SourPuss
Posts : 71
Join date : 2016-05-13
 | | Subject: Riki comments on his role in Battle Royale II Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:14 pm | |
|  
In an interview for the extras of the Dead or alive Hd (blu-ray) version, riki comments on his role in Battle Royale II.
I've transcribed that section of his interview below
(Riki )
“In Kinji Fukasakus last work, we were filming and, well, he died very suddenly.
And for some reason his son ended up taking on the directing business.
That movie was Battle Royale II.
I was in the role that Takeshi Kitano had played in the first film.
That was now being played by me.
That character was really myself.
That’s why they asked me to do it.
I asked the director, “why choose me?”
That’s what I asked Mr Fukasaku.
He said that the last scene in Dead or alive had left an impression.
Miike became pretty famous for that scene.
And Fukasaku thought he should watch some of miike’s work and think about what kind of projects he could do.
So he saw me in that scene. He said “You were great in that, I want you to be in my next work”.
That’s why! I felt very honored.
I made many suggestions for scenes
I could see myself in the character, I had my opinions.
So he asked me to come to rehearsals too, and I worked with the director at the rehearsals, However, before we could start filming, he fell ill, and his son took over the project in his place.
There were a lot of gun scenes, so the budget was used mostly on that.
He had to use the money there.
It’d be unfortunate when editing to cut those expensive action scenes.
“(Authors note)
What riki is implying here is: So much of the budget was spent on action scenes, that there wasn't much choice but to use them, even if they didn’t add anything to the story.”
(Riki )
So talk shifted to cutting the non-action scenes.
In my opinion, as an actor, the acting is much more important.
Honestly, with my character, When I read the script, there were a lot of aspects where I was like, “How did he end up like this?”
Anyway, I took the role.
But the part where I went crazy was totally cut out in the editing.
(Authors note)
“Here riki is talking about the back story being cut to why he lost his mind and why his character acts strange.”
(Riki )
When I saw the preview screening, I was really disappointed.
Something that should be there wasn’t, and I got really upset about that.
It just made me look like a crap actor, and that was very frustrating for me.
The audience saw it, and there was a reaction from overseas.
Since it was Fukasaku’s work, it was premiered overseas.
The overseas reaction was like.
“Takeuchi’s acting like he’s trying to be a comic character”.
We got a lot of feedback from Europe.
Things like I should retire.
I saw those comments and I was in shock.
I was frustrated, and I just decided to stop reading them.
I can’t make any excuses.
But after that, in the special edition, made just for the DVD release, those opinions were factored in.
(Authors note)
Riki is referring to
(Battle Royale II: Revenge 2004 )
(Riki )
So im happier with that one.
It shows the parts of the actors, I mean, it’s edited as the script called for.
Of course, that means it’s a little bit too long, but it’s made as a proper movie.
It’s not just a “kill-fest”, or a terrorist story.
It actually explains the reasons why these people became the way they are.
So it would’ve been better if that had been the original movie.
But if a movie is longer than two hours, Japanese people won’t watch it at the cinema.
When the work is commercial. Some things don’t work. Anyway, it got cut from the original release.
If the director Fukasaku had been alive, I think it would’ve turned out differently, but it was his son.
There wasn’t much I could do about it.
Kenta Fukasaku (son) was very humble and he apologized to me.
After seeing the premiere, he knew I was frustrated, and he apologized for the scenes he couldn’t leave in.
He apologized to me. That’s why I don’t have disdain for directors.
I don’t have any disdain for Kenta Fukasaku as a director.
We got along after that too.
But as for the people at the top of the production, Im not so sure about them.
The movie left some issues open-ended.
Author: SourPuss
| |
|
