All language subtitles for Nobuhiko.Obayashi.1990.Making.of.Dreams

This video was shot with multiple
film and S-VHS video cameras

on the sets and locations
of Akira Kurosawa is Dreams.

It was drawn
from 190 hours of raw footage,

scenes from Dreams
(Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution),

selections from storyboards
drawn by Kurosawa himself,

and a dialogue between Kurosawa
and Nobuhiko Obayashi.

One might say

it's a �making of� video,

one that freely imagines
and reconstructs

�The World of
Akira Kurosawa's " Dreams.�

- Nobuhiko Obayashi

What are films?

What makes them
beautiful and powerful?

A film...

There's something
you're trying to capture

in any given film,

and here and there
it comes together...

but the film as a whole
isn't there yet.

So you keep groping,

and some shots just click.

I can't explain it theoretically,

since I don't have
a head for theory.

I just feel
that chill down my spine

when a shot works completely.

That's the feeling
I'm trying to capture.

Are you a demon?

I suppose I am.

But I used to be human.

He's human.

He's not really a demon.

Can you make him
more human-like?

It looks good,

but it's too good.

Make him more human.
Let's get rid of the makeup.

Hear that?

When dusk comes,

those big-shot demons
howl in pain.

Their horns hurt
like cancerous tumors.

Enough to make them yearn
for a quick death.

Come, I'll show you.

KUROSAWA

Rolling!

You can't go out today.

The sun is shining,
but it's raining.

Foxes hold their weddings
on days like this.

They hate it
if anybody watches.

Terrible things
will happen if you do.

Let's set the dolly up here.

What's the matter?
Does he have a fever?

No, no fever.

A cough, but no fever.

Just a cough.

How are the platforms?

You do like this,
then like this.

Then like this,
and like this.

Rolling!

Ready?

The wind changed direction.

- Smoke!
- Get the rain ready.

The smoke's running out.

Cut! That won't work.

Cut!

Keep the smoke coming.

It went up too high.

Step forward.

Not enough smoke.

Make more.

Keep the smoke coming.

Stop! Don't go that way.

The sun's come out.

Look at the sun.

Where?

A cloud's blocking it now.

- Rain!
- Smoke!

Don't let the smoke run out.

Rain!

Good morning.

This needs to be
a little more...

The faces look very good.

Hare, let's set up here.

Ready?

Silence, everyone!

Ready, Hara?

Let's start
with the back smoke.

- Slower!
- Rain!

Don't run.

Walk slowly.

Think about
the direction of the wind.

How was the last part?

Stop the smoke!

I'll stop the dry ice.

Stop the dry ice.

Maybe shoot now
before it gets cloudy?

Don't let him trip
or it'll be your fault.

You need to be
in a tournament.

1,000 minus 10,000

minus one trillion
minus ten quadrillion.

Smoke!

Smoke in front.

Dry ice.

Thicker in front.

Make it thicker in front.

Blend it
with the smoke from in back.

- Come out now!
- Not too close.

You ran off.

- How's the weather?
- Stop the smoke.

- How's the weather?
- There's not much smoke up there.

The weather's no good.

How's the weather?

Tell him about the smoke.

You need to let him know.

Stop the smoke.

The lower clouds

and upper clouds are moving
in different directions.

Places, everyone!

Rolling!

Stand by!

Rain!

Smoke in front!

- Too much.
- Less smoke in front.

It's not too much?

The red is a bit -

Too intense?

Maybe it's too much red.

It's easier for a fox
to turn into a human

than for a human
to turn into a fox.

Now run.

That was okay, right?

The turning around
wasn't perfect.

But the rest was good.

How was B?

B was okay, C was okay.

This take was okay.

Put warm clothes on the boy.

He's done for today, right?
He can go home.

You saw it, didn't you?

You saw something
you shouldn't have.

I can't have
such a child in my house.

An angry fox
came looking for you.

He left this.

You're to atone
by cutting your belly open.

Go quickly
and ask their forgiveness.

You must go prepared
to die for your sin!

Hurry now.

Until they forgive you,

I can't let you back in.

But I don't know
where their home is.

Of course you do.

On days like this
there's always a rainbow.

Their home
is beneath the rainbow.

It looks just like the house
I lived in as a child.

In Koishikawa.

That was our house
in Koishikawa.

It was a little different.

You'd go through the gate,

but the path was a little longer.

And the right side
had a second floor.

There was a garden
inside the gate.

So you put the name
�Kurosawa� on the plate -

Because it's my own story.

It's about my childhood.

Why not just put
my own name up there?

I say this often...

but the imagination...

is rooted in memory.

Memory is the foothold,

and you imagine from there.

The novels I read -
Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and so on -

I remember
lots of different passages.

Those become
the stepping stones

from which to create
something new.

Even the sounds and music -

I tell the sound editors
exactly what I want,

and they can put it in
right away.

I have tons of records
and CDs and such.

Yet I remember exactly
which one is which.

My powers of recall

surprise everybody.

I find what I'm seeking
right away.

The horse has to step forward.

A bit more.

That's it.

- How's the blue in the water?
- Should we add more?

Let's add more.

The water's not turning blue.

You need to add more blue.

Can you make ripples
over there?

There are no ripples
where there should be.

Can you drop the rock
over there?

Can you repeat that?

Do it again but much bigger.

It's hard to see
if you're in the water.

It doesn't look right.

The sun's disappearing.

It looks great over there.

I hope that cloud keeps moving.

Let's wait for the sun
to come out.

Do they need
to use the bathroom?

Someone said Kumada
caused the bad weather.

- You said the weather would hold.
- Until 10:00.

Until 10100?

I guess it didn't make it.

If we get heavy rain,
we'll have to redo it all.

It poured down the other day.

It was a big thunderstorm.

Lightning over there
and heavy rain that way.

- Ban/our.
- Are you going home?

No, not yet.
Bonjour.

You're gonna fall!

Kame-san!

Monsieur van Gogh.

It's going to be a while.
Perhaps we should eat now.

As soon as the food arrives.

Look.

The women just carry on
a regular conversation.

When we say action,
they start washing clothes.

Then the ripples start.

It's too loud.

Okay.

Do you know
where Mr. van Gogh lives ?

If it's him you're after,
he crossed the bridge

and went that way.

Thank you.

Be careful, sir.

He just got out of the lunatic asylum.

Matches perfectly.

The thing in front.

In front of that.

He found it.

That's good.

There's a pattern in the middle.

I can sprinkle more on top.

Continue like that.

Over here too.

Adjust the lights.

Center it more.

To the right a bit.

Can you move it forward?

Use the filter...

on the right side.

Too far.

That looks good.

Can you put it back?

Put in filters one and two.

Two, one.

Can you change
the black to purple?

On the right...

use a strong filter
behind that big thing.

I want to show this to Lucas.

It's okay if it looks
a bit wrinkled.

This is Lucas-san.

It's going pretty well.

It will look
like the man is walking

through Van Gogh's
actual paintings.

Please watch
and give us your comments.

- Shall we?
- Rolling!

Okay. Good job.

We finished before noon.

We're starting.

We can't mess up,

so please don't stand there.

Watch from over here.

Let's begin.

You took off your hat.

Keep it on next time.

Rolling!

You're Vincent van Gogh,
aren't you?

I have to hurry.

Time's running out.
So little time left.

Hurry, everyone!

Rolling!

Throughout your films,

the use of music
is really impeccable.

What's your musical background?

Did you excel at music
in elementary school?

No, I wasn't good at it at all,

though I love music.

In elementary school...

I was made to sing
as a class representative,

but I had
no particular talent for it.

But I do love music.

I listen to music a lot.

More than most people,
I think.

In terms of Dreams,

I watched
the filmmaking process.

I thought it was interesting how,
while editing the film,

you chose
some classical music.

In the final version,

lkebe wrote original music
expanding on those pieces.

You use Chopin's
�Raindrop� prelude

in the scenes with Van Gogh.

Was that irreplaceable?

That's right.
That couldn't change.

Abel Gance made
a film called La roue,

a wonderful film
whose title in Japanese

means
White Rose of the Railway.

It's the story...

of a locomotive engineer.

His fate
and his state of mind

were symbolized
by a locomotive and wheels.

And for the music...

Abel Gance used
the �Raindrop� prelude.

La roue...

really struck me
as a great film.

I guess I was 18 at the time.

I saw how fascinating
cinema could be.

It's right up there
on the screen.

So I couldn't drop that music.

When you were young,
you wanted to be a painter,

so what prompted you

to go into the film business?

Well...

I simply couldn't
make a living...

as a painter.

And I realized
that with paintings,

I couldn't say everything
I was thinking.

There are
so many things in the world

I want to say something about,

and I couldn't do that
with paintings.

Can you face that way
a bit more?

Yes.

We'll be out of this gully soon.

Sit kind of like this.

Kimura and Yui,
from there to there.

Stretch out your hands
and hold the rope.

It's hard to end
a story properly.

It has to be the right order.

I'll use makeup here.

The snow is warm.

The ice is hot.

Thank you.

Thank you.

- Good job.
- All done.

It was over too soon.
I wanted to do more.

After six months
of makeup tests,

the actual performance
only took three days.

I'm left wanting more.

But I'll be an extra
in the �Water Mills� episode.

In that episode

I'll be an extra,
with my baby on my back.

You can do lots of things
with the camera,

but first you have
to create the character.

The character
has to be established.

And it's not just a matter

of costumes and such.

It depends
on the actor's performance.

A proper performance...

is necessary.

Only when you film that
do things start clicking.

Some people

try to piece together
a performance

with a bunch of cuts
edited together.

You can't grasp
the film that way.

You can't grasp it.

In Han...

Kaede comes in
holding a helmet

and cut's Jiro's throat.

That's a single shot.

We rehearsed that scene
every day for three months.

At first the scene ran
about 15 minutes,

but finally it was down
to around 9 1/2.

That's amazing.

We rehearsed
every single day.

Was this set based
on your house?

Yes, on our house in Akita.

I was only two or three.

Were there peach trees,
or is that imaginary?

That's imaginary.

My sister used to play with me.

The Doll Festival scene...

One sister was named Momoyo.
She died quite young.

She used to play
like the girls in the scene.

That looks the same.

Exactly like that scene.

Does the boy who plays you

look like you
when you were a boy?

Yes, he does,

and he's dressed
almost the same.

You're directing
your own childhood.

That's right.

Or recreating it.

Children really do understand.

To put it simply,

you mustn't treat them
like children.

You have to speak
to them as equals.

I want to do it
to Mr. Kurosawa's satisfaction.

That's what I've been
trying to do.

Did you memorize your lines?

Yes.

Okay!

Let's make it shinier.

Everything matters
during production.

If the floor is supposed to shine,
we polish all the floors.

That's the good thing
about cinema:

Everyone works together.

Honda's nickname is

�god of the wood grain.�

When sets are built,

he draws in the wood grain,

especially the spots
to be filmed.

So people call him
�god of the wood grain.�

Everyone worked very hard.

You can't do that

if you don't love film.

Does it make noise?

It's okay if it makes noise.

I'll add the sound
of the kettle later.

- Nice work.
- Thank you.

- How's it going?
- Just fine.

- How are the children doing?
- Very well.

Does the boy look like you
when you were a child?

I don't remember clearly,
but I think so.

Have you got a fever again?

Just a minute.

Can you look over there?

He goes that way.

When he goes that way,
we don't see him.

The camera needs to be here.

Can you look at your brother

and act very surprised?

Be natural.

Everyone loosen up.
Ready?

Stop acting so strange!

Now leave us alone.

That's good.
Keep facing this way.

Weren't there six of you?

There were six of you before,
so I brought six servings.

Look at the rice cakes.

You pass the dish
and put it down.

What's next?

When you say...

�Weren't there six of you?�

you sit down
and talk to your sister.

Don't look that way.

You open the door
and look in that direction.

You come over here

He doesn't open it this far?

He does that first.

He does that first.

When he opens the door,
he doesn't see that way.

You stand here,
and you see her.

�She's there.�
You come this way.

Don't look that way.

No, that's not right.

This is tough.

- She was right there!
- That's the other part.

After that.

�Just tell me who she is.�

Just tell me who she is.

- She's there.
- Who?

- I don't know who she is.
- No one's there!

She was right there!

This is a tricky technique.

We can actually see her,

but with the lighting,

the children can't see her.

Maybe it's not possible.

We can see her.

It's in the script,

but it may not
actually be possible.

I'll move towards the light.
The shadow will stay in the frame.

Clappers.

Wait. Sorry.

Cut.
Don't run away like that.

Just walk slowly
over to that red thing.

Ready!

Move it forward a bit.

Clappers.

That was awkward.

If you don't do it right,
the timing is off.

Do it in one breath.

Sometimes I shout a bit,

but don't be scared.
It's just a habit of mine.

Ready?

- She's there!
- Who?

- I don't know who she is.
- No one's there!

She was right there!

We'll do one more,
but let's keep that one.

Can you say that louder?
�She's there.�

You're sort of mad.

Like when you're mad.

Otherwise your sister
won't come over to you.

Sometimes
when you have a fever...

you speak
in a strange, high voice.

That's happened to me too!

Once more.

Clappers.

- Here, sis.
- Thanks.

Weren't there six of you?

There were six of you before,
so I brought six servings.

Stop acting so strange!

Now leave us alone.

- She's there!
- Who?

- I don't know who she is.
- No one's there!

She was right there!

Okay.

Make two copies.

Thank you.

There were
a few ways of doing it.

They're looking in the girl's direction,
but they can't see her.

The boy can see her.

She was really there.

But when he slides the door open,
he can't see her.

So...

though the audience sees her,

the girls can't.

That was hard to get right.

So I thought
that was the best solution.

Are you all right?

Wait!

Where are you going?
You're not supposed to go out!

Anyone need a straw?

Cut! Stop!

Let's shoot the final sequence.

This is the last take.
Do your best!

We have something
to tell you.

Listen carefully.

We're never going
to your house again.

Why not?

Your family cut down

all the peach trees
in this orchard.

The Doll Festival
is also a seasonal festival.

If you cut down
the peach trees,

how can you hold
a Doll Festival?

Let us not blame the boy.

He wept for us as we were
being chopped down.

Because he'd get
no more peaches!

You're wrong!

I love this place

and the peach trees
that bloomed here.

I knew I would
never see them again!

That's why I cried!

Very well. We understand.

He is a good boy.

Let us allow him to see

this peach orchard in bloom

one last time.

That was good.
Thanks, everyone.

All done.

Good job.

I thought it worked well,
freezing the frame like that.

I'm skipping lunch
to watch the cameras.

Good morning.

Higher.

Can you lift that up?

I can't bend my arm.

Try biting me.

Not the other side.

Try walking around
to get them dirty.

I'll see the dog over there.

What are you filming?

I didn't think the weather
would be like this here.

The sun was out earlier.

It was getting brighter,
so I hurried here.

But once I got through the tunnel,
the weather changed.

It must have been miserable
waiting in this weather.

At least it's not cold.

It was like this on
Sanshiro Sugata.

We waited...

and suddenly it got windy
and the sun came out.

But we don't want
that kind of wind.

It's hard to know.

Gotenba was getting sunnier.

Is there something special
about Gotenba for you?

No, it's just coincidence.

One of my first location shoots
was in Gotenba.

I've been shooting here
since I was 26.

The wall on the left
is a stage set, right?

Yes. Without that wall,
this stands in for the other side.

The other side won't work.

You don't want any fog today?

That's right.
You can see it now.

The wind's blowing the fog in.

It depends on the dog.

Terao can go either way.

He goes around
and looks that way.

At some point the dog stops.

- He stops there?
- Yes.

The dog will move towards him.

Can you let me know
when the dog should stop?

Yes. He can come
a bit closer.

As long as the man
can get into the tunnel.

I'll get the dog
to focus on Mr. Terao.

- Do you want this?
- Thank you.

It's better to see it bigger.

You see the shiny spot?

It's a bit out of frame.

Lower it a bit.

I know you consider yourself

rather impatient,

but your crew says
you're very patient,

that you wait patiently
until they're completely ready.

Some say that's what
they like best about you.

But are you impatient
by nature?

The studio is always
telling you to finish quickly.

But as Mikio Naruse once said...

�No one's more anxious
to finish than the director.�

That's true, isn't it?

But with some things
you have to persevere.

A director
can spot imperfections.

- What time is it?
- It's only 3:00.

- It's so dark today.
- We're in the mountains.

That doesn't make sense.

Let's wait
another 20-30 minutes.

Stay on stand-by.

Is it raining?

It's starting to.

Today's Thursday.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday...

We'll take Sunday off.

Let's move forward
with the shot in Zushi too.

I don't want to put it off.

Let's shoot that on Monday.

You look like
you're planning something.

So we'll call it a day.

Thank you, everybody.

And another thing,
production department.

Listen, be careful.

There have been too many accidents
on film locations recently.

People aren't paying attention.

So be careful going home.
The roads will be icy.

You're portraying
the character of Mr. Kurosawa.

How do you feel about that?

He told me to act naturally.

When I read the script,

instead of portraying
Akira Kurosawa,

I decided I was playing
the character of

Ever since then I've felt great,
and I can act naturally.

Good morning.

What's on your schedule today?

I'm going to call Mr. Kurosawa.

Why don't you tuck it in?

I didn't want
the shoelaces to get dirty.

My hands are so cold.

10,000 feet above sea level.

- Are you enjoying it?
- Yes.

- Where did you come from?
- I come from Italy.

- For what?
- Assistant director to Mr. Kurosawa.

- I came here also for learning.
- Have you seen some of his films?

- Oh, yes.
- What kind of films?

- Well, almost all.
- Almost all. In Italy?

- Is Kurosawa popular in Italy?
- Yes.

What kind of films do you want
to make? Like Kurosawa?

Well, I would hope so...

but it is very difficult.

He's very good.

I've never been a soldier,
of course.

But our fathers fought in a war
dressed in uniforms like this.

What do you think about?

Something ordinary...
or not so ordinary.

I always find something.

When I'm performing,

I know what's going
to happen in the end.

I have that in my mind.

Just yesterday
Mr. Kurosawa reminded me...

that I shouldn't
be thinking about that.

I've read the entire script,

so the end is already in my head

when I start acting.

So it's good to get that feedback...

and be reminded of that.

Today's shoot is canceled!

I'll work with the dog
some more,

so hopefully he won't do
that badly again.

Thank you.

- Much better today.
- Which scene is first?

The tunnel scene.

- The man walking towards the tunnel?
- That's fight.

- lsn't it too bright today?
- We'll continue until nighttime.

Inside the tunnel will be very dark,

and it will be dark
when he comes out of it too.

We changed the plan.

The director wants to differentiate

between going in
and coming out of tunnel.

That's what I was told this morning.

This is how it goes.

Changes happen all the time,
so we have to be flexible.

Now it's going to be night
when he comes out.

There's a red light.

We have
to be flexible every day

and do the best we can.

Difficulties help you find
better ideas.

It's challenging.

I thought if it were night
on the other side,

it would feel
more like a dream.

And create
a sense of distance too.

So let's wait until 4:00
to shoot this.

Yes, it's still too bright.

I want it to look like sunset.

It's pitch-dark in there.

- So we can start getting ready?
- Yes.

Let's get ready.

Stand by.

The dog comes out of the dark.

Give him a go signal.

I'll have him stop
and then move slowly forward.

Please don't bite my head.

Good boy.

When do I say stop?

He'll get better with practice.

Wait...

You follow the dog and then -

So the dog -

Keep the same distance
as much as possible.

For a dog to get furious,

it really has to feel it.

It's hard to make a dog pretend.

The dog!

The snow worked well.

It made it more melancholy.

But too much of it melted.
I wish there'd been more.

You have to be...

flexible.

You can't insist that things
be a certain way.

If a solution meets your needs,
you use it.

That opens up
lots of possibilities.

Honda-saw.!

Before the third platoon
does an about-face,

do they salute?

- No need.
- They just about-face.

No salute
before the about-face.

It's not necessary.

When dismissing them -

He starts to get emotional.

Then you hear the trumpet,
and when that sound ends,

I want you to collapse.

Silence!

Yes, sir!

Was I really killed in action?

Platoon...

halt!

Platoon.

Platoon...

halt!

Salute
the company commander!

Present...

arms!

What happened?

That 16-minute tunnel shot
is probably a world record.

It's a 16-minute shot.

One magazine can
only shoot ten minutes.

Then you have to reload.

The soldiers are coming out -

As they come out,

they have lights attached
to their backpacks

to make the eyes
of the soldiers in back shine.

When they do an about-face,

we had to pause, of course,

so I yelled �Cut!�

The soldiers stood still,
and the crew took the lights off.

We changed the magazine.

You can change it
very quickly.

I yelled, �Action!�
and they started again.

Third Platoon, about-face!

Forward...

march!

The psychological pressure

gradually begins to build.

The tension builds...

and slowly you start
to feel the excitement.

But if you cut,
you don't get that feeling.

You can't capture it.

Is there another example
in the Japanese film tradition

of a director who rehearsed
extensively before shooting?

There was Kenji Mizoguchi.

Theo Angelopoulos
took that even further.

He studied Mizoguchi's method.

We all learned that
from Mizoguchi.

Another dream sequence
I really wanted to make...

but couldn't...

was the asura
at Kofukuji Temple.

He walks out of the temple.

Everyone's startled to see him
emerge through the temple gate.

He's standing by the pond

and doing like this with his arms.

The Temple
of the Golden Pavilion...

Kiyomizudera Temple,
and so on -

he's juggling them all
in a kind of whirlwind.

The asura has three faces,

and they're all arguing
with each other.

�Don't be so rough!�
and so on.

�This isn't rough at all!�

�This is unforgivable!�

At the end they say...

�Well, we came all this way.

Let's go see the moon
at Mount Mikasa.�

I mean, Mount Wakakusa.

So they watch the moon rise.

But issues of the Kyoto temples

aren't global problems.

That was an obstacle too.
But I really wanted to make it.

Even when I'm writing a script,

you see...

even a character I've created

sometimes doesn't listen
to what I say.

I tell them to do this and that,
to behave a certain way.

But once they've gained a certain presence,
they say what they want.

The story doesn't always
unfold the way I expect.

It has its own reality.

Generally,
when writing a script,

you outline the plot first, right?

I've always said
that's a stupid approach.

You're not a god.

You can't see the story
from start to end.

So the way
I write screenplays is

I fade in at the beginning

and follow
the natural progression.

I have a vague idea
of what the whole will look like.

But mapping everything out
tightly in an outline

just isn't organic.

For example,
maybe there's a conversation

that doesn't make sense.

Maybe one person calls another
an idiot, and they fight.

So you don't really see
where you're going.

You've cowritten screenplays
with lots of people.

Well, I myself can only
see things from one side,

so writing with others

allows me to see
from different angles.

And I incorporate all of that.

When writing
The Hidden Fortress,

you included a checkpoint
the characters couldn't get past,

and you had your cowriters
figure out how to get past it.

Well...

there was a checkpoint
we couldn't get past.

We tried one thing
that didn't work,

then another that didn't work.

I said, �They still have
to get through!�

How many days did that take?

Everyone thought and thought.

Finally Oguni said,
�I've got it!�

The character does something
completely expected.

All of a sudden...

he pulls out
a hidden piece of gold

and says �I found this!�

The guard sees it
and makes a scene.

The character says,
�Give it back!�

�Shut up and get out of here!�
And off he goes.

That was Oguni's idea.

If you persevere,
something will work out.

Haven't you heard?

The nuclear power plant exploded!

You're a little late.

Haven't you heard?

Sorry!

Haven't you heard?

The nuclear power plant exploded!

Everyone looks over.

I know that.
We can't escape.

But we have to try.

You can't step back

because lots of people
are pressing past.

- I need to stay by the edge.
- You should look surprised.

- Can I pick up the child when we run?
- Fine.

Listen...

some people can come
from this direction.

People can stop here
and turn around.

Some folks are resting there...

but when they see
the huge crowd,

they get scared

and rejoin them.

That's the first scene.

I'll give you this
so all of you can study it.

For the second scene,

the people stop walking.

When they stop,
they look that way.

The people over there look.

The people resting stand up.

Some folks standing...

shift that way.

In the third scene,

I want everyone
to rush all together.

That's the flow.

A few crew members
familiar with the details

should join the crowd.

She's already in the film.

But take off the red jacket.

I'll be an old woman.

How about bicycles
and motorcycles?

- We should have those.
- They can be in the crowd.

Thirty bicycles
and 10 motorcycles.

Ten motorcycles
will fill up the space.

Add some luggage
on the bicycles.

How about baby strollers?

Strollers are important.

The guardrail is blocking the view.

The guardrail is about this height.

It's in the way.

Better to come
from the embankment side.

The crowd rushes through this way,
and some go the other way.

Inside.

Further away.

Inside.

Frame in.

Pull back a bit...

to where you're standing.

Turn that way.

Make it chaotic.
Bump into each other.

- Go up high there?
- It'll be filled with people.

Put some luggage
on the ground as a marker.

Honda-san isn't feeling well.

Let's send him home
if we can.

Can you give him a ride?

He has a fever.

He's feeling really weak.

He needs his wife.

Male friends...

no matter how close,
will always argue.

But Honda and I
have never argued...

because he's so mild-mannered.

I'm sure I'm gotten
on his nerves often,

but he keeps his cool.

I count on him
for the second unit a lot.

He always shoots things

exactly the way I ask him to.

On one occasion

I had pneumonia
and couldn't move,

so I asked Honda to take over.

I feel reassured
when he's there.

There aren't
many people like that.

Let's wait
till the camera's in place.

You're so neat.

It's easy this way.

- I used to draw different shapes for fun.
- Like a tortoise shell.

I think this will work.

Is this where they come up?

We can collaborate here.

You're pretty slow.

Wind the flag up.

There's an explosion, then an atomic
cloud, black smoke, red fog...

Don't laugh as you run.

It's fun, but no laughing.
You're acting.

It's a hopeless situation.

There'll be multiple explosions.

INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC SFX CREW

The real Mount Fuji will be composited
with the miniature in this scene.

The miniature will be used
for scenes such as explosions,

melting snow, steam, and
Mount Fuji melting from the heat.

The scenes will be divided
into parts for shooting.

That's good!

You begin to see

explosions over there.

Clouds start clashing
with each other,

so I call it
the �battlefield of clouds.�

It actually happens.

I saw it from my house once.

I thought
it had started to erupt.

It shot up like this.

When this bank of clouds
pushes that way

and wins the battle,
the sky is cleared.

Of course,
they were just clouds.

It's not ready, right?

When you get there,
take off your hat.

There's an explosion
behind Mount Fuji in this scene.

Let's get moving.

Good luck, everyone.

Ready?

This way.

Cut!

Cut!

Another thing:

You're evacuating.
You should run faster.

It's not a picnic.

You're running around
in a panic,

so run as fast as you can.

Do your best!

Everyone understand?

Let's get going-

Don't show your teeth!

Stop! Too fast!

Everyone should run
at the same time.

Too fast? I don't know
what I'm supposed to do.

Ueki...

three people went too soon.

The other side
wasn't ready yet,

so wait a little bit.

Do your best!

Ready over there?

Yori, watch the front!

Let's roll it.

Do your best!

Cut. Stop slowly.

Okay, thanks everyone.

Well done!

Very exciting.

Less than an hour.

The first rehearsal took an hour.

I'm good at shooting
this kind of scene quickly.

Cheese!

Ready?

It's worse than that!

Haven't you heard?

The nuclear power plant exploded!

There are six reactors.

They're exploding one after another.

How's your position?

Mommy's here!

Mommy's waiting here.

- How is it?
- Okay.

Rolling!

This is terrible!

Haven't you heard?

Cut already?

Terao, you have
to come in sooner.

There was no one
to say my line to.

This way!

I'm moving this.

I want to tell everyone
something.

When I say �Look,�
stop and look at Mount Fuji.

Did you all get that?

My voice is the easiest to hear,

but Honda's voice
was even louder.

Assistant directors in the old days
were trained that way.

We didn't have
bullhorns back then.

Now people use them,
so their voices get weak.

The easy way
isn't always the best.

Not using an electronic device,

but your own natural voice.

Are we ready?

Haven't you heard?

The nuclear power plant exploded!

Look!

Run!

Run!

This is Japan.
There's nowhere to run.

I know that.
We can't escape.

But we have to try.
We have no choice!

This take was good.

Good job!

Good job, Sayuri.

We can't go any farther.

But...

what happened?

Where did all those people go?

Where did they run to?

They're at the bottom of the sea.

Those are dolphins.
Even they're trying to escape.

Lucky them.

They can swim away.

It makes no difference.

The radiation will get them
soon enough.

Here it comes.

The red is plutonium-239.

One ten-millionth of a gram
will give you cancer.

The yellow is strontium-90.

It collects in your bone marrow

and causes leukemia.

The purple is cesium-137.

It accumulates in the gonads,
causing genetic mutations.

There's no telling
what you'll give birth to.

People are such fools!

Radiation was dangerous
because you couldn't see it,

so they found a way to dye it.

But that only confirms
you're going to die.

It's just Death's calling card.

Now, if you'll excuse me...

Wait!

Radiation doesn't kill you
right away, so maybe -

Maybe nothing!
A slow death is even worse.

Death is one thing for adults
who've lived their lives.

But children haven't even
begun to live yet.

Waiting to die from
radiation poisoning isn't living.

They told us,
�Nuclear energy is safe.

The danger lies in human error,

not in nuclear energy itself.

We won't allow any mistakes,
so don't worry.�

It's unforgivable!

Those bastards better hang for this

or I'll never die in peace!

Don't worry.
The radiation will see to that.

Please forgive me.

I'm one of those who ought to hang.

I would rather do

one long take
from beginning to end.

You have three rolls of film
starting at the same time.

When you're combining
that footage,

you don't take out any frames.

I look at the first,
then the second, then the third.

I take parts from each
and put them together.

That's how I do it.

Occasionally I leave
one camera out altogether.

There was a disagreement
with an editor once

where you said
the rolls weren't lined up,

but the editor said they were.

It looked like an actor had jumped
from one spot to another,

but actually
that was how it was filmed.

I remember your saying

that you wanted to somehow use

that discrepancy in the film.

Depending on positioning,
sometimes an actor

seems to jump
from one spot to another.

Sometimes...

it's a dolly shot,

and the camera captures
something I didn't really ask for

because the timing was late.

So I notice something amiss.

I notice the discrepancy.

So while the three cameras
are running,

are you editing them together
in your head as you watch?

I think so, yes.

When all three cameras
are on dollies,

I'm aware of the position
and movement of each one.

Somehow I can see everything.

A simple example:

If there are three people
interacting,

I ask myself whose face
the audience wants to see.

Whose face does the viewer
want to see at that moment?

The way I see it...

right now...

films...

are -

How should I put it?

Where does the film
come alive?

It's not -

For example,
you have a sequence,

and the gap between
that sequence and the next.

It's in those gaps between
one scene and the next

that the film comes alive.

This can get very technical,

but there's a subtle breath
from one scene to the next.

That gap between scenes

is where the meaning
comes through.

That's where
a sudden shift occurs.

That's where
the shift is created.

The best example of that...

is in Ikiru.

Kanji Watanabe
starts to work hard.

Then we suddenly out,

and the narrator says he died
on such-and-such a date.

It's that gap.

No matter how much
you write in the screenplay

about how hard he worked,

the reader won't be moved.

It was winter
when we wrote that,

and we were sitting there

not knowing
what to write next.

We thought about it for days.

Then I remembered

that Kajiro Yamamoto

had shown me a book and said,
�This is how films work.�

It was an essay

by a scientist or mathematician.
KAJIRO YAMAMOTO

He wrote that he'd gone

to the botanical garden
in Koishikawa.

His wife
was collecting acorns

like a little girl.

She was tucking them
in her sleeves

as he sat on a bench,
smoking cigarettes

and just watching her.

Then, after some
empty space, it said...

�lt's been X number of years
since she died.�

�This is it!

This is how films work!�

I suddenly remembered that
while working on Ikiru.

When the main character dies,

there's a gap
before the next scene.

The producer Shingi Morita,
who gave me my start,

would often say...

�Let's have a fine play!�

So that was a �fine play�
in filmic form.

That's not in the script.

It's in those connecting points
that you can say things clearly.

With Dreams,
the structure changed a lot

from the first version
of the script.

Was that because
of those connection points too?

Yes. While filming it...

in the beginning
I didn't know where it was going,

but then it gradually
came together in my mind.

And at the end
I didn't think too much.

It just took that form.

Yet it feels like it was
that way from the start.

That's right.

Move your bodies!

Get suddenly louder!

What's the name of this village?

It doesn't have one.

We just call it �the village.�

Is there a festival today?

No, that's a funeral.

Do all the villagers
live around here?

What do you do for light?

Isn't it dark at night?

Night is supposed to be dark.

We'd be in trouble
if night were as bright as day.

As much as possible,

we try to live

the natural way,
like people did in the past.

These days...

people heve forgotten
they're a part of nature too.

They can't live without nature,

yet they meddle with it
and destroy it.

They always think
they can create something better.

Especially scientists.

They may be smart...

but so many of them
are completely deaf

to the beating of nature's heart.

They work so hard

inventing things
that make people unhappy

and then pat themselves
on the back for it.

You've made lots
of thatched roofs for film sets.

That's right.

- For lots of Kurosawa films.
- Yes.

How long have you been
working for Mr. Kurosawa?

Since Seven Samurai.

The most important things
for human beings

are clean air and clean water

and the trees and grass
that produce them.

But folks pollute everything,

and it's lost forever.

The polluted air and water

go on to pollute people's hearts.

Let's roll it!

The sun's good.

Good day.

Ah, good day.

By the way, how old are you?

Me?
One hundred plus three.

A pretty good age
to leave the human race.

Listen, people go on
about how hard life is,

but that's just a lot of talk.

Honestly,
it's good to be alive.

It's a lot of fun.

The lady being buried today

died peacefully at the age of 99.

In fact, I must go now
and join the procession.

Please excuse me.

To tell you the truth,

she was my first love.

But she broke my heart

and married another guy.

�It's good to be alive.
It's a lot of fun.�

I heard that in middle school.

What's that plant called?
Nobiru?

Yes, that's it. Nobiru.

In Akita we called it hirokko.

There was this man eating
nob/ru and sipping sake,

and he said to me...

�Akira-san...

I live in this dirty house
and eat humble food.

It probably doesn't seem
very exciting to you.

But just living is a lot of fun!�

Honestly, it's good to be alive.

It's a lot of fun.

I really got it at that moment,

coming from an old man like that.

He worked hard every day

and enjoyed his humble supper.

And his words
just popped out in that scene.

When painters live past 80...

that's when they produce
their best work,

like Umehara did.

After the painter
Tessai Tomioka turned 80,

it was like a flower
bursting into bloom.

He started painting
these astonishing paintings:

vivid, with beautiful colors.

And I think that's possible
with film as well.

You just have to make
a lot of films.

You make a lot of films,

accumulate
a lot of experience,

and at some point
it all comes to flower.

So I worked bit by bit,
working toward that goal.

At the end of the day...

good directors

make a lot of films.

Mizoguchi, Ozu, Naruse -

they all made
a huge number of films.

They made film after film

and accumulated
so much experience.

So I think it's essential to make
a certain number of films.

The thing I keep
foremost in my mind...

is to always
do things naturally.

I have a lot of things
in my mind I want to do.

But at a given point in time,

the state of the world
or something around me

allows a particular story to develop.

So I let it grow naturally.
I work with it.

Put simply...

my concern is why people
don't try to be happy.

It's surprising
how people end up...

in such difficulties
and such sadness.

To put it simply,

that's the theme
I've tackled again and again.

It occurred to me
that in Scandal...

and High and Low...

the same lines appear:

�lt's amusing to make the fortunate
taste the misery of the unfortunate.�

The rage you feel
against that sentiment -

It's always that way.

People never actually
try to be happy.

They deliberately choose
the path leading to misery.

I always wonder why that is.

One reason is we never
take the simple path.

This film's original title was
�I Had the Following Dreams...�

The title is
Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams",

with �dreams� in a larger font.

Since there's this dream,
then that dream,

it's like Soseki Natsume's
Ten Nights of Dreams.

I thought
that would work well.

Since you might say
essentially all films are dreams,

it almost sounds
like this film is your trump card.

Yes, in a sense...

they're all
film directors' dreams.

But in the Japanese context,
�dreams� sounds a bit frivolous,

like being lost in a dream or -

I know that in Japanese
�dream� sounds simpleminded.

I didn't want that.

At first I didn't
want to call it �Dreams.�

But for Westerners
it has a different nuance.

True. It suggests a sense
of volition or determination.

It's a powerful word.

Speaking of power,

your films have been called
very masculine.

The images are very dynamic,

as is the editing,
and people love that power.

But watching this film
all the way through,

it seems to have
a feminine lyricism too.

I love the gentleness of it.

Does that make it feminine?

It seems your films don't have
a lot to say about women.

But you see...

I was told so often

that I wasn't good
at portraying women

that I lost
the confidence to even try.

But look at the women
in John Ford's films.

That's right.

But in My Darling Clementine
he gets it right...

for a man.

People may say
you aren't good at it,

but in Japan it's usually women's
sexuality that gets represented.

Well, for example...

with No Regrets for Our Youth,
many critics complained

that Setsuko Hara's character
wasn't believable as a woman.

That's absurd.

There are strong women
in this world.

I go to extremes.

I want to portray
amazing women.

Or cute, lovable girls.

Those are the only
two types I can write.

But in Japan they said,
�That's not a real woman!�

They said Setsuko Hara's
character was like a man.

Well, yes,
in Japan most women

are raised
not to express themselves.

But in No Regrets for Our Youth,
from the beginning,

in scenes where
Setsuko Hara appears,

she's certainly beautiful,
but her proportions

were never as beautifully
revealed as in that film.

You start with that shot
of her calves.

She's such
a graceful young woman.

It makes me think
you're actually peerless

when it comes
to portraying women.

If you put it that way...

No one really knows
Setsuko Hara very well, do they?

She's a fascinating person.

It was so much fun
working with her.

She's completely different
from how she appears.

The way she adjusts
Akitake Kono's cap

was very feminine.

When she appeared
in The Idiot,

she played a non-traditional
Japanese woman,

which provoked criticism.

So one type
of female character

is the cute girl
with a beautiful spirit.

Quite a few such examples
of maidenhood appear.

They're naive.

- Naive?
- Naive.

Such as Yoshiko Kuga
in Drunken Angel

and Yoko Katsuragi
in Scandal,

but...

Terumi Niki in Red Beard

can't be called naive.

She's a paragon of innocence.

Speaking of lovable girls,

The Most Beautiful
is a very lovable film.

You think so?

I've forgotten all about it.

I have the video,
but my late wife's in it,

so it's too painful to watch.

None of the girls wears makeup,
and they're so full of life.

The reason...

is that those actresses

rid themselves of anything

that might
have been �actress-like.�

They do things like walking
around with a marching band

in actual city streets.

And after the film
was finished...

though their work was praised,
they all got married.

Basically, they went back
to being ordinary girls.

They all got married.

Your films are often called
examples of humanism,

and people really are beautiful
with their true face.

In truth...

people who live honestly
are beautiful in so many ways.

Thank you.

I couldn't do it
without all of you.

Ms. Harada,
you're really here!

He slept through most of it.

Thank you.

Thank you!

Come see the film
when it's done!

I almost gave up today,

but it went well.

Thank you.

Please give my regards
to everyone.

I'll do that.
Thank you very much.

Mr. Kurosawa's crying.

Where?

He watches performances intensely.

He looks like the weeping demon.

Let's overlap those images.

Enough to make them yearn
for a quick death.

Come.
I'll show you how they howl.

Man becomes a demon...

That explains it all.

Then go to the scene of
Sunshine Through The Rain.

- Do you like movies?
- I guess so.

- What do you like more than movies ?
- TV.

I was more nervous
than on a TV shoot.

Have you ever seen
Mr. Kurosawa's films?

I started watching Han,

but I'm afraid
it was too difficult for me.

Have you seen
Mr. Kurosawa's films?

Yes, I watched Han.

- What did you think ?
- Powerful.

I watched Han.

Do you know his older films,
like Seven Samurai?

I've seen it on TV.

The sets were amazing.

I was impressed with that.

- I saw one on TV yesterday.
- Which one?

Let me think...

- Can you describe it?
- It was very old.

- A period drama ?
- It was really old.

I was very impressed.

- Throne of Blood.
- Really?

And Seven Samurai.

And the recent one

that won the Grand Prix... Han.

Were you in that one too?

You're a regular!

He was wonderful to me.

He was kind and warm

and helped me with my performance.

He was always smiling,

and he shared
lots of stories with me

about both Japanese
and world film history.

It was much more interesting
than reading it in a book.

He just had a birthday.

He's really quite old now,

yet he can direct
so many people...

with his incredible vitality.

But his good health
has something to do with that.

I hope he stays
healthy and strong.

You have
to make it really dirty.

Does it look good on me?

When I listen to Mr. Honda,

he sounds very scientific.

He seems like the moon to me.

But you're different.

You're like the earth,
or actually the universe.

I'd say you're like the sun.
- Oh, my!