Interview 101705HS

No rehearsals, James Ivory style

Thanks maybe to their effort in Shanghai bars, Fiennes says that he and Sanada had a great chemistry, and that Sanada is very commited, open and flexible. Yet, it is the first Western-made movie in which he speaks English, although he spoke English in several Japanese and Hong Kong movies in the past. He had to go through an initial shock by James Ivory.

"At the very first day, I was shocked. Jim doesn't like rehearsals. He says 'you can do anything you like.' We just went ahead and did it, even if it was a 7-page long scene. The whole thing in one shot. And Ralph changed around movements and timing with new ideas. So I decided to go in with no plans and adjust according to the flow. And Chris Doyle always surprised me with his fresh camera angles.

One time there was a 5 page-long scene with me talking most of the time. Ralph was just saying 'yes.. aha..'. (laughs) I memorized the lines, but five minutes before shooting, Jim changed three points. I was like 'oh, my god, my computer just broke!'. (laughs) I think Jim was doing it intentionally. He was trying to keep me fresh and natural."

Matsuda's English and his character

In addition, the script writer Ishiguro gave him lines that are exceptionally classic, ritualistic British English. Ishiguro says that he did not have any particular actors in mind as he wrote the script, and Sanada did a great job in handling it.

"I am glad you asked! The dialog was the most difficult thing in this film. But it is important as Matsuda's character. He is educated in Europe, has this snobbish life style, and flirts with politically important people in high society. Ivory sometimes told me that I could make it simpler, but I asked him to let me try as much as possible. I thought that the contrast between Matsuda's English and Ralph's English was also very critical in terms of their relationships. So at the end, I could speak all the lines just as the script, twisting my tongues."

The movie, although is about an American and a Russian in China, has interesting links to Japan. Writer Ishiguro is a Japanese-origin Englishman. James Ivory first gave him a Japanese classic novel by Junichiro Tanizaki to be made into a movie. Ishiguro, meantime, tossed it out and started to write his own story. Ivory first was surprised at Ishiguro's story, but he liked it and decided to go ahead with the script. Ishiguro says he has a particular interest in 1930's Shanghai, as his father and grandfather were the real Japanese men who lived there at the time and told him a lot about it. So it is no wonder Matsuda is not a simple bad guy.

"I tried not to make him a stereotype mean man. Jim also requested not to act too much like a bad guy. He is a dangerous person, but doesn't look dangerous. In real life, that is usually the case. So I tried not to make the character too much."

Japanese film industry in a transition stage

After "The Last Samurai" and "The White Countess" experience, he seems to be getting used to the Western movie-making system, and compares to the Japanese system.

"Well, the budget is different. Japanese directors plan the scenes carefully before shooting ahd take many short cuts, so they don't waste film and time. But here, or in Eruope, they use a lot of films, and take long scene in one take, and the same scene many times. For actors, it is hard to keep the same tention for so many times, but it is good for editors. They have a lot of choices. In Japan, there is not much editors can do. We should do that in Japan, too, if we can use a lot of films. (laughs) Now Japanese film makers have started to work with Western staff and try to learn. In "Aegis", they worked with a Western editor and a music composer.

But both in Japan and Western countries, each director's style is different. Each time you have to feel it and adjust it, and it is the same thing in Japan."

He also feels that the Japanese actors are making inroads in Hollywood.

"Hollywood has started to remake Japanese films, such as 'Ring' (in which Sanada starred in the original Japanese version). That makes it easier for us to work here. I want to continue working with the US films. I hope someday it will become just common for Japanese actors to work here. For that purpose, I have to keep trying."

Good luck rain in L.A.

What is his next project?

"I just finished filming a new film 'Sunshine' by Danny Boyle in London before coming here. I played a captain of the spaceship there. After that, I have no particular plans yet."

During the interview, Sanada looked quite upbeat and energetic. The reporter's image of Sanada as a quiet Zen-type samurai was pleasantly overturned as he blasted away with his long and well-thought-out answers in English. The interview and the following day's premier took place in a heavy rain, so the reporter joked about his famous rain jinx; wherever he goes, it rains, even in Los Angeles.

"(With laughs) Yes, but it is a good luck omen for me!"

Political concerns, but it is "my destiny"

While other cast members and the staff don't put much political meaning to the story, Sanada, as the only Japanese actor who plays the villain, feels differently.

"Last year, I spent six months in China for 'WuJi'. During the shooting, James Ivory sent me the script. Director James Ivory, screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro, and the main actor Ralph Fiennes gave me already enough motivation to join. But also, I was feeling the tention between China and Japan while I was in China, so when I read the script there, I thought, 'why now?' It was a risky role for me, because the China-Japan relationship is delicate and my role is a Japanese spy. But I thought it was my destiny.

It is not easy for Japanese to learn about this era, because the government tries to hide and ignore it. So I thought it is a good chance for Japanese people to re-examine the history through this movie. It may be controversial in Japan, but to be controversial is good."

James Ivory says that he saw Sanada in 2004 Oscar Foreign Language Film nominee "The Twilight Samurai". He knew that Sanada speaks English, so one day he made a phone call to him.

"So I decided to call him back. He and I talked about an hour on the phone. At the end, he told me, 'I hope to see you at the set'. I was very happy, but at the same time I realized that it was the audition for my English. I heard he liked my acting in those films, but he had no idea about my English. I sweat a lot after hanging up. (laughs)"

Tough schedules with "Asian Trilogy"

But he had to fight through the tough schedule to be in this movie. The filming of "The White Countess" coincided with the Japanese military/political blockbuster "Aegis" during the fall of 2004. He had to go back and forth between Japan and China.

"I flew overnight to Shanghai for dress fitting. And then, there was a blank week at 'Aegis' schedule while they were shooting the 'land' portion that I had no part. At first, they told me it was only for rehearsal, but two weeks before that, I was told it was the real shooting of 6 scenes with heavy talking. It was scary. (laughs) And after that I went back to Japan to finish 'Aegis', then flew back to Shanghai again and stayed there for a month and a half.

I usually don't take the works in parallel. I have not done it since I was in my 20's. But this time, I wanted to do it as long as the schedule somehow could be worked out. Luckily, both sides helped me out. It was also a good coincident that the looks of the characters were similar, both with short hair and no beard.

All three films ('WuJi', 'Aegis' and 'The White Countess') had something to do with China, Korea and Japan, so they became my 'Asian Trilogy'. I could use the things I learned from one for the others. It was very hard mentally and physically, but I was driven by some kind of a special energy during the last year."

Ralph and Hiro - drinking buddies in real life too?

Ralph Fiennes says that he enjoyed working with Sanada, and during the filming, "for the purpose of role building", they hit some joints together. Is it true?

"Well, was it for the role building purposes? (laughs) I sometimes joined when I had time. But I believe it was beyond the role building. (laughs)"

Both Natasha Richardson and James Ivory confess the logistical difficulties during the filming in China, due to the system differences and the language barrier. Through his 'Asian Trilogy' experience, Sanada even could help with the communication.

"For the European cast and staff, Shanghai feels like a very far and unfamiliar place, unlike for us Japanese. So they became very close together. Every weekend, the team went to a restaurant with a band by the river. And I could speak broken Mandarine that I learned with 'WuJi', so I sometimes even translated for them, between Mandarine and English! (laughs) That helped to cheer up the whole team."