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atrandumSo! After much deliberation, I finally did this interview XDD My first interview translated directly from Japanese! I learned a lot from this, mainly that I'm not good enough to do this kind of direct translation without the help of a fluent Japanese editor. For this interview, I had yuuli who wonderfully helped me out with editing!! *hugs*
This interview is from the Japanese Newsweek that came out last month. Nino was on the cover but I sadly don't have any pictures =( The original was provided by yuuli who lives in Japan so I only got the text ^~^" Just bare with Nino's words alone XDDD
I translated this for The Stormy Chronicles and had wanted to put it up before New Years but because I was having the time of my life with KinKi Kids and various other Johnnys' boys, I only put it up a few days ago. I'm posting this here now because Letters from Iwo Jima just got nominated for an Academy Award for BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR!!!!!! Congratulations to Nino and the rest of the talented crew of Letters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are all so proud of you *tears*!!!!!!!!!!
Don't post this elsewhere without my permission. Thanks and enjoy!
Newsweek
Ninomiya Kazunari - "I didn't prepare for the role"
Year 2006
"I didn't prepare for the role"
INTERVIEW. The unknown stories of filming "Letters from Iwo Jima" told by Kazunari Ninomiya, who shines in his portrayal of a young soldier weary of war.
In "Letters from Iwo Jima" there is a person who captures the hearts of those watching the film more than the leading actor, Ken Watanabe - that person is the one who performed as Private Saigou, Kazunari Ninomiya. Ninomiya expressed real human natures in his own unconstrained, natural style; our editor, Nozomi Oohashi, interviewed him.
――You had a presence that surpassed the leading actor. What did you do to prepare for the role?
I'm not really the one to prepare for a role in the first place. I did even less than usual this time because, when I received the scenario, it was just at the very moment we began shooting.
――So, were there any directions by the director to supervise such a character with no willingness such as this, "I can't go through with this war"?
There weren't any. I tried on my own how to do a character that would make people think, "There can't be this type of guy in a war, can there?" When I read the scenario, I felt that the audience would watch this film through the eyes of a character such as Saigou. Therefore, I tried to make him into someone who could exist in this present era so that the audience will be able to understand easily. To make a movie easier to watch, I thought it would be better to have a person such as that.
――Did you study about this battle?
I read books on it but what I really looked for was how it was hot, it was rotten, and how it was without food or beverages. The 6800 ton bomb [dropped by the US armed forces onto Iwo Jima], the digging of an 18 kilo underground shelter, the deaths of some ten thousand people, those were the things I understood afterwards. In the middle of a war, those things don't really matter.
――Do you aim to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor?
I haven't thought about that at all. I thought it'd be more interesting if I said that though, so I have said it on TV.
――It's not like that in reality.
No. But I heard that the deadline for the ballot of the Academy Awards nominations is January 13th, and I feel that I might be nominated. I
auditioned for this movie on January 13th of this year [2006], so that deadline date, which comes just a year afterwards, makes me feel like there is a strange connection. But, according to talks, there seems to be no possibility for winning the best supporting actor award. I wonder, won't we get the award for Best Picture?
――Are there any particular scenes that you have become attached to?
I can't really point out a certain one as "this one," but I think that there is a powerful message that comes rushing to you as you go throughout the movie. There are movies that make you want to watch them once more because they are interesting or because they've made you cry, right? I'm sorry to say, however, that the one we have introduced here is not a movie for entertainment like that. I think, if it were me, I would see this kind of movie only once *laughs.* For this reason, it was a challenge to see how strong of a message we can present in just one viewing.
――The atmosphere of the filming place was...
It was an extremely cheerful shooting place. Of course, I suppose, it was because we were involved in a production such as this. I went to see baseball with Ihara (Tsuyoshi)-san; everyone had a barbecue together; we enjoyed America to its fullest.
Although this is a movie of Hollywood's, Steven Spielberg's, and Clint Eastwood's, I believe that this film was possible thanks to these co-stars. Of course, I'm grateful to Clint who chose these people.
We were told by the director from the beginning that there will be no "do it like this, do it like that," but just "do really as you want to." So, I did not face with Ken Watanabe-san through the director, but Ken-san and I could clash with each other directly. I think I was extremely lucky.
――I got the feeling that Nae Yuuki, who played as your wife, was rather unbalanced age-wise with Saigou.
There are people who really mind trivial matters in settings like that, but what we wanted to convey was not that. A lot of people have said to me, "I can't believe you would get married and have a baby." Although, I do think then, "That's because you are watching me as though I am me. You're not watching me as Saigou." Because, you know, it is possible that she lost her husband in a war thus resulting in her first divorce, and then she ended up with me afterwards. Because there are a lot of various circumstances you can think of, I didn't really mind much. On the side of the acting, people don't really make a fuss over trivial matters settings...not, there are people who do mind *laughs*.
――What do you want the people who are watching to feel?
Of course, Clint has a strong wish for youths to see this, and I feel the same.
Because it's a movie that makes you want to think about difficult subjects, those who watch the movie may not just want to end with a single
word such as "good." Even though you want to tell of a much radical subject, you might not be able to find the words and feel it trying. But, first of all, I think the words "I was moved" are good enough. After you finish watching, if there you have any questions, just research a bit, and the distance between yourself and the production will shorten. For this reason, I think there is a significance for youths to watch this movie.
After watching the final production, I thought "it would have been better for the audience if we had explained more." Clint doesn't really present much information to those watching the film. But it's probably because he wanted them to think and study about it on their own.
THE END.
Translated by D.T.
Edited by yuuli and D.T.
This interview is from the Japanese Newsweek that came out last month. Nino was on the cover but I sadly don't have any pictures =( The original was provided by yuuli who lives in Japan so I only got the text ^~^" Just bare with Nino's words alone XDDD
I translated this for The Stormy Chronicles and had wanted to put it up before New Years but because I was having the time of my life with KinKi Kids and various other Johnnys' boys, I only put it up a few days ago. I'm posting this here now because Letters from Iwo Jima just got nominated for an Academy Award for BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR!!!!!! Congratulations to Nino and the rest of the talented crew of Letters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are all so proud of you *tears*!!!!!!!!!!
Don't post this elsewhere without my permission. Thanks and enjoy!
Newsweek
Ninomiya Kazunari - "I didn't prepare for the role"
Year 2006
"I didn't prepare for the role"
INTERVIEW. The unknown stories of filming "Letters from Iwo Jima" told by Kazunari Ninomiya, who shines in his portrayal of a young soldier weary of war.
In "Letters from Iwo Jima" there is a person who captures the hearts of those watching the film more than the leading actor, Ken Watanabe - that person is the one who performed as Private Saigou, Kazunari Ninomiya. Ninomiya expressed real human natures in his own unconstrained, natural style; our editor, Nozomi Oohashi, interviewed him.
――You had a presence that surpassed the leading actor. What did you do to prepare for the role?
I'm not really the one to prepare for a role in the first place. I did even less than usual this time because, when I received the scenario, it was just at the very moment we began shooting.
――So, were there any directions by the director to supervise such a character with no willingness such as this, "I can't go through with this war"?
There weren't any. I tried on my own how to do a character that would make people think, "There can't be this type of guy in a war, can there?" When I read the scenario, I felt that the audience would watch this film through the eyes of a character such as Saigou. Therefore, I tried to make him into someone who could exist in this present era so that the audience will be able to understand easily. To make a movie easier to watch, I thought it would be better to have a person such as that.
――Did you study about this battle?
I read books on it but what I really looked for was how it was hot, it was rotten, and how it was without food or beverages. The 6800 ton bomb [dropped by the US armed forces onto Iwo Jima], the digging of an 18 kilo underground shelter, the deaths of some ten thousand people, those were the things I understood afterwards. In the middle of a war, those things don't really matter.
――Do you aim to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor?
I haven't thought about that at all. I thought it'd be more interesting if I said that though, so I have said it on TV.
――It's not like that in reality.
No. But I heard that the deadline for the ballot of the Academy Awards nominations is January 13th, and I feel that I might be nominated. I
auditioned for this movie on January 13th of this year [2006], so that deadline date, which comes just a year afterwards, makes me feel like there is a strange connection. But, according to talks, there seems to be no possibility for winning the best supporting actor award. I wonder, won't we get the award for Best Picture?
――Are there any particular scenes that you have become attached to?
I can't really point out a certain one as "this one," but I think that there is a powerful message that comes rushing to you as you go throughout the movie. There are movies that make you want to watch them once more because they are interesting or because they've made you cry, right? I'm sorry to say, however, that the one we have introduced here is not a movie for entertainment like that. I think, if it were me, I would see this kind of movie only once *laughs.* For this reason, it was a challenge to see how strong of a message we can present in just one viewing.
――The atmosphere of the filming place was...
It was an extremely cheerful shooting place. Of course, I suppose, it was because we were involved in a production such as this. I went to see baseball with Ihara (Tsuyoshi)-san; everyone had a barbecue together; we enjoyed America to its fullest.
Although this is a movie of Hollywood's, Steven Spielberg's, and Clint Eastwood's, I believe that this film was possible thanks to these co-stars. Of course, I'm grateful to Clint who chose these people.
We were told by the director from the beginning that there will be no "do it like this, do it like that," but just "do really as you want to." So, I did not face with Ken Watanabe-san through the director, but Ken-san and I could clash with each other directly. I think I was extremely lucky.
――I got the feeling that Nae Yuuki, who played as your wife, was rather unbalanced age-wise with Saigou.
There are people who really mind trivial matters in settings like that, but what we wanted to convey was not that. A lot of people have said to me, "I can't believe you would get married and have a baby." Although, I do think then, "That's because you are watching me as though I am me. You're not watching me as Saigou." Because, you know, it is possible that she lost her husband in a war thus resulting in her first divorce, and then she ended up with me afterwards. Because there are a lot of various circumstances you can think of, I didn't really mind much. On the side of the acting, people don't really make a fuss over trivial matters settings...not, there are people who do mind *laughs*.
――What do you want the people who are watching to feel?
Of course, Clint has a strong wish for youths to see this, and I feel the same.
Because it's a movie that makes you want to think about difficult subjects, those who watch the movie may not just want to end with a single
word such as "good." Even though you want to tell of a much radical subject, you might not be able to find the words and feel it trying. But, first of all, I think the words "I was moved" are good enough. After you finish watching, if there you have any questions, just research a bit, and the distance between yourself and the production will shorten. For this reason, I think there is a significance for youths to watch this movie.
After watching the final production, I thought "it would have been better for the audience if we had explained more." Clint doesn't really present much information to those watching the film. But it's probably because he wanted them to think and study about it on their own.
THE END.
Translated by D.T.
Edited by yuuli and D.T.
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Date: 2007-01-27 12:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 02:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-11 08:11 am (UTC)Just found this translation article . Thank you, that it's still readable ^ ^
I have more respect and admire for Clint Eastwood. I really like his acting and works. Hope he will direct another production.