"The Silence of the Sea" Director Setsuro Wakamatsu This is a movie for So Kuramoto [Director's Interview Vol.452]

The story that Kuramoto So had been planning for many years and that he "just had to write" has finally been made into a film. It depicts the troubled life of a genius painter who disappeared from the public eye. In addition to Motoki Masahiro playing the solitary painter Tsuyama Ryuji, the film also features a stellar cast including Koizumi Kyoko, Nakai Kiichi, Ishizaka Koji, Nakamura Toru, and Shimizu Misa. The film is directed by Wakamatsu Setsuro, whose previous works include " Whiteout " (2000), " Unbroken " (2009), and " Fukushima 50 " (2020). It is an "adult film," which has become rare in Japan recently. How did director Wakamatsu turn Kuramoto's script into a film? We spoke to him.

Synopsis of "The Silence of the Sea"

A major incident occurs at an exhibition of world-famous painter Tamura Shuzo (Ishizaka Koji). One of the exhibited works is found to be a fake. As the news coverage heats up day after day, the body of a woman covered in tattoos is discovered in Hokkaido. A man emerges between these two incidents. He is Tsuyama Ryuji (Motoki Masahiro), who was once known as a promising and talented painter, but disappeared from the public eye after a certain incident. Ryuji's former lover, now Tamura's wife Anna (Koizumi Kyoko), heads to Hokkaido. Ryuji and Anna, who thought they would never see each other again, are reunited in Otaru. However, the illness has taken its toll on Ryuji's body. What will he paint in the little time he has left? What will he be thinking? What are his hidden feelings?

Index

• Working with So Kuramoto
• What is "Beauty"?
• Location matters
• Commitment to size
• A film for So Kuramoto

Working with So Kuramoto

Q: This film is a project that Kuramoto So had been working on for many years, but how did Director Wakamatsu end up adapting it into a film?

Wakamatsu: I worked with Kuramoto-san before on the drama "Gionbayashi" (05 TV) starring Watari Tetsuya. This is the first time since then. The producer asked me to do it and I read the script, but I thought it was a bit too much for me... I declined at first, but Kuramoto-san contacted me and said, "What don't you understand? What do I need to fix? I want to talk to you, so please come to Furano." So I went to Furano with the producer in the snow.

When I actually met him, Kuramoto-san was wearing sunglasses and staring at my face the whole time. I had heard rumors that "the script must not be changed, not even a single word," so I thought he must be a very strict person. However, I thought that if I was going to be the director, I should be allowed to voice my opinion properly. So we had a kind session, and he listened carefully to what I had to say. He was not the strict Kuramoto So I had heard rumors about, but he was kind to me.

What Kuramoto wanted to do was a philosophical story that asked the question "What is beauty?" I understand that, but that alone doesn't make it entertaining. It was already decided that Motoki and Koizumi would appear, so wouldn't it be better to strengthen the element of a love story? When I told Kuramoto about it, he said, "If that's the case, I'll write it."

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Q: How was the rumor that "the script must not be changed, not a single word" felt on set this time?

Wakamatsu: In Kuramoto's script, there are many places where "pauses" are written between lines. It is an instruction to "take a pause here," and "the pause expresses what the line is intended to convey." However, since movies are limited by time, there are times when you have to cut pauses. That's why I decided to ignore the pauses this time. Of course, I don't ignore everything, but there are times when I say things in rapid succession, and there are times when I show a performance with a slow pause. I decided to just go along with it.

Q: Closing the gap affects not only filming but also editing.

Wakamatsu: That's right. That's why I was allowed to edit the film myself. I'm sure Kuramoto-san was not happy about it, but this time I made a film for him, not for myself. I'm proud of that. This is a film to convey what you want to say.

Q: Did you gain Kuramoto's trust from the drama you worked on together previously?

Wakamatsu: I'm not one to comment on trust (laughs), but when I asked Kuramoto if I wanted to use "Canon" for the music played in "Gion Bayashi," he said, "That's wonderful!" Maybe he saw my musical and visual sense in that way. Also, my theme is "taking pictures of people," and I make a living by taking close-ups of people, so that may have something to do with it.

Q: Have you always had the theme of "taking pictures of people" since you were young? Or did you realize it at some stage?

Wakamatsu: I guess it's just my personality. For example, in the drama " ER 24 Hours (3rd Series) " (2005 TV), I would only take pictures of the face of the person performing the surgery, not the hands themselves. The producer would then ask me, "Why don't you take pictures of my hands?" When that happened, I would answer, "Because I'm not interested." He would say, "Can't you get across what you want to say by looking at the person's face?" Of course, that didn't work, so I ended up taking pictures of the hands (laughs). But even so, I realized that I was always taking pictures of people's faces. I hope that I can explain their movements through their facial expressions.

What is "Beauty"?