ryuganji: film news from japan

After seeing his star fade as a result of his generally trippy behaviour, as well as downscaling his career to raise his son and his subsequent tumble off his apartment balcony in 2004, Kubozuka Yosuke isn’t exactly in a position to be slagging off potential future employers right now, but that didn’t stop him yesterday from hitting back at outspoken “Pacchigi!” director Izutsu Kazuyuki’s criticism that his soon-to-be-released kamikaze drama “I Go To Die For You” (previously covered here) glorifies the values of wartime Japan.

Promoting the film with director Shinjo Taku at an April 19th press conference in Osaka, Kubozuka seemed to be channelling producer and screenwriter Ishihara Shintaro when he retorted: “Whoever says this film glorifies war is a dickhead. At least watch it before saying that”.

Izutsu had also been doing PR in Osaka (for sequel “Pacchigi! Love & Peace“, previously covered here) on April 10th when he unleashed a typically brusque diatribe at recently re-elected nationalist Tokyo governor Ishihara. “I want thrice-elected Ishihara and others who flip-flop to suit themselves to see [my film]. Things’ll go back to business as usual even after what he said during the election, it’s all for show.”

“There are more and more films these days that extol what happened in WWII. We need to denounce that which encourages things like the beautification of war. If they’re watched by naive youths, they’ll create warlike people. The system did the same thing to the kamikaze. Even with so many [films like this] around, no-one says anything. This film is my message in response to such times.”

In the follow-up to his 2004 commercial and critical success “Pacchigi!” (also known as “We Shall Overcome Someday”), a subplot sees budding ethnic Korean actress Kyung-ja (played by Sawajiri Erika in the first film, and newcomer Nakamura Yuri in the sequel) gain a part in a patriotic war film entitled “Samurai of the Pacific” and consequently struggle through various trials and tribulations. It’s reportedly Izutsu’s way of condemning Ishihara’s movie, and it’ll be interesting to see how the public receives the work of these two diametrically opposed filmmakers once “I Go To Die For You” opens on May 12th and “Pacchigi! Love and Peace” follows a week later. (sources: Sports Hochi, Nikkan Sports)