In conjunction with Bushido Man’s North American premier at the 2013 Fantasia Film Festival on July 27th, director Takanori Tsujimoto, action choreographer Kensuke Sonomura and star Mitsuki Koga sat down the morning after for an interview about the film itself, action movies and food.
Edgar Chaput: First I’d like to thank you very much for sitting down with us on this Sunday morning.
Translator Hidetaka Yoneyama: They could go to your home after!
EC: (chuckles). Thank you for yesterday’s screening, it was very entertaining. And, honestly, I was quite surprised at how good looking the movie was considering you kept saying it had no budget.
Takanori Tsujimoto: But you understand that it had no budget?
EC: Yes.
(Group laughs)
EC: Here in Canada and the U.S., many of the samurai and Bushido movies we watch are set in the past. Why was it decided to set a Bushido film in present day?
Takanori Tsujimoto: There are a few reasons. Even today there are people talking about the spirit of the samurai even though we don’t use it in everyday life. That term still exists and people still sense its beauty and its sensibility. We still use those references today. We thought it would be interesting because even today’s Japanese audience can still be very touched by the premise. I used to make a lot of gory, bloody movies but of course children were jot allowed to watch them. This was a good occasion to make something everyone could watch.
EC: Watching the movie, I noticed there was a progression with the fights. The first fight is in the country and it’s hand to hand combat. Then comes the bo, then nunchucks, then swords, then guns and finally, boom, super guns. What was the reasoning for that progression from more basic fighting to something that’s super high-tech, almost science-fiction like? How important was that for the character?
Takanori Tsujimoto: From the beginning when it was decided to make an action film, it came out of a certain frustration with the action movies currently in the market because they don’t have enough action scenes. The main point from the very start was to put a lot of action into the film. Just action, however, could be boring for an audience, so it we important to figure out what the audience would like to see. Parallel to that is the idea of the character (protagonist Toramaru) can become stronger and stronger and develop himself.
EC: It was really interesting. I enjoyed how that progression happened.
What was the most difficult fight scene to train and prepare for and which was the most difficult to actually shoot?
Kensuke Sonomura: It was the Bo mainly because in Japanese movies there aren’t many action scenes involving that weapon. To think up the concept and to find some interesting references was difficult.
EC: The others actors, Toramaru’s opponents in the movies, were they professionals in their craft or were they just actors who had to learn the methods?
Kensuke Sonomura: Actually no, they weren’t specialists in the martial arts they did for the film. They were action film professionals. If they’re asked to do something, they can do it.
EC: So they did have to learn how to use the weapons?
Kensuke Sonomura: Yes, and we shot ‘on the spot.’ There wasn’t a lot of time to learn.
EC: That’s a lot of work!
(Group chuckles)
Kensuke Sonomura: We chose people who could actually perform the stunts on the day we need them.
Mitsuki Koga: It was most difficult for me!
EC: For sure. I mean, you had to learn everything! The nunchucks, the yakuza blade, everything!
Mitsuki Koga: I was learning all that on the spot too.
EC: So for you what was the most difficult to train for?
Mitsuki Koga: The Bo as well.
EC: Since Bushido Man brings together Bushido culture. In actual Japanese Bushido culture, does food carry the same importance, the same significance?
Takanori Tsujimoto: Usually there is no real link between Bushido and food. That said, those who practice Bushido must know their enemy. The idea came when were thinking about how the character could better know his enemy. In reality, that sort of link doesn’t exist.
EC: It’s still a good idea for a movie.
Takanori Tsujimoto: The slogan would go: ‘To know the enemy, first approach the food.’ Coming up with that slogan helped us conceive the whole movie.
EC: Watching the movie I noticed many moments and many scenes that reminded me of other films. You have the Shaolin Mantis, the blind swordsman which is like Zatoichi, there is a yakuza. What are each of your favourite action and martial arts films?
Takanori Tsujimoto: When doing my independent movies, John Woo was a big influence. Meeting Kensuke Sonomura helped me appreciate other types of movies. I also really like a movie called Versus from director Ryûhei Kitamura.
EC: (to Kensuke Sonomura and Mitsuki Koga) And do you have any favourite action or martial arts movies?
Mitsuki Koga: (in English) My favourite is 36th Chamber of the Shaolin.
EC: That’s a classic.
Kensuke Sonomura: Jackie Chan movies. I like the Japanese Zatoichi films.
Takanori Tsujimoto: To shoot the scene with the blind swordsman we used a tripod to make it look like a Zatoichi film.
EC: I’ll end on this last question: If you had the opportunity to become a master of the Bo or nunchucks or gun fighting, etc, what would you like to become a master of?
Mitsuki Koga: Aikido.
Kensuke Sonomura: The Japanese sword, the katana.
Takanori Tsujimoto: Katana!
EC: Me too!
Takanori Tsujimoto: Before, everyone had a sword, but of course today you couldn’t even imagine that. They even had two towards sometimes!
EC: Well, domo arigato.
Thank you to The Klockworx and The Two Gun Films for bringing Bushido Man to the 2013 Fantasia Film Festival.
A very special thank you to director Tsujimoto Takanori, action choreographer Kensuke Sonomura and star Mitsuki Koga for the interview
Last but not least, thank you to Hidetaka Yoneyama who translated all my questions and the answers. Merci beaucoup!
-Edgar Chaput