"Torao" Director Kazuya Murayama Depicts the aftermath of an unsolved case starring a real former detective [Director's Interview Vol.242]

Another main character who is also the director's alter ego

Q: The university scene that was added during the reshoots is also an important moment in motivating Kayako.

Murayama: It's true that the first version I made felt a bit weak, so I added that scene. I've been told that the motives behind Kayako's involvement in the case are weak, but the truth is that there are various elements sprinkled throughout the story.

Q: Kayako, who doesn't seem to belong at university, suddenly becomes lively as she becomes absorbed in the investigation. I felt that this curious viewpoint was a critical portrayal of not only Kayako in the film, but also the exploitative nature of the act of "watching a movie" itself.

Murayama: To be honest, I didn't think about it that much. I think my personality is quite evident in the character Kayako. Kayako is a bit of a psychopath, isn't she? I think that's probably something I'm like. I have a strange drive, and if there's one thing I'm interested in, I go for it. In "Falling," the main character gets obsessed with idols and loses sight of what's going on around him, and in the end, I felt like I was portraying myself.

I think that by looking at things more objectively, I might be able to tell a different story, but because this is my first feature-length film, I think there are inevitably some parts that are strongly influenced by me.

“Torao” (C) “Torao” Production Committee

Q: In your e-book " Countryside Old Man Wins Best Actor Award? ", you have an early plot, but it is quite different from the final product. Was the shape of the work constantly changing during filming?

Murayama: A lot of things have changed more than I initially thought. The final scene was not something that could have been prepared and shot, so I thought that was also a miracle. First, we shot the Kanazawa part in Ishikawa Prefecture in November 2019, and then we were scheduled to shoot it at a pool in Yokohama in March 2020, but that was postponed to July due to COVID-19. During that time off, I went back to my hometown and interviewed various people, and I happened to wonder what the scene of the crime was like, so I went to the swimming school, and there was demolition work going on.

I thought, "Now's the time!" and called Torao-san, who came right away. I happened to have my camera with me for the interview, so I was able to capture the final scene of Torao-san standing in the pool from the top of a six-story apartment building opposite the location.

Reason for portraying the criminal of an unsolved case