 1st one.

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Tori: Me, Ryohei-san, and Nijiro-kun stayed in Hiroshima most of the time, while the others had to go back home immediately after shooting due to their work. So, I told them: "Please throw everything you've accumulated into this! I'll take it all in!" I was hoping that everyone would leave after exhausting themselves. I thought that kind of energy would lead to the power of this work. When I saw the completed film, I was very happy to see how the senior actors were enjoying themselves. Knowing the power of the previous work, I think they were like, 'We can go this far!" 
Q: What is your "justice" as actors?
Suzuki Ryohei: I think there are times when the work you are involved in or the performance you give can hurt people. So, I think the moment when I can deliver a positive impact, such as healing someone's feelings, connecting them to the power of life, or making them feel happy, is the moment when the justice in my work came to life. 
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Tori: My kind of justice is to bridge the gap between the work and the audience so that the message of the work and what is underlying it, can be delivered to the audience. So, I also do things like interviews and promotions. It's my way of bridging the gap.
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About the shooting accident during the fight scene

Ryohei: As I was doing it, I wanted to hit him one more time. Actually, I shouldn't have because it's dangerous. But I thought Tori would be able to handle it.
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Tori: Action is like a conversation. It might be easier for both of us to respond to each other and take it as a change in the subtle nuances of the dialogue.

Ryohei: I don't do this with actors who are working together for the first time. We have a relationship of trust. 
To put in context, this article on 7/30 reported about that. About punching more than choreography. (lol) Said they were impressed that Tori responded well and after the cut, he just let it go with a joke. (P.S: that is more of industry article.)
Tori: I think this film can certainly be called "LEVEL2". It's a film full of enthusiasm that we created together without being too bound by the previous film. 
Ryohei: I think this will be my masterpiece without a doubt. Like Terminator/ The Dark Knight, I think antagonists are important in the second film. How do you attack the protagonist and hunt him down? I am honored to be that antagonist of the second film. 
Q: Any wish?

Tori: I wish Yakusho-san see this.
Ryohei: He's already watched.
Tori: eh?
Ryohei: I met him when I went to see a stage play. He told me "He watched and it's great." 

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Korou no Chi LEVEL2: CinemaToday Report - Tori Matsuzaka

1. Portrayal

Trapped by both Yakuza and the police, Hioka's energy is tremendous as he tries to pursue justice while turning a blind eye. His desire to avenge the murder of Gami is conveyed throughout the film without the need for explanation in dialogue. 

2. Relationship with crew
This film is a completely original story by screenwriter Junya Ikegami. As it's a completely new story of Hioka, Matsuzaka must have felt not only the pressure of "sequel" but also the pressure of playing the lead role and taking over from Koji Yakusho. Nevertheless, Matsuzaka remained considerate to the staff and co-stars throughout the film. While showing a gentle appearance, he continued to play the role of Hioka with earnestness and sincerity. 
3. Schedule arrangements

Matsuzaka joined the crew late on the 6th day of shooting, Dir. Shiraishi later said that this created the best chemistry between Matsuzaka and Uebayashi (Ryohei Suzuki). During these 6 days, the main scenes were Uebayashi clan and they had completely taken over the set. As the film was shot in Hiroshima, Uebayashi clan became more and more unified. Suzuki, together with the young actors of the clan, welcomed Matsuzaka with all their might. 
Uebayashi (Suzuki), welcomes Hioka with a "I've been waiting for you" attitude, and Hioka (Matsuzaka), who arrives on the scene full of energy, also challenges them with a fearless smile. This created the unusual tension that pervaded the screen. 
4. Action Stunts

In the previous film, we didn't get to see much of Hioka's illustrious career as the karate club member at Hiroshima University, but in this film, we witness his physical strength. One week after Matsuzaka arrived on set, the scene where he falls through the glass from a 10-meter high building onto the roof of a police car was shot. The scene was filmed in several parts. It began with him breaking through the glass and jumping out from a room on the third floor of the building with a wire attached to his body. The film crew then moved to the outside of the building and shot Matsuzaka falling on the roof of the police car onto the lights. 
For that scene, people from the action team pulled up Matsuzaka's body wrapped with a harness, and with the command "1, 2, 3!" they loosened the rope and slammed him against the roof. In fact, there were no cushions on top of the police car, so his body was repeatedly slammed against the roof. Dull thuds echoed conveying the impact. Matsuzaka repeated many times without making a single whimper. 
5. Final Duel

The duel between Hioka and Uebayashi was filmed on the 28th day of shooting, just before the crank-up. The scene was shot on consecutive nights at a site in a port area in Hiromachi, Kure City. Despite the tension of the important scene, Team Shiraishi always maintains a friendly and good atmosphere, which is the charm of the film. Director Shiraishi, his eyes shining, smiled and said, "Well, it's finally here!" 
On the other hand, Matsuzaka Tori and Suzuki Ryohei repeatedly checked their action moves as they waited for the call to shoot. Once they start acting with emotions, they don't have time to think about the movements one by one. Therefore, they have to keep practicing until their bodies move by themselves. The intensity of this duel is hotter than a blazing fire that I wanted to watch repeatedly. Matsuzaka, who went through the filming during Covid with the crew, welcomed the crank-up with a happy smile. 
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Korou no Chi LEVEL2: CinemaToday Report - Ryohei Suzuki

1. Role Creation

Dir. said he created the role carefully during lockdown and slowly created Uebayashi's visuals. His hairstyle wirh no sideburns is Suzuki's idea.

2. Uebayashi's childhood house

The key to Uebayashi's past in the film is the house created by art director Tsutomu Imamura, who won the 42nd Japan Academy Prize for Best Art Direction with "The Blood of Wolves (2018)". Imamura said about the set as if he had known Uebayashi since he was a child, "His father was a terrible violent man and he was always drinking. He lived in a ramshackle tenement where the wind and rain and everything else could come in." Even the props in the room were carefully selected to create the world in which the character spent his days.
Suzuki: I've heard from staff the day before shooting that Imamura has done an amazing job with the art in the house. This is the place where the monster was born, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can feel there. 

On the day of shooting it was not only Dir. Shiraishi who was very impressed. Uebayashi, which Suzuki had prepared over a long period of time, gained even more depth when he stood in the space created by Imamura. 
3. Suzuki's leadership

In the old days, actors playing yakuza roles at Toei Studios would walk around the studio in gangs just like the roles they played. Suzuki and the members of Uebayashi clan formed a bond during filming that recalls such a legend. Suzuki was always in close conversation with the actors playing the members of the clan, not only during his performance, but also on the days when scenes of the clan were to be filmed. 
Particularly in the first half of the film, the actors in Uebayashi clan had to face the veteran actors such as Takashi Ukaji, Susumu Terashima, and Kotaro Yoshida, all of whom have their own unique auras. That's why Suzuki Ryohei kept inspiring the young actors, and the actors who listened to Suzuki's advice with gritty eyes were filled with the determined spirit as the performance approached. This bond made the lonely existence of Hioka stand out even more. 
4. Each of Uebayashi's lines, made up in a variety of expressions, is so cool that you want to imitate it. This is because Suzuki has sublimated him into a role to give the audience a complex feeling of being convinced of his righteousness even though he is a crazy dark villain. Why are we so attracted to him when he is so violent and terrifying? I am sure that many people who have seen this film will say, "Ryohei Suzuki was awful." He is truly the best villain in the history of Japanese cinema. It is due to the passion of Suzuki, who continued to face the role with sincerity and put everything into the film. 
I hope you will enjoy Suzuki's best and scariest performance ever, as he unleashed all the energy he had accumulated after the period of self-restraint. 
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Korou no Chi LEVEL2: CinemaToday Report - Nijiro Murakami

He said Dir. Shiraishi at a film festival "I want to be in your film!" Dir. Shiraishi remembered and chose him for difficult role and praised "I fell in love with his innocence and natural talent like a wild child."

2. Kure-dialect
This is his second attempt after KonoSeka but the 90s spoken style is completely different. Issei Okihara, Kure-ben coach, said, "I'm always amazed at how quickly Murakami masters his lines. His ears are very good." 
3. Murakami was the youngest, his natural friendliness endeared him to the staff and senior actors. He seemed to be relaxed and chatted with the staff right up to the performance. But, the moment he entered the scene, his eyes lit up and he was not Nijiro Murakami, but Chinta. Dir. Shiraishi said, "Nijiro-kun is a really strange actor, and he jokes around with the staff right up until very last minute, so I was really worried about him at first (lol). I was shocked to see how he switched on. His instantaneous power and concentration were so amazing." 
4. Murakami's overwhelming presence is particularly evident In the scene of Uebayashi and him in heavy rain. Minoru Kawai, lighting designer, said, "The rain in Team Shiraishi is many times more intense than the rain in other films, so all the first-time actors are surprised. It was mid-October, cold enough to need a stove that night, but the rain continued to fall relentlessly for over three hours of shooting. Murakami was drenched for so long. He couldn't even change out of soaking wet costume and was shaking when the camera cut. Since the scene was very important for the film, Dir. Shiraishi didn't give an OK. The staff even teared up watching him shoot."
The way of life of Chinta, who is tossed about by a harsh fate, at the risk of his life, is sure to touch the hearts of the viewers
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Saturday, July 31, 2021

Korou no Chi LEVEL2 - Director Shiraishi Kazuya

Q: I watched the film thinking, "I don't want to see a scene where a woman is raped,". Although it happens in the story, it is not depicted as a scene. Were you aware of that?

A: Yes, I was aware of it. In this day, there is a strong tendency for many film festivals around the world not to accept films that directly depict rape. I also feel that it is difficult to depict the oppression of minorities and the weak in an explicit way, not just women. 
A: Even if it exists as a fact in the film, it needs to be portrayed with care. If you don't do it, you need to be absolutely convincing that it's inevitable. 
Q: What is the ratio of women in Team Shiraishi? Are you thinking of increasing the number of female staff in the form of quotas?

A: The film that was recently cranked up happened to have a lot of women. The camera assistants were all female. There were also many in the art department. But on the other hand, there are sections such as the recording that have almost no female staff, and we need more women among the cameramen. As for the main staff, I ask to hire directly, but as for the assistants the staff choose for themselves, I have to leave that to them. I'd like to do that gradually. We need to show that we are an industry that accepts women. I recently saw a statistic that only 3% of major Japanese films are directed by women, but Disney films have quickly become almost entirely directed by women. I believe that there is talent in Japan. 
About the "Anti-Harassment Training" that they did for the first time in Japan Film Industry

Q: Dir Shiraishi said, "I used to be on the side of old common sense. What made you change your mind? 
A: When I was an assistant director, times were different from now, and the workplace was a very hierarchical society. However, I could do well, so I used to think that only those who survived in such a world could win the right to make films. It wasn't until I became a director that I started to see things differently. There were a few times when I made difficult requests and the shooting didn't go well, so we had to reshoot many times, and everyone got frustrated, which resulted in the assistant directors getting angry. But that's because I'm the one who's asking for the impossible. Long hours of filming are also a major cause, and a deteriorating work environment can also be the reason for harassment. With my current level of experience, I would have been able to judge that which scene is not important enough to force the staff, but at the time of my debut, I didn't have much time to spare, and I was in a hurry to achieve results. 
Q: How was the training? Any reactions like, "Why are you doing this?"

A: There were some. But what's more important is what the "introduction of the training" means- a declaration that "we will never tolerate harassment in Team Shiraishi this time". First of all, it is important to create an awareness and atmosphere that any kind of harassment is not allowed. As human beings, we sometimes get irritated, I would have yelled, "Bullshit!" but with training I will be careful even I don't mean it. As a result, there were more smiles and it became a more pleasant shooting. I think that film industry organizations should promote this. That's why we're losing so many talented people. 
Q: I feel that many directors in their 40s, who are both popular and talented, are worried about the current film industry. Is it difficult to change something in solidarity? 
A: It's entirely not that, but I think that the Directors Guild of Japan or the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPA) should take the lead in such matters. However, the Directors Guild tends to prioritize protecting their own rights in the end, MPPA is a group of major film studios, so I feel that they tend to put their own interests first. There are so many things that the film industry needs to do now, such as improving the working environment, educating freelancers and young staff, supporting young filmmakers, gender disparity, or supporting mini-theaters, but there's no organization that takes consideration for all and thinks about the future. I want our industry to be a place where people can survive. 
Q: That sounds like so-called "rewarding exploitation" to me.

A: The previous generation's mindset "shooting all night to make a good movie" equals success is the same as LDP (their ruling party 😅) that says "it's okay to pass a bill if LGBTQ people can bear children", they can't accept the values of the new era. It will be difficult to persuade them, so we have no choice but to leave them alone and keep moving forward. 
Shiraishi: I announced Anti-Harassment training first thing purposely. To make ppl who want to work here aware that "some teams are doing it properly", and also a message to those who are still yelling and violent that "If nothing is done, it won't be possible to make a film." 

Regarding the film's dark look

I tried to leave shadows in the dark areas. In recent movies, there is a tendency to put a lot of light on the scenes. Because of lack of time or budget, we're anxious.
So, we put light on everyone's face so that we don't have to reshoot. But as a result, the technique of deliberately leaving shadows has lost. This time, I dared to try doing that. I wanted to do it without fearing that the screen would be dark. During the period when I couldn't go outside due to Corona, I watched various films and thought that everyone in the world is taking on a lot of challenges, so I wanted to create something a little more aggressive. 
What I felt again was how good it felt to be invisible. It feels good to not explain. It's good for movies to be vague. I don't think it's a good film if you can understand everything. I think it is important to leave some things unanswered. 

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