"Revolver Lily" Director Isao Yukisada The significance of making this film, brought to light by the modern situation [Director's Interview Vol.340]

Coen brothers action referenced

Q: How did you approach the action scenes?

Yukisada: Since it's an action movie, I had the Coen brothers in mind this time. When the Coen brothers use guns, they are always caught off guard and there is a "gap." Recent action movies tend to be more realistic, and there are some that are shot without any set up, but I think that the stylistic beauty of a movie is that the action relies on the timing. This time, I wanted to aim for that, so I worked hard on the action as a "sword fight." For example, there is a scene in which Ozone is holding two pistols, but he didn't carry two pistols just to look cool, but rather the situation of the battle, the meaning of having a pistol other than a revolver (Beretta), and the hidden meaning behind it. I had lots of discussions with the staff about my deep intentions while filming.

Also, the blood spatter when he is shot is created using CG, and when I first saw it, it was so spectacular that it looked like flower petals. Ozone and his friends were shooting to avoid fatal injuries, but the blood spatter they created at the beginning was clearly enough to kill them all instantly. I was able to tone down that area a bit. Since it's a big movie, some might think it's better to make the blood splatter more flashy, but keeping it down makes it look quite graphic. In addition, the power of guns back then and now must have been completely different, so we asked experts to verify the sense of distance and its power. If the bullet was shot close, the bullet would have penetrated, but if it was shot from a distance, it would not have penetrated, and the results are reflected in the blood droplets.

“Revolver Lily” ©2023 “Revolver Lily” Film Partners

Q: Big movies like this are rare in Japan these days, but what was your reaction to it?

Yukisada: It was a good experience. If there is any chance that movies like this can be seen properly in Japan, we must follow suit and change the possibilities for entertainment. I experienced this when I was working on ` `Cry for Love at the Center of the World '' (2004). If a lot of people would watch even a small movie like that, I felt like I should make a proper movie, and after that, more and more youth movies and pure love stories were made. I've been feeling the same thing for a long time.

Also, if the characters centered on Yuri Ozone are accepted by everyone, I hope that this work will be a great beginning and that it will become a series in the future. If 2 or 3 were to be made, I think it would be extremely interesting. Things like going overseas and talking about the post-war period are already secretly in my head (lol).

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Director: Isao Yukisada

In 2002, he came into the spotlight after winning numerous film awards, including the Best Director Award at the 25th Japan Academy Awards, for ``GO'' (2001). In 2004, ``Cry for Love at the Center of the World'' became a social phenomenon and became a huge hit with box office revenue of 8.5 billion yen. In 2018, ``River's Edge'' won the International Federation of Critics Award at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. Other works include ``Year Zero in the North'' (2005), ``This Time Is A Lovey House'' (2009), ``Five Minutes Before Midnight'' (14), ``Narratorage'' (17), and ``A Mouse Dreams of Cheese.'' ” (20), etc. Director Yukisada's works, which weave together aesthetic images full of emotion and multilayered human relationships, have been highly acclaimed both domestically and internationally, and continue to move the hearts of audiences.

Interview and text: Fumio Koda

Editorial staff and writer for CINEMORE. My favorite movies are ``The Goonies'' and ``Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.'' My recent favorites are 4K digitally remastered classics by Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu.

Photography: Kazunari Aoki

"Revolver Lily"

Nationwide release on Friday, August 11, 2023

Distribution: Toei

©2023 “Revolver Lily” Film Partners