Film met Emeric Ellis-Bextor (17) - Hund i Bifff (7)

The ring 2 van Hideo Nakata is een zeer goede film. Amerikaans, ja, maar hoegenaamd geen blockbuster. Mainstream met voldoende artistieke inhoud. Beetje zoals De zaak Alzheimer.

Wat The ring 2 tot een goede film maakt is de regie van Nakata, de mooie lokaties, de schitterende fotografie van het dreigende water, en de acteerprestaties, met een alweer erg overtuigende Naomi Watts. Naomi Watts bewijst nogmaals waarom ze tot de Australische fab four behoort ( zie ook 20 januari op deze blog ).

Hund i snor heeft een tip voor de Bifff organisatoren : kieper die Bifff interviewers allemaal buiten, het zijn amateurs ! De interviewer van Nakata kon amper Engels. Hideo Nakata zelf, tot onze verbazing, wel.

Hund i snor had dan maar zelf een gesprek met de innemende Nakata, regisseur met een palmares om u tegen te zeggen : de Japanse Ring 1, Ring 2, Chaos en Dark Water, twee jaar geleden nog één van de hoogtepunten op het Bifff. Nakata is zoals de meeste Japanse regisseurs bescheiden, vriendelijk en ook zelfverzekerd. Hij is 44 maar ziet er 5 jaar jonger uit, net zoals zijn generatiegenoot Takashi Miike. Terwijl Miike sneller filmt dan zijn schaduw ( 30 films in de laatste 5 jaar ), zit Nakata aan 10 films op 8 jaar tijd.

Miike en Nakata zijn beiden uitzonderlijk getalenteerd en hebben in Brussel ongeveer de godenstatus bereikt.

Emeric
Hi Hideo, congratulations with your great movie.

Hideo Nakata
Thanks.

Emeric
Water is obviously an important element of your work. In Dark water, in the Ring 2. Why ?

Hideo Nakata
Fear for water is inside me. In Japan we fear water. Japan is an isle, we are surrounded by water. We faced numerous disasters like the tsunami and typhoons. Water is a source of life, but it also takes many lives.

Emeric
Your ( Japanese ) movies are very much appreciated in Europe. How do you compare the audiences in Japan, Europe and USA.

Hideo Nakata
In Japan people are very calm and reserved. They don't make much noise. Here in Brussels the audience is very special. They react to everything. I like that. Like when they shout moshe moshe when the phone rings, is very funny ( moshe moshe means hello ). In the US, people are also loud. They will rather laugh with very intense or shocking scenes.

Emeric
How was it working with Naomi Watts ?

Hideo Nakata
Great. She's petite and she had that nervous attitude which we needed in the film.

Emeric
What's your next film ?

Hideo Nakata
It's an American remake of The eye, the film of the Pang brothers, which was also shown at this Bifff festival. Producer is Tom Cruise, but I haven't met him yet. There's also an American remake of Dark water in the pipeline, but I'm not involved in that project.

Emeric
Since the European audiences like your movies, would you be interested in making a European movie ?

Hideo Nakata
Sure, I would love that. If there's a project that's offered to me. I already made a movie in England, 10 years ago, it was a documentary called "Man With 4 Names," on Joseph Losey, British-based American filmmaker who was a Communist Party member.

Emeric
You worked now for a big American studio, what's the difference with shooting a movie in Japan ?

Hideo Nakata
Biggest difference is the budget. Huge in the US. And the crowd. In Japan we're used to 30, 40 people on the set. In Hollywood it's 300 ! Also, in Japan I'm the King as director, whereas in Hollywood I have to consider the wishes of the producers. But I try to prevail as much as possible my artistic view in Hollywood.

Emeric
Thanks for this interview and a lot of success in your future projects.

Hideo Nakata
It's a pleasure.

Emeric
I can assure you the pleasure is mine !