QUESTION: How
did you get involved in the film?
KEN WATANABE: I heard of the project
and told my agents I wanted to work with Clint
Eastwood.
So, I studied the history of Iwo Jima, and as soon as Clint
offered me to do the film I felt a great responsibility,
being Japanese. I met with him and he told me that when
he shot “Flags of our
Fathers” he couldn’t see the faces of the Japanese
soldiers or understand their feelings, which reassured him
of the need to do this film. He was so honest.
QUESTION: Why did you want to work with Clint Eastwood?
KEN WATANABE: He knows how to shoot humanity and the human
soul. Clint is a different kind of director in Hollywood
and I admire him. All actors want to work with him. And he
is also very admired in Japan, both by actors and filmmakers.
QUESTION: How is Eastwood on the set?
KEN WATANABE: Clint was very collaborative and always listened
to my ideas. He is a very calm, peaceful and quiet man, and
knows how to create a great atmosphere on the set. And he
tried hard to understand our culture and feelings.
QUESTION: What did you think of his idea of shooting two
different movies about the same battle: one from the American
point of view and another from the Japanese?
KEN WATANABE: There are no heroes in any of them and they
explain different tragedies, but with both perspectives we
understand the truth better. There are always many sides
to the truth. It is an amazing achievement to have done both
films.
QUESTION: Who was General Kuribayashi?
KEN WATANABE: He was a very unique
general, not typical in the traditional Japan of his time.
He was very smart and rational, and had lived in America.
He studied in Harvard and drove all around the country
in 1928. So, he had a good feeling about Americans, and
he understood the industry and economy of their country;
but he had to fight against the United States. He was in
charge of his men and had a whole nation behind him, though
he did not agree on how he was told to do it. The problem
is that he didn’t have enough
soldiers, weapons or food to accomplish his mission, which
was really tough for him.
QUESTION: How did you prepare for your role?
KEN WATANABE: I did a lot of research
about the war and my character. And I even went to Kuribayashi’s
hometown, in the center of Japan; but nobody knew him.
As the script was written in English I helped chose the
right translators, because the movie would be shot in Japanese,
and checked on their work. It was a great experience for
me to collaborate side by side with Clint, and I gave him
notes every day.
QUESTION: Kuribayashi was close to the United States, as
you are now. Did you feel any proximity to the character?
KEN WATANABE: Yes, in a way I did.
I have been working in the United States for years and
have many friends there. I like their life style, and it
was helpful to understand both sides when I worked in “Letters
from Iwo Jima.”
QUESTION: What was your relationship like with the rest
of the Japanese actors?
KEN WATANABE: Not all of them could understand how their
characters felt, as things are different now in Japan, but
I had many conversations with them about their roles. They
came to my trailer and we talked a lot. I personally knew
some of them, like Tsuyoshi Ihara (he plays Baron Nishi),
who I have worked with four times. As Kuribayashi cared for
his men, I tried to help the young actors as much as I could
and even cooked for them at times.
QUESTION: How is the battle of Iwo Jima seen in modern Japan?
KEN WATANABE: There is not enough
knowledge about the war or this battle. It is all dark
and secretive. And the defeat was so disappointing that
it isn’t taught well at school
and the Japanese do not know much about it. This movie offers
a good opportunity to learn more about The Second World War.
QUESTION: Did you get to visit Iwo Jima?
KEN WATANABE: I went with Clint, who
shot the beach, a town and Mount Suribachi. I am sure he
would have liked to shoot more there, but it wasn’t possible. In fact, most of
the movie was made in Southern California. When I saw Iwo
Jima from the cockpit of the plane I couldn’t stop
crying, because I felt that the souls of all those soldiers
still remained on the island. For Japan it is just territory
now, a military base. Nobody lives there anymore.
QUESTION: Is “Letters from Iwo Jima” a
war or an anti-war film?
KEN WATANABE: I think Clint Eastwood was interested in showing
the facts of the battle and the loss of humanity that war
represents. It was a bit painful for me to watch both films,
though I really like them. War normally only brings pain
and tragedy. The audience will decide.
QUESTION: Do you write letters?
KEN WATANABE: Yes, and I believe in handwriting them. Typing
letters or e-mails does not involve your mind in the same
way.
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