"A Perfect World" Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood, the feud between the two who couldn't build a teacher-pupil relationship

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2021.02.18Takeo Matsuzaki

The feud between Costner and Eastwood, who have directing experience

The feud between the two quickly became a rumor in Hollywood, and naturally the media got wind of it. To defuse the situation, Eastwood set up an interview and told reporters: ``He is also a man who has made a mark in the film industry, so of course I will listen to his opinions.However, I have been a director for 23 years, so I have my own way of doing things. When there's a sunset, I immediately go out and photograph it. By the time I'm ready, the sun has already set as I debate how to photograph it."

At first glance, this may sound like a criticism of Costner, but Eastwood also said the following. ``When I was young, I would make various suggestions to enhance the movie I was filming.I was happy when the director listened to my suggestions.I want to do the same for the younger generation.'' . Eastwood probably saw a lot of his younger self in Costner. In the first place, it was Costner who Eastwood aspired to direct and approached him with an offer. At the time, there were rumors of a falling out, but the reality is that those who couldn't let go of their commitment to each other worked hard to improve their work, even as they clashed with each other on set. There must have been a conflict. However, it is true that Costner helped rewrite the script, which is said to have given the character of Butch more depth.

Needless to say, Clint Eastwood has played the role of ``chasing'' criminals in many works, including the role of Detective Harry Callahan in the ` `Dirty Harry '' series. In ``A Perfect World,'' he plays Red, a police chief in Texas, but the main role is given to Kevin Costner, who plays the ``chased.'' For Costner, who at the time was an actor who embodied the ``American conscience'' in films such as ` `Field of Dreams '' (1989), playing a criminal was risky. On the other hand, Costner himself was seeking a crude image that contradicted the ``American conscience,'' and for his first film in which he was an executive producer, he directed a revenge drama that begins with an affair with his benefactor's wife. This is also reflected in his choice of "Revenge " (1990).

Regarding this, Kevin Costner said, ``Now that I have gained more range as an actor, I felt like I was at a stage where I could play the role of a bad guy.'' However, it took courage to abandon his previous healthy image and take on the role of tough and rough-and-tumble. The boy Philip, played by T.J. Lowther in ``A Perfect World'' (this was his first film appearance), is 8 years old. If you count backwards, he would have been born in 1955. Yes, Costner was born in the same year, 1955. That means Philippe is the same age as Costner. Costner, who lived at the same time as Philip, projected his own image towards Philip rather than towards Butch, the character he played.

John Lee Hancock, who wrote this screenplay, also wrote the screenplay for Clint Eastwood's `` Midnight on the Savannah '' (1997). After that, Hancock turned into a film director and directed works based on true stories, such as `` The Old Rookie '' (2002) and `` The Hideout of Happiness '' (2009). `` The Texas Rangers '' (2019), produced by Netflix, is based on a true story and depicts Bonnie and Clyde, the main characters of `` Bonnie and Clyde, '' from the perspective of the ``chasers.'' In this movie, Kevin Costner plays the role of the law enforcement officer chasing them.

【source】

・"Hidden Ambition: The Kevin Costner Story" (Shinko Music) Written by Kelvin Cadice Translated by Chisaho Obi

・" Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend of Hollywood " by Mark Elliott Translated by Miwako Sasamori and Mayuri Hayakawa (Hayakawa Shobo)

・“A Perfect World” theater pamphlet

Text: Takeo Matsuzaki

Film critic Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Film and New Media, majoring in film. After working on TV and movie sets, he turned to writing specialized in movies. Currently appearing on TV, radio, and online distribution programs such as ``Plus'' and ``Japan Group.'' He has contributed numerous articles to ``Kinema Junpo'', ``ELLE'', movie theater pamphlets, etc. Currently, he is a member of the Kinema Junpo Best Ten selection committee, a judge for the ELLE Cinema Awards, the Tanabe Benkei Film Festival, and the Creators Factory section of the Kyoto International Film Festival. Co-authored “Modern Movie Terminology Dictionary” (Kinema Junposha) and others.

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"A Perfect World"

Blu-ray ¥2,619 (tax included) / DVD ¥1,572 (tax included)

Publisher: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Distributor: NBC Universal Entertainment

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