"Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" Nagisa Oshima x David Bowie x Beat Takeshi x Ryuichi Sakamoto The path to the realization of a unique war movie Part 1

Prehistory of "Senmeri": Struggling with Commercial Films

If you have seen Oshima's films, you may feel strange about being involved with Toei Films, but the relationship between Oshima and Toei is surprisingly long. After working as an assistant director at Shochiku Ofuna Studio, he made his debut as a director at the young age of 27 with `` The City of Love and Hope '' (59), and with the hit of his second film `` A Cruel Tale of Youth '' (60), he became the standard bearer of the Shochiku Nouvelle Vague. Although Oshima attracted attention, he left Shochiku in 1961 after his fourth film, a political discussion drama, `` Japanese Night and Fog '' (1960), was canceled after three days in theaters. Toei was the first to extend a helping hand to Oshima. His first historical drama, `` Amakusa Shiro Tokisada '' (1962), starring Hashizo Okawa, featured many long takes and dark screens with endless discussions that could be called a historical drama version of ``Night and Fog of Japan.'' , Toei's dramaturgy was nothing more than water and oil, and the box office was a disaster. As a result of this, the production of ``The Nun and the Wild Samurai'' starring Fujiko Yamamoto, which was scheduled to be filmed by Daiei, was also canceled.

As a result, Oshima was effectively branded by Shochiku, Toei, and Daiei as lacking the ability to make commercial films, but in fact, he did not have the opportunity to make a film for three years after ``Amakusa Shiro Tokisada'', and since then The only options are to make an independent production through his own production company, Sosousha, or in partnership with his former company Shochiku, or to make a film with the Japan Art Theater Guild (ATG) as its parent company with an extremely low production cost of 10 million yen. was not left behind. At ATG, Oshima achieved brilliant results such as `` Strangulation '' (1968), `` Shonen '' (69), and `` Ritual '' (1971), but Oshima was exhausted from making films with a low budget and began working on `` Summer Sister '' (1968). At the end of 1972, Sozosha was disbanded, and he began to explore a more free path to filmmaking as a freelance film director. However, major Japanese film companies shunned Oshima, and even when his name was mentioned as a candidate for director, he was rejected, but Toei came up with an offer from time to time. In particular, Toei was, as Oshima says, ``a company that listened to me.''

When screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara recommended Oshima as the director of `` Ah, Keisatsu Kokutai '' (1974), there was opposition from within the company, but producers at Toei Kyoto Studio, including Hiroji Shundo and Goro Kusakabe, agreed with Oshima. I have approached you several times. Before making `` The Yakuza '' (1974), Shundo asked Oshima if he would like to make a traditional chivalry film, and Oshima was also interested. ``She has a very old-fashioned sensibility, and on the inside, she has a feminine side to her, so I think she would definitely be good at making a chivalrous movie.Although she is a new director, her qualifications are perfect for the world of honor and humanity.'' Shundo comments on Oshima, saying, I think this point can be applied directly to ``Sen Meri'' as well.

During this period, Oshima wrote a long review for Kinema Junpo about director Kinji Fukasaku's `` Battle Without Honor '' series (1973-74), and even revealed that he wanted to make a yakuza movie. In addition, Oshima appeared in Fukasaku's `` Yakuza Graveyard Kuchinashi no Hana '' (1976) as the police chief (!), and was becoming closer to Toei's yakuza films. Shundo then offered Oshima to direct `` Yakuza War: Japan's Leader '' (1977) again. ``I know many directors, but Director Oshima has the most Naniwa Bushi personality, and I thought he was the perfect person for this work.I met him the other day, and he said he would love to work with him.'' (``Sports Nippon'') (September 22, 1976), but after that, Oshima was not satisfied with the script and resigned.

Oshima has the impression that he has made difficult films, but he has a track record of making big hits with his early films, ``The Cruel Story of Youth'' and `` The Graveyard of the Sun '' (60), both of which he shot at Shochiku. The producers must have believed that they could make an entertaining movie that would be popular with the masses. Not only Toei's talented producers, but also young producers who came in from outside, seemed to be attracted to Nagisa Oshima. In the fall of 1976, just before the release of ``Ai no Corrida'' in Japan, Oshima met Haruki Kadokawa, president of Kadokawa Shoten, who had entered the film industry with `` The Inugami Family '' (1976), which was released on the same day, and ``Asahi Journal.'' We had a conversation in the November 19, 1976 issue). Judging from what was left behind in print, it appears that the conversation between the two was a misunderstanding, but in the end Kadokawa proposed the following.

"Mr. Oshima, would you like to work on Scandal with me? I think the combination of a scandalous director and a scandalous producer would be a good idea."

It may have seemed like a social commentary, but Kadokawa was serious. He also mentioned the guarantee and said that in addition to paying the director's fee, he would also be paid a certain percentage of the film's net profits. He then declared to Oshima, ``If you make money, you will receive extra benefits, so even if you can only work on one project every six months or a year, that extra money will give you enough leeway to reproduce artistically.'' I'm saying why not just make an entertainment movie a hit and use the profits to make an art movie.

Knowing Oshima's history of not compromising on commercialism, it is easy to imagine that Oshima must have listened to this statement with discomfort. However, there is no doubt that Kadokawa made the offer innocently and kindly, and did not doubt the potential of a Kadokawa film directed by Oshima. In fact, Kadokawa called Oshima to ask him to direct him the day after their conversation, and immediately sent him a paperback book. This is Seiichi Morimura's `` Proof of Humanity ''. Preparations are already underway for Kadokawa's second film, and Kazuhiko Hasegawa, who made his impressive debut with `` The Murderer of Youth '' (1976), has been asked to write the script.

It may seem like a hot topic pairing, but in 1976, the two that drew attention in the Japanese film world were Nagisa Oshima in ``Corrida of Love'' and Kazuhiko Hasegawa in ``Killer of Youth.'' Just as he had Kon Ichikawa shoot ``The Inugami Clan,'' Kadokawa had a strong sense of cinematic style in having ``Proof of Humanity'' directed by Nagisa Oshima and scriptwriter Kazuhiko Hasegawa. It is something. In the end, Hasegawa and Kadokawa quickly fell out, and Oshima also refused, saying, ``I don't think I'm suited for it,'' but Kadokawa declined, saying, ``It's a message from God. Please do it.'' However, Oshima did not show any interest until the end.

Oshima had rejected both ``Yakuza War: Japan's Leader'' and ``Proof of Humanity '' (1977), but the only one he was interested in was ``Japan's Mastermind.'' By tracing the fate of the phantom movie that was supposed to have existed between ``Ghost of Love'' and ``Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,'' the origin of ``Sen Meri'' will become clear.

Night and Fog Surrounding the Fantastic Nagisa Oshima Film