ARTICLE
Director Keishi Otomo talks about making 'Rurouni Kenshin'
By InCinemas / 23 Nov 2012 (Friday)
Director Keishi Otomo first made his directorial debut with The Vulture (2009), before moving on to Rurouni Kenshin (2012), which turn out generally positive despite the fact that he didn't have any previous experience of making a film based on a comic. The director also has the support from the original author who feels that the completed film, Rurouni Kenshin, had done the comic justice.
Find out more about the challenges the director faced during film-making and how you can stand to win movie passes to Rurouni Kenshin!
"My objective was to portray the humanity of the characters and drama within the action." - Director Keishi Otomo
Q: Why did you decide to take on this film?
- It happened during the period after I made “The Vulture,” “Jiro Shirasu: Man of Honor,” and “Ryomaden” and was searching for a new direction to take for my next title. Basically, there was a common style that people wanted from my work. I wanted to take on the challenge of a new genre, and this was the project that was offered to me. First of all, I had no previous experience making a film based on a comic. Furthermore, this was a highly popular series and the action sequences were going to be difficult to replicate. But as I thought about it, I started to feel that this challenge was appealing to me.
The other important factor was that the theme of the original comic interested me. I was also interested in the Meiji era, which came right after the Tokugawa Shogun era—the period that “Ryomaden” was set in. “Ruroni Kenshin” is very popular among women because there is a soft side to it, but on the other hand, it is a story about people who struggle to live in a changing society and are desperately seeking a new way of life. I thought that this theme and the story about outlaws incapable of changing matched well with my tastes.
Also, the fact that Takeru Satoh wanted to play the main role was big for me. In making this into a live-action film, I had to have an actor who could embody Kenshin. The actor whom I thought was best suited for the role agreed to take it on. I thought that together, he and I could tackle and take on the original comic.
Q: How did you approach making a highly popular comic into a live film?
- First of all, I took a lot of time writing the script. I started by going through the appeal of the original, picking out the dialogue that would become the core of the film. Then I changed that dialogue into language that actual human beings would use. I wasn’t sure if the comical expressions of Kenshin would work on film, but his relaxed way of talking was part of his charm and an original feature of the original comic. I wasn’t going to be able to change those fundamental aspects when making it into a live action film. I guess I thought that Takeru would be able to act naturally using that language. So basically, the first step was for me to honestly reflect the essence of the original when making the script.
Then I had to take those parts and make it into a two hour-long story. But there are way too many characters in the original for it to fit into two hours. All these characters have so much background and inner struggle. If I didn’t portray that, the character depictions would become shallow. The problem was that I wanted the characters to have depth, but the length of the film was limited to two hours. To solve this, I thought about which actors could bring depth to the characters beyond what was written in the script. I thought about whom to cast, and reorganized the script by imagining my favorite actors playing the roles.
Q: What kind of exchange did you have with Nobuhiro Watsuki, the author of the original comic?
- The impression that I got from him was that he had a relatively calm and yet loving view of his masterpiece, which he completed over 10 years ago. As we talked, I found out that he shared the same view as me: that if it were to become a live-action film, that it shouldn’t involve exaggerated wire action scenes and rely on computer graphics. That the story should be realistically depicted through live acting. We recognized the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional art forms and respected each other’s modes of expression. In the end, he told me that he would let me take on his piece.
(Read our review for Rurouni Kenshin - by Wilson Ng)
Q: Tell us about the charm of the character Kenshin, and how you directed Takeru Satoh.
- The image of assassins during the end of the Tokugawa Shogun is that they had a dangerous and threatening presence and would cut anybody who touched them. But in the case of Kenshin, that side of him is not so apparent—in fact, he seems to be easy-going, with an even humorous atmosphere surrounding him. That’s the charm that I found in the Kenshin of the original comic. On the other hand, for a man to leave behind his past lifestyle is something that can only be done by a person with serious determination. When I was shooting “Ryomaden,” I found that though Takeru is only in his early twenties and has somewhat of a carefree appearance, he also has an almost impossibly strong and determined side as well. Combined with his looks, he is the perfect actor to play Kenshin.
When preparing for a role, actors refer to life experiences and other actors as hints. In this case, however, naturally he couldn’t reflect on his life because he’s obviously never cut someone with a sword. But in playing the role of Kenshin, it was important for him to feel a sense of atonement for the many that he had hurt and killed in the past. The role required more imagination than his usual roles. So I had him practice the extreme actions taken by “Battosai the Killer” with the notion of what it means to actually kill someone in mind. I guess I had him use his imagination to fill in the background of what makes Kenshin who he is, and that was how I had him prepare for the role.
Q: Tell us more about the action scenes.
- The goal for me was to portray the humanity and drama of the characters within the fight scenes and action. The action sequences weren’t just action, but rather an important factor in portraying the characters. That is why the main cast, including Takeru, performed almost all of the action sequences without stunt doubles. If you look closely, you can see that Yu Aoi, who played the role of Megumi, is flying without wires. I always take acting scenes in one sequence without cuts, and the action scenes in this film were basically shot with the same approach. For this reason, I think it must have been very difficult for everyone, including the crew. But just as with the acting, the action scenes became more emotional as the shooting progressed. The emotions of the actors were visible in the swords that they swung and in the hands that held the swords. I really focused on portraying the growth and change of Kenshin through the action scenes.
I asked Kenji Tanigaki, who is successful overseas, to supervise the action scenes. There was an unspoken agreement between Mr. Tanigaki and me that this film was going to be top-quality as an action film as well, so I attended almost all of the action practices. Mr. Taniguchi and his team constantly provided new ideas during the practice and on-set. I think this resulted in many of the fresh new action scenes that made good use of the space and emotions of the characters. Without a doubt, the action scenes are one of the high points of the film.
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Q: A message to the viewers who are going to watch the film.
- I am always concerned with making sure that the actors are attractive on screen. All of the actors have skillfully acted their parts, so I would like you to genuinely enjoy their acting and how they have captured their characters. Even the villains have their own side of the story, so I think that you will be emotionally attached to all of the characters in the film.
We tend to think of things as good or evil, black or white, but Kenshin walks the line between the two, searching for a path to protect others with a sword that is incapable of killing. I believe that everybody who watches this movie will be impressed and sympathize with Takeru “Kenshin” Satoh acting as a man who tries to stay true to his way of living, defending his pledge not to kill. Including the terrific action scenes, this is an enjoyable piece of entertainment that can be viewed multiple times from different perspectives. I hope you will enjoy the film!
