"Monster" Director Hirokazu Kore-eda It was a highly complete script with few problems on set [Director's Interview Vol.319]

The reason why I changed the directing method for child actors

Q: Compared to the scripts that Kore-eda has written so far, I got the impression that this one has a stronger power to drive the story. Did you make any changes to the production in response to this?

Kore-eda: The characters played by the children needed to express emotions that were beyond the reach of conventional approaches. Still, it doesn't mean anything major has changed. However, I knew while writing the script that this time it would be a "story movie," so I was conscious that it would be a little different from the usual method of accumulating the details of the depiction. Basically, the scripts I write are about ``after something happens,'' but this time I tried to show ``before something happens'' by holding back, holding back, and stretching it out. There is. I thought about how to layer the scenes in order to maintain its staying power.

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Q: It seems that in the past, the script was not given to the child actors in advance, and they were directed by word of mouth on set, but this time they were given the script in advance. Was it easier for the children to read the script themselves?

Kore-eda: Yes. That was an immediate answer (lol). At the audition, I asked them to do both (with and without a script), and when I asked them, ``You can choose both, which one do you prefer?'' They immediately answered, ``It's better to have a script.'' So I chose a style (of direction) that would suit them. When I saw the completed work, I realized that I had made the right choice. Perhaps this time, it wasn't something that could have been done by just conveying the lines on the spot. I had to climb the stairs one step at a time to finally get there. I think they both did a great job.

Q: The outline and theme of this story seem to be a little difficult for children, but were you able to explain that to them?

Kore-eda: I read books and rehearsed for the role, but I wanted to take an approach that would help people understand as much as possible, so I asked a health and physical education teacher to come and explain the physical changes that occur in boys at that age. We started by giving classes on topics such as:

Elementary School